Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

More than 33 tonnes of suspected illegal frozen food products have been seized following a major operation led by the Food Standards Agency's National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), supported by local authority teams.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Environmental Health team played a key role in the investigation, alerting the FSA after uncovering frozen food products with fraudulent labelling and no traceability during local inspections earlier this year.

Working alongside the NFCU and enforcement partners including Greater Manchester and Staffordshire Police, Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) have helped identify affected premises, remove products from sale, and ensure potentially impacted businesses withdraw and recall stock where necessary.

In total, more than 33 tonnes of suspected illegal food products have been seized since the operation began, including over 8 tonnes removed during 111 visits carried out by local authorities.

A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesperson said: “This is a great result. Removing more than 33 tonnes of suspected illegal frozen food from sale and making it clear that we won’t tolerate businesses who try to mislead customers. We alerted the FSA to investigations we carried out earlier this year, which found a premises was selling frozen food products with fraudulent labels and no traceability.

“Cases like these pose a safety issue to the public and we are continuing to take firm action to remove these products from the market and have been contacting premises who may have received affected products and ensure they are withdrawn and recalled.”

Andrew Quinn, Head of the FSA’s NFCU said: “Food fraud is not a victimless crime. It undermines legitimate businesses and erodes consumer trust. In this case, the concern is one of traceability and food safety: mislabelled frozen food products can pose health risks. The NFCU remains committed to protecting consumers and ensuring that criminal activity has no place in the UK food system.”

There is no indication of a health risk to the public, however if people with concerns about a product they have purchased are advised to contact their local Environmental Health team.

Are you passionate about shaping the future of Environmental Health?

Becoming a mentor through the CIEH Mentoring Scheme is a rewarding opportunity to support others, develop professionally, and make a lasting impact on the profession.

As a mentor, you can:

✅ Support the next generation of Environmental Health professionals and help shape their careers
✅ Strengthen your leadership, coaching and communication skills
✅ Gain fresh perspectives and learn from emerging talent and experiences

The CIEH Mentoring scheme is open to all CIEH members as both mentees and mentors.

We are particularly keen to recruit mentors for the Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) pathway, supporting students as they work towards becoming registered EHPs.

This opportunity is ideal for recently qualified EHPs, student training officers, professionals with experience of supporting student EHPs, and anyone working in environmental health who is passionate about developing future practitioners.

Mentoring is not only about helping others succeed. It is also an opportunity to grow your own skills, expand your professional network, and give back to the profession.

Grace recently completed the pathway and credits her mentor, Rhys, with playing a key role in helping her achieve a distinction grade.

👉 Read Grace and Rhys' thoughts and find out how to become a mentor: https://www.cieh.org/membership/mentoring/

🚨 Council closes town centre restaurant following serious rodent infestation.

A Reading town centre restaurant was formally closed by Reading Borough Council's Food & Safety team after officers discovered an "imminent risk to health" during an inspection.

EHOs visited Anjappar Chettinad Indian Restaurant on Kings Road on 23 July after the business requested a re-rating of its food hygiene score. During the visit, officers found evidence of a rodent infestation, including live rodents and rat droppings in food storage and food handling areas.

Food products had also been exposed to contamination, with officers finding bags of flour that had been gnawed by rodents.

The business voluntarily disposed of contaminated stock, but due to the severity of the findings, officers issued a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice, requiring the restaurant to close immediately.

Reading Magistrates' Court upheld the closure on 31 July, issuing a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Order and awarding costs of £1,055 to the council. The order required the premises to remain closed until pest control and structural issues were resolved and a thorough deep clean had been completed.

Following a further inspection on 4 August, officers were satisfied that the imminent risk to health had been removed and the premises was permitted to reopen.

Cllr Rachel Eden, Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health at Reading Borough Council, said: "Residents and visitors to our town deserve confidence that the food they buy is safe to eat, and the majority of our restaurants and cafes uphold high standards, so it's very important the council takes robust action whenever businesses put customers at risk.

“The council's Food & Safety team will continue to work with businesses to educate staff in the best hygiene practices and to ensure the highest levels of hygiene and safety standards are maintained.”

Food insecurity remains high across the UK, with the latest data from The Food Foundation highlighting the continuing challenge of ensuring everyone can access an affordable, healthy diet.

