Overview and prospect: food and nutrition of seafarers on merchant ships.

During stay on board, seafarers have limited influence on quality and quantity of food over several months. Furthermore, the nutrition on board is characterised by different dietary habits in the multi-ethnic crews, differential food supply in crew's and officers' mess room and irregular mealtimes due to the shifts on board. Internationally, nutritional situation on board is not standardised, but reflects the flag-state standard. Up to date, there is only little comprehensive research published concerning food patterns of seafarers; these studies often lack in objective examination methods to estimate the actual food intake and activity-related energy requirements. Therefore, to examine the food and nutrition of seafarers, shipping companies should be interviewed about food provisions on board, and seafarers about eating habits in consideration of possible socio-cultural and psychological backgrounds for malnutrition. These studies should also encompass seafarers' health parameters related to nutrition on board (energy consumption, bioelectrical impedance analysis, ergospirometry and blood analysis). In total, further research directly on board is needed to know more about seafarers' food and nutrition situation at sea.