Maritime hotel company: nutritionist's operating segment in collective food service

• Published in: Demetra: Alimentação, Nutrição e Saúde Nutrição e Saúde, 2016-06, Vol.11 (2), p.337
• Main Authors: de Mello, Aline Gomes, Almeida, Gabriella Barcellos, de Oliveira, Lorena Goncalves, Colares, Lucileia Granhen Tavares, de Oliveira, Mariana Fernandes Brito
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2238-913X; 2238-913X
• DOI: 10.12957/demetra.2016.19508

This study has aimed to describe activities related to food and nutrition in the maritime hotel industry. A case study was conducted in a maritime hotel company, supported by exploratory research. To identify the activities and professionals involved in meal production processes, systematic observation and document research were carried out. Activities related to food and nutrition could occur onshore--on the support base, and offshore--on the oil platforms. Menu planning and purchasing and storage of foodstuffs, assembly and shipment of these materials to platforms would be performed onshore, while reception and storage of material, production and distribution of meals would be performed offshore. Transporting the foodstuffs to an oil platform can take up to 48 hours, depending on location and sea conditions. Therefore, controlling time and temperature would be crucial to maintain the quality of the food. In the maritime hotel company, nutritionists would develop the mandatory and complementary activities prescribed for work in the food service. Health professionals, and among them nutritionists, would be responsible for inspecting foodstuffs received on the oil platform and also for checking the sanitary quality of food for the preparation of meals. It is concluded that the production of meals is similar to other food services. However, in maritime hotel companies some steps take place onshore and others offshore. Rigorous quantitative and qualitative controls are required, since failures in controls may result in additional costs for the company. Keywords: Food Services. Workflow. Meals. Food Storage.