Data Protection Statement
Data Protection Notice
Health Food Institute Last updated: 15 Sept 2026
Who we are
The Health Food Institute (HFI) works in partnership with Healthstores UK and Health Stores Ireland to deliver training and resources to independent health store owners, managers, and staff across Ireland and the UK.
For the purposes of data protection law, the administrator is the data controller for personal data collected through HFI’s training platform, website, events, and communications.
Which laws apply
Because our contacts include individuals based in both Ireland and the UK, we handle personal data in line with:
- The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018, for data subjects in Ireland and the EU, and
- The UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (as amended for the UK), for data subjects in the United Kingdom.
Both frameworks give you broadly the same set of rights over your personal data, set out below.
What we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Name, email address, and contact details
- Store, organisation, or business name, and your role
- Training records: courses started, completed, certificates and diplomas awarded
- Communication preferences and history (emails opened, links clicked)
- Details you provide when registering interest as a training Partner, contributor, or Patron
We collect this directly from you: when you sign up for training, register at an event, complete a form on our website, or correspond with us by email.
Why we process it, and our legal basis
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Delivering training you’ve enrolled in, issuing certificates | Performance of a contract with you |
| Sending training updates, course reminders, and related communications | Consent |
| Sending general HFI/HSI newsletters and sector updates | Consent |
| Following up after events, trade shows, or enquiries | Consent, or legitimate interest where you’ve asked us to make contact |
| Maintaining accurate training and membership records | Legitimate interest |
| Complying with legal, accounting, or regulatory obligations | Legal obligation |
Where we rely on consent, you’re free to withdraw it at any time, as explained below. This won’t affect the lawfulness of anything already done before you withdrew it.
Where your data is held
Our training platform, contact database, and email communications are hosted and managed through Kajabi, our training and CRM platform provider. Kajabi processes personal data on our behalf as a data processor, under its own data processing terms and security safeguards. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties.
We may share limited contact details with our UK and Ireland training partners, where this is necessary to deliver a training offering, event, or communication you’ve opted in to — and only to the extent needed for that purpose.
How long we keep it
We retain personal data for as long as you remain an active contact, student, or member, and for a reasonable period afterwards to meet our record-keeping, accreditation, and legal obligations. Inactive contacts who have not engaged with HFI communications or training for an extended period will be periodically reviewed and removed.
Your rights
Under GDPR and UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erase your data, in certain circumstances
- Restrict or object to certain processing
- Port your data to another provider, where technically feasible
- Withdraw consent at any time, without affecting processing carried out before withdrawal
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@healthfoodinstitute.org.
If you’re not satisfied with how we’ve handled your data, you have the right to complain to your national supervisory authority:
- Ireland: Data Protection Commission — www.dataprotection.ie
- UK: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) — www.ico.org.uk
Opting out and unsubscribing
You’re in control of what you hear from us:
- Every email we send includes an unsubscribe link at the bottom, managed through our Kajabi platform. Clicking this removes you from that mailing list immediately.
- To opt out of all HFI communications, email info@healthfoodinstitute.org with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line, and we’ll remove you from our active contact lists within [X] business days.
- To opt out of a specific list only (for example, Patron/Partner correspondence but not training updates), let us know which list in your email and we’ll update your preferences accordingly rather than removing you entirely.
- Opting out of marketing communications does not affect service messages related to training you’re actively enrolled in (such as certificate confirmations), which we send as part of delivering that course.
Changes to this notice
We may update this notice from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The date at the top shows when it was last revised.
Contact us
Health Food Institute Email: info@healthfoodinstitute.org Web: www.healthfoodinstitute.org