![Helen McNair, the technical director at Lionel Hitchen shared, “[The incorporation of sustainability] needed to be part of our language and values in our business. We had to make sure that sustainability was embedded and integrated right across the whole business.”](https://img.perfumerflavorist.com/files/base/allured/all/image/2024/07/image001__3_.66a12c5416b28.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=700)
This month Lionel Hitchen, a supplier of natural flavors and flavor ingredients to the food and beverage industry, was awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal, a recognition given to the top 5% of companies assessed.
The EcoVadis rating system evaluates a company's policies, actions, and results across four key areas—environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement—in alignment with international sustainability standards.
Lionel Hitchen launched its first sustainability report in 2022 in collaboration with the University of Southampton Business School and has since remained committed to reporting on its sustainable practices, with the recent publication of its third report.
In line with this commitment, Lionel Hitchen has launched a dedicated page on its website to communicate its sustainability initiatives and the climate projects it supports said to mark a significant step in transparently communicating the company's sustainability efforts to its stakeholders.
Helen McNair, the technical director at Lionel Hitchen, who recently spoke at the London Flavour Day 2024 and leads the company’s sustainability strategy, emphasized the incorporation of sustainability into the company's core values, stating, “It needed to be part of our language and values in our business. We had to make sure that sustainability was embedded and integrated right across the whole business.”
McNair further highlighted the company's proactive approach to engaging employees in the sustainability journey, sharing, “We asked all the teams to give us ideas, including energy reduction. In fact, we had 100 ideas for reducing energy within our business which was fantastic. And because of that we set up what we call our Green Pathway Group.”
For more information about Lionel Hitchen's sustainability initiatives and projects, please visit Lionel Hitchen's website or contact the company directly.
