About us

Background

Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) is an independent consumer organisation with 11,000 members in the UK, and over 267,000 supporters on its database.

CHC has offices in London and Brussels and works with similar organisations around Europe.

CHC is run by a board of Directors who are elected annually; currently the board members are:

Michael J Peet, Chairman
Sue Croft, Director
Steve Ryan, Director
Melvyn Stevens, Director
Gareth Zeal, Director
James McEuen, Director

CHC is provided with political advice by The Whitehouse Consultancy.

CHC Director's Biographies

Michael J Peet, Chairman

Mike Peet is Vice-President of Sales, Marketing, and Regulatory Affairs, Co-founder, Healthnotes Inc.

Mike joined Healthnotes in November 1999. Previously he was the Managing Director for Health & Diet, a subsidiary of General Nutrition Companies, Inc. (GNC). During his 13-year tenure at Health & Diet, Mike led the $50 million company through its sale to GNC, a United States-based speciality retailer of vitamin and mineral supplements. He also oversaw the construction of GNC's European distribution centre and the development of a sports nutrition sales division. Mike has been recognised as a Fellow of the Institute of Health Food Retailing, a UK-based trade association. He is also one of the founding directors of Consumers for Health Choice. During 1999 Mike also served on the board of the Council of UK Health Food Manufacturers Association.

Back to top

Sue Croft, Director

Sue Croft has worked in the natural health care industry for more than 35 years in many different roles. Her career has encompassed retailing (at one time she was responsible for 31 health food stores), manufacturing, distribution and publishing. She is also a frequent writer and makes regular contributions to both trade and consumer magazines. She founded the distribution company Nature's Store (now Tree of Life) in 1978 and although it has changed hands three times since then, the company continues to thrive.

Sue has previously served as a member of the Health Food Manufacturer's Association, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Health Food Retailing. Sue became an elected director of Consumers for Health Choice in 1996, with specific responsibilities for fund raising, media and consumer communications. She became the "voice of the consumer" during the battle to keep Vitamin B6 readily available in sensible doses, and helped CHC achieve the PR Campaign of the Year Award presented by the Health Food Manufacturers Association in 1998.

In April 2005, Sue received a special achievements award at Natural Products, Olympia. This honour was made to acknowledge her work on behalf of the natural products industry and for her tireless efforts of behalf of consumers, over many years, against adverse EU legislation relating to supplements and other health products.

In March 2006, she received the manufacturing industry's highest accolade - the HFMA Maurice Hanssen Award of Honour for Outstanding Services to Health.

In April 2009, she was awarded the Natural Products Outstanding Achievement Award - the industry’s most prestigious prize. The award was decided by a special panel made up of previous winners and leading figures from all parts of the industry.

Sue now runs her own Consultancy company based in Devon, dealing once again with media and public relations, and other matters relating to natural healthcare.

Back to top

Steve Ryan, Director & Treasurer

Steve Ryan is the founder and Managing Director of Bee Health Limited and the Honey Farm Exhibition Centre. With his keen interest in the environment and natural remedies, Steve has pioneered Bee Health Limited to become the World's leader in the manufacture and retail of standardised propolis and propolis products.

In 2001, Bee Health Limited relocated into large premises combining all departments of the company together. On completion of this relocation, Steve was approached by many leading health food retailers to contract manufacture various products.

Today, Bee Health Limited are one of the UK's main Contract Manufacturers for many well known brands of health food products and supplements.

Bee Health are also approved by the Soil Association for packaging of organic products; active members of the Bee Farmers Association, Associate members of the NAHS (National Association of Health Stores) and IBRA (International Bee Research Association).

Steve is a former Board Member of the HFMA (Health Food Manufacturers Association), and has strongly supported Consumers for Health Choice for a number of years.

Back to top

Gareth Zeal, Director

Gareth Zeal is one of UK's leading experts in the field of nutrition and naturopathy and has over 24 years experience at advising patients and customers on the benefits of good nutrition and natural medicine.

Gareth has managed top London health stores and worked in the natural products industry as a Senior Nutritional Consultant. He has vast knowledge and experience of health problems and the way they can be helped with diet, food supplements and complementary therapies. His clients include top athletes and several premiership football clubs, as well as many 'stars' of the entertainment world.

Gareth has lectured at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London, acted as senior examiner for the South East in martial arts - Aiki-Jutsu, and has helped to write several well-known books on natural health. He has also appeared on many TV and radio shows to give advice to viewers who phone in with health questions.

Back to top

Melvyn Stevens, Director

Melvyn Stevens was elected onto the CHC Board in December 2004 and brings a variety of new skills to the organisation.

Having worked for 15 years at London's South Bank Polytechnic (now a University) as a chief technician running the Food Analysis and Instrumentation laboratories, Melvyn decided to change direction in 1993.

He purchased Well Being, a health food store in Sydenham, South London and rapidly set about expanding and promoting it into the thriving store it is today. Coming face to face with customers daily, Melvyn soon became aware of their concerns regarding the future of supplementation and the possible threats from Europe and set his sights on overturning the Food Supplements Directive and other adverse legislation by whatever means possible.

Joining CHC has provided substantial insight into consumer campaigning and a been a real challenge, but Melvyn still finds time for his favourite Cricket and Hockey and is a qualified umpire in the Surrey Championships!

Back to top

The Whitehouse Consultancy ~ political advisors to CHC

Since 1996, the Whitehouse Consultancy has provided CHC with expert long-term strategic advice and guidance to ensure that the voice of the consumer has been heard within the political and regulatory arena. CHC is now well known in political circles and under the careful direction of Christopher Whitehouse, CHC either supports or challenges all political activities relating to natural health care, and frequently meets with MPs, MSPs, MEPs and others in Westminster, Edinburgh, Whitehall and Brussels.

The daily provision of their detailed parliamentary monitoring and political intelligence gathering service is invaluable and means that CHC is always one step ahead of other lobbying groups when fast action is needed.

Whitehouse Consultancy website

Back to top

James McEuen, Director

James wears two hats as Managing Director of BioCare Ltd and Group Managing Director for NeutraHealth plc.

BioCare is the leading practitioner-focused VMS brand that has been committed to scientifically based, cutting edge products for 20 years. The company has supported CHC since its inception and is dedicated to free choice for practitioners and consumers alike.

James has worked as a country general manager, commercial and marketing director in fmcg and healthcare businesses, notably Unilever and Johnson & Johnson (Medical Devices), having previously served in the British Army for 10 years.

He has an MBA from Cranfield School of Management and a Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.


Back to top