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Privacy Policy
Introduction
Your privacy is important to us.
We collect personal information by lawful and fair means and, where appropriate, with your knowledge or consent.
Before or at the time of collecting personal information, we will identify the purposes for which information is being collected.
We collect and use personal information solely for fulfilling those purposes specified below unless we obtain your consent or as required by law.
We process your personal data within the European Union. Third party service providers acting on our behalf may store your personal data on systems outside of the EU. If that is the case, we will take technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data and ensure an equivalent level of safeguard.
Types of personal information we collect
We may collect your name, postal address, email address, telephone number to identify and communicate with you.
We may collect information about your education and qualifications, extent and number of years’ experience, and employment history for the purposes of assessing your suitability for membership and registration.
We may collect gender, date of birth, and other characteristics to measure the effectiveness of our equal opportunity policies.
If you visit our websites, your computer type, operating system, length of visit, page views and browsing habits (including your Internet Protocol (‘IP’) address, geographical location, browser address and other information relating to your visit) may be tracked (we may use cookies) to enable us to monitor traffic and make improvements to our websites.
Purpose for collecting personal information
We use your personal data to keep you updated with relevant information which forms part of your package of services and/or membership benefits, and in pursuit of our charitable object, which is the general advancement and application of food science and technology, for the benefit, safety and health of the public.
We will not pass on your details to unrelated third-parties unless you specifically opt-in to this type of communication.
Legal bases of processing personal informationÂ
We collect and process personal information with your consent (GDPR 6(1)(a)), because processing is necessary for the performance of a contract (6(1)(b)), because the processing is necessary for the performance of task carried out in the public interest (6(1)(e), or because the processing is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests (6(1)(f)).
Who has access to your personal data and to whom is it disclosed?Â
We may disclose information about you to any of our team (employees and volunteers), suppliers or subcontractors (such as the publishers of IFST publications or our accountants) as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy.
In addition, we may disclose your personal information:
To the extent we are required to by law;
In connection with any legal proceedings;
In order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights.
Your personal information may only be shared with good reason as follows:
Assessors will be given access to information necessary to assess your application for membership, registration or revalidation;
Employers or potential employers, on request, will receive confirmation of your membership or registration status;
Our regions and interest groups may be given access to information necessary to provide you with local, personalised service;
If registered on a Science Council register (as a Chartered Scientist, Registered Scientist, Registered Science Technician) your name, registration award, membership and registration status, registrant ID and other information to correctly identify you will be shared with the Science Council;
If registered on one of IFST’s registers, such as the Register of Professional Food Auditors and Mentors or the Register of Food Safety Professionals, your name, registration number and fields of operation, or level of registration may be published on our websites.
How do we protect and safeguard your information?
We will protect personal information by using reasonable security safeguards against loss or theft, as well as unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
Our employees and, where relevant, volunteers (including assessors) receive training in data protection and are bound by IFST policies.
How can you verify, modify or delete your information?
We aim to ensure that the information we hold is as accurate as possible. We may contact you periodically to ensure the data we hold is complete, accurate and up to date. We encourage you to update us of any changes.
If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, at the address below. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.
You may request details of personal information which we hold about you. If you would like a copy of the information held on you, please write to us at the address below.
How long do we keep your personal data?Â
We will only retain personal information for as long as necessary for the fulfilment of the purposes stated above. We do not hold your data longer than we need to.
Contact information
We are committed to and carry out our business in accordance with data protection principles. If, for whatever reason, you wish to comment or raise a concern, please write to our Honorary Treasurer, who is responsible for data protection matters on behalf of the Board:
Hon. Treasurer
Institute of Food Science and Technology
5 Cambridge Court
210 Shepherds Bush Road
London W6 7NJ