The figures, gathered by YouGov in July 2026 and independently analysed, show that one in eight households (12%) are affected by food insecurity, with some groups disproportionately affected.

The findings underline the importance of food insecurity as an early indicator of wider public health pressures, highlighting where affordability, access to nutritious food and health inequalities overlap.

Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, said: “Food-related ill health remains a huge problem in the UK as millions still struggle to afford or access the nutritious food that would keep them healthy.”

📖 Read the full story: https://www.cieh.org/ehn/public-health-and-protection/2026/august/levels-of-food-insecurity-across-uk-remain-high/

Don’t forget, the endorsement vote is still open for CIEH’s new President Designate.

The CIEH Board of Trustees has agreed to recommend Rachel Flowers as the Institute's next President, subject to approval by members.

Rachel brings extensive experience across public health, local government and higher education. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at London South Bank University and has previously held senior leadership roles with the London Borough of Croydon, Public Health England and the London Borough of Newham.

She is also a member of CIEH and currently serves on the Environmental Health Services Committee.

Rachel said: "I am so delighted and deeply humbled that I have been chosen to stand as CIEH, President Designate, subject of course, to members vote.

“This opportunity to be voted as the Presidential Designate, for an organisation that has been such an important and valued part of my own career journey is truly the pinnacle of anything I could have wished for in my working life."

The endorsement vote remains open until Friday 28 August 2026.
Members should have received information from Mi-Voice explaining how to take part in the vote.

If you have any questions about the endorsement vote, please read the Presidential confirmatory vote FAQs here:https://www.cieh.org/media/mytb0y5w/presidential-confirmatory-vote-faqs.pdf

If you require assistance with the voting process, contact [email protected]

Subject to member endorsement and formal appointment by the Board at a special meeting in early September, Rachel will take office on 1 January 2027 for an initial term of one year.

CIEH says new heat death figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) should be a wake-up call on the need to tackle excess heat in homes.

A UKHSA interim heat mortality monitoring report indicates there were an estimated 2,877 heat-associated deaths during two notable periods of hot weather in England in May and June 2026, almost double the figure reported annually for 2025.

We are highlighting that, as heatwaves become more frequent due to global warming, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) have a crucial role to play in tackling the housing problems that contribute to heat-associated deaths.

CIEH housing advisory panel member Dr Henry Dawson said: “Environmental Health Practitioners are one of the few professional groups bringing about the changes to our existing housing stock that are needed to combat the effects of more frequent extreme weather events.

“The resilience of existing homes to these events is an issue that affects the lives of millions of people. We need to drive it up the political agenda.”

Read the full press release here: https://www.cieh.org/news/press-releases/2026/new-heat-death-figures-should-be-wake-up-call-on-excess-heat-in-homes-says-cieh/

From personal experience to award-winning impact.

After seeing first-hand how poor housing conditions affected her young son's health, Milly Strong made the decision to change careers and pursue Environmental Health.

She was named the Rising Star Award winner at the CIEH Excellence Awards 2026 for her outstanding work leading Wiltshire's innovative Community Air Network project and helping improve air quality across the county.

Read Milly's inspiring story and discover how one personal experience sparked a career dedicated to protecting public health.

🔗 Read the full article: https://www.cieh.org/news/blog/2026/cieh-rising-star-award-2026-personal-inspiration-behind-career-change-into-environmental-health/

Andy Finch recently completed the CertHE Food Legislation and Food Control at the University of Birmingham, developing specialist knowledge in food safety, food standards and food identification.

Reflecting on his studies, Andy said: "I've really enjoyed diving into the technical depth of the discipline, particularly food microbiology and food law. Understanding the 'why' behind regulatory controls gives you a huge appreciation for the science behind food safety decisions."

Andy chose the course because it offers a qualification recognised within the Food Law Code of Practice, while developing the knowledge and skills needed to help protect public health. He also credits the university's lecturers with helping students understand not just what environmental health professionals do, but why their work matters.

His advice for anyone considering environmental health?

"Stay curious. The regulatory landscape is constantly shifting, whether it's emerging food safety technology, novel foods, allergen testing advancements or updated codes of practice. A mindset of ongoing professional development is key to a long, successful career."

Interested in a career that combines science, problem-solving and public health? Explore CIEH-accredited environmental health courses and discover where they could take you: https://www.cieh.org/make-a-difference