This article was featured in the official IMPA publication - Supply Chain and Sustainability Magazine, Issue 4 2024
The health and productivity of crew are paramount. Nutrition plays a critical role in maintaining these standards, making it essential for procurement managers to prioritise quality food supplies. This article examines the importance of crew nutrition and provides actionable strategies for procurement managers to enhance dietary provisions on board ships.
The Importance of Crew Nutrition
Crew members face unique challenges that significantly impact their health, such as long working hours, isolation, and limited access to fresh produce. “Seafarers commonly face several nutritional challenges while on board,” says MCTC’s Nichole Stylianou. “They often struggle with accessing dishes native to their home countries as well as diverse cuisines. This limits their dietary variety and satisfaction.
“The high demands of their jobs frequently force them to rush through meals, leading to the consumption of high-sugar, high-fat, and ready-made foods,” she adds. “Additionally, adverse weather conditions and lack of sleep can diminish their ability to enjoy meals, often driving them to seek comfort in less healthy food options to alleviate stress.”
Proper nutrition is vital in mitigating these challenges, ensuring that crew members remain healthy and productive. Balanced diets contribute to improved physical health, enhanced mental well-being, and reduced incidence of chronic diseases, thereby supporting overall operational efficiency.
“Mood is an emotional state that can affect mental health,” Harmita Singh of BLU Maritime Consultancy (BMC). “Medical science suggests that our food is closely connected to our mood. What and when we eat or don’t eat affects our mood. Seafarers undertaking diverse activity should take particular care of this aspect.”
Harmita advises ships’ crew have access to fresh produce, as well as a varied diet and being aware of their salt and preservative intake. This is a particular problem due to limited options available. “Seafarers end up stocking on tinned and canned items which contain high levels of salt and preservatives to extend their shelf life to maximum.
“Ensuring that crew members on shipping voyages have access to nutritious meals Is crucial for their health, well-being and overall performance.”
Nutritional Requirements for Seafarers
“On long voyages, there is often a risk of limited food variety and preservation challenges leading to higher risk of nutritional deficiencies,” says Stavrie Kleanthous of Oceanic. “For instance, Vitamin D deficiency may occur due to low sunlight exposure, resulting in weakened bones (osteomalacia/osteoporosis), muscle weakness, and fatigue, and can negatively impact mood and cognitive function.”
Yannis Petrakis of Seachef agrees: “The maritime industry presents unique challenges when it comes to maintaining the health and well-being of crew members,” he says. “Especially during long voyages. One of the critical areas of concern is nutritional deficiencies.
“Common deficiencies include Vitamins D, C, B12, Iron, Calcium, and Magnesium. Addressing these nutritional deficiencies is crucial for maintaining the overall health, productivity, and morale of crew members, ensuring they can perform their duties effectively and safely throughout their voyages. Ensuring the quality and variety of food available is essential to meet recommended dietary guidelines.”
Understanding the nutritional needs of seafarers is therefore essential. The daily caloric intake should reflect the physical demands of different roles, with a general recommendation of 2,500 to 3,000 calories per day for active crew members.
Macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats must be balanced to provide sustained energy, muscle maintenance, and overall health. Additionally, essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals should be incorporated to support immunity, bone health, and cognitive function.
Challenges in Providing Balanced Nutrition at Sea
Procurement managers face several challenges in providing balanced nutrition at sea. Logistical constraints, including storage limitations and supply chain disruptions, can affect the availability and quality of food. Catering to the diverse cultural and dietary preferences of a multinational crew adds another layer of complexity.
“Some shipping companies may excel in procurement but lack understanding of healthy diet, balanced menus, prioritising cost more than nutrition,” adds Kleanthous. “This oversight can lead to inadequate variety of healthy products on board. Proper training on well-balanced diet is also essential but often overlooked.”
To that end, effective menu planning should be the cornerstone of good nutrition at sea. “In cases where shipping companies manage provision supplies internally, nutritional consideration such as well-balanced menus, cultural/religious dietary needs, proper training for galley crew, and adequate storage procedures may not receive sufficient attention,” she says.
“On the other hand, there are catering specialist companies that prioritise crew members needs and expectations, and they have the know-how and capacity to ensure that these needs are met effectively.”
Implementing Nutrition Programs
Successful nutrition programs require proper training for cooks and stewards in nutritional cooking and food safety. Regular health checks can help monitor the crew’s health and allow for adjustments in dietary plans as needed. Feedback mechanisms are also important, enabling continuous improvement in meal quality and variety based on crew input.
“Our My Balance Service, a health and nutrition support program, offers personalised and practical solutions tailored to the unique needs of seafarers,” says Stylianou. “We develop personalised nutritional plans after carefully evaluating seafarers and onshore staff. We support and develop whole meal plans and weekly menus easily accessible both while on board and ashore.
To enhance their health, we promote physical activity with information on simple exercises that can be performed onboard to keep them active and happy. Our goal is to maximise their energy levels, boost their immune system and stay strong through avoiding vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
“In addition, we conduct educational sessions for seafarers with the aim of raising awareness regarding healthy eating and the importance of nutrition for overall wellbeing. These sessions cover specific food benefits and include tailored webinars and seminars.”
It’s not just about what’s supplied either, but how what is supplied is used, as Sea Steward’s Paul Westerman explains. “We can educate on the nutritional value of good foods, but once they’re on board they need to be prepared in the right way.
“Much of that is about educating the cooks on board to prepare foods in different ways that are healthy. They have to understand that the way they cook is as important as what they cook. We have to remember that we are delivering a service that is aimed at keeping the crew healthy.”
Case Studies and Best Practices
Several shipping companies have successfully implemented improved nutrition programs. For example, some have adopted hydroponic farming on board to provide fresh produce, while others have optimised the use of frozen versus fresh produce to maintain nutritional value and reduce waste. These innovative solutions demonstrate that with the right strategies, nutritional challenges at sea can be effectively addressed.
“At BMC we closely monitor the wellness and wellbeing part of the crew,” says Harmita Singh. “We have a service under our portal - Crew health profile which looks into the complete effectiveness of the food management & crew engagement.
“The seafarers data is collected and analysed on physical and social areas that indicate the improvements on BMI and the satisfaction score of an individual in terms of quality of life on board and social coherence by bonding with peers. Engagement by involvement into competition or even games on board for improved social environment.”
ISWAN’s Alan Croft advocates for a holistic approach. “We've seen positive outcomes when nutritional issues are addressed as part of a broader approach to seafarer welfare,” he says. “For example, ensuring better food quality and variety on board, alongside tackling other welfare concerns, has significantly boosted crew morale and overall well-being.
“Many member companies within our network offer exemplary services that ensure a good diet on board. This holistic approach often leads to enhanced performance and a more positive work environment.”
“Oceanic’s onboard catering and provisions management digital platform, ‘NERIS’, displays detailed nutritional information for each recipe, ensuring the crew's nutritional needs are met while on board,” says Kleanthous. “This feature not only facilitates the identification and tracking of key nutritional issues, but also boosts the cook's awareness of nutritional values. With this valuable insight, cooks can prepare meals that better support the crew's overall health, while effectively addressing and managing nutritional challenges issues.”
Optimal crew nutrition is vital for the health and productivity of seafarers, directly impacting the efficiency of maritime operations. Procurement managers play a critical role in ensuring that nutritional needs are met by selecting appropriate food supplies and implementing effective nutrition programs. By prioritising crew nutrition, procurement managers can contribute significantly to the well-being of the crew and the success of maritime operations.
