Important requirements for food, rations and drinking water on board

AUnder the Regulation, each shipowner must ensure that the ships it manages have an adequate supply of good quality food, drinking water and catering arrangements that ensure the health and welfare of the seafarers living on board, taking into account their diverse cultural, religious and religious gastronomic background, duration and type of trip and must be suitable in terms of quantity, nutritional value, quality and variety.

Seafarers who live on board a ship are to be provided with meals free of charge during the seafaring period. Every shipowner ensures that their ships meet the following minimum standards:

1. The provision of food and drinking water shall be commensurate with their religious needs and cultural dietary practices, taking into account the number of seafarers on board;
2. the organization and equipment of the catering department shall be such as to enable seafarers to be offered adequate, varied, balanced and nutritious meals, prepared and served under hygienic conditions;
3. Catering staff must be properly trained or instructed for their position.

No seaman under the age of 18 shall be employed or employed or work as a ship’s cook. Shipowners must ensure that seafarers employed as ships’ cooks are trained, qualified and found competent in accordance with the requirements for the position set out in the laws and regulations of the Marshall Islands. This includes completing an Administrator-approved or recognized training course covering hands-on cooking, food and personal hygiene, food storage, stock control, environmental protection, and food service health and safety.

In addition, the shipowner should make clean dishes available to all seafarers for use on board while on duty on the ship. Plates, cups and other kitchen utensils should be of approved material of good quality that is easy to clean.

Frequent documented inspections are to be carried out on board ships by or under the authority of the master to ensure that seafarers’ accommodation is clean, decently habitable and in good condition. Frequent documented inspections shall be carried out on board ships by or under the authority of the master for:

• Food and drinking water supply, from December 23, 2024 “by quantity, nutritional value, quality and variety
• all rooms and facilities used for the storage and handling of food and drinking water; And
• Galley and other equipment for preparing and serving meals.