Food Handling News

It is clear that we are living in unprecedented times. Equally clear is that we will get through this pandemic, but that it is going to take some strength, stamina and especially some innovation to come through as unscathed as possible. It is the innovation part that I wish to address here with some tips that go beyond training; tips I am observing our customers innovate and implement. Tips that help us solve some of the problems created by the impacts of this pandemic. My hat is off to these customers for their can-do spirit in these difficult times…

Where many see challenges, Vilhelm Roberts, CEO and President of ALMACO Group sees opportunity, as his company has carved a niche in providing turnkey accommodation spaces and food handling areas serving the global maritime and offshore markets. He discusses the company’s strategy and future with Maritime Reporter. “We were born global,” said Roberts. The mother company is in Finland, and he leads the company from the company’s office in Florida along with his CFO who is in the office in France.

German shipyard Meyer Werft has awarded ALMACO Group the newbuilding contract for provision stores and fast thawing chambers for the next ship generation of AIDA Cruises, which are expected to be delivered end of 2018 and 2021. ALMACO’s scope of work involves a total of 2,600 square meters of provision stores, as well as nine fast thawing chambers (FTC). The FTC is an ALMACO-engineered system that supports a much faster thawing period on less thawing surface, providing a thawing capacity of 750 kg for each room for 12 hours, therefore allowing for 6,750 kg in thawing capacity per 24 hours. ALMACO has delivered FTCs in previous AIDA Cruises newbuilds, AIDAprima and AIDAperla.

ALMACO Group informs it has been awarded the design, material supply and supervision contract from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. In March 2014, KHI contracted ALMACO Group to deliver the design, material supply and supervision for the catering areas, inclusive galley, provision stores, refrigeration machinery and mess rooms, located on the hull of the first drillship, Ondina. The expected delivery date for this work is end of 2015. Earlier this year, ALMACO received the repeat order for the second drill unit, Pituba, with the expected delivery of mid of 2016. Kawasaki’s Sakaide Shipyard is building the hull parts of these units, which will later be transported to Enseada’s site in Brazil for installation of other segments, such as the topside equipment.

ALMACO informs it has been contracted to deliver food handling products for the Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas, the third Quantum-class ship scheduled for delivery during the second quarter of 2016.   The contracts, awarded by Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, comes in addition to 2,050 square meters of Provision Stores that ALMACO delivered for Quantum of the Seas this past October and that is currently installing on board Anthem of the Seas in 2015.

ALMACO Group has received multi-site certifications for ISO 14001:2004, for implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and OHSAS 18001:2007, for developing Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management systems, in compliance with the international standards. The certifications cover ALMACO’s products and services comprising engineering, procurement, construction, total project management, maintenance and on site installations for accommodation and food handling areas in living quarters, offshore installations and floating accommodation units.

A survey of officers and crew by a leading tanker owner suggests catering and galley staff throughout the industry may be in urgent need of training, according to Seagull. The computer-based training provider draws attention to a thorough survey of all ranks undertaken by Finaval S.p.A, a tanker owner, in cooperation with CIRM (International Radio-Medical Centre Rome) and UNICAM (Centre for Clinical Research, Telemedicine and Telepharmacy, Camerino University) focusing on knowledge and understanding of food hygiene and food handling best practice.

Computer-based training (CBT) specialist, Seagull, has unveiled new additions to its portfolio and revisions to a number of existing modules. Marine environmental awareness, Environmetal Challenges and four Learning MS modules. Major revisions have been made to Steering gear (operation), Steering gear (construction and maintenance) and minor amendments to Introduction to computers, MLC 2006 –basic introduction, Galley operations – workplace and equipment safety, Galley operations – hygiene and Drug and alcohol policy and testing. “Owners and seafarers alike are facing an increasing array of demanding legislative requirements and Seagull’s extensive learning modules are designed to ensure they are able comply with these,” says Roger Ringstad, Seagull Managing Director.

Computer-based training (CBT) specialist, Seagull, has unveiled new additions to its portfolio and revisions to a number of existing modules. The new releases are Principle of Assessment, Onboard Assessment, Oil record book – part 11, Galley operations 3 – food handling, Electric propulsion – fundamentals , Marine environmental awareness, Environmetal Challenges and four Learning MS modules. Major revisions have been made to Steering gear (operation), Steering gear (construction and maintenance) and minor amendments to Introduction to computers, MLC 2006 –basic introduction, Galley operations – workplace and equipment safety, Galley operations – hygiene and Drug and alcohol policy and testing.

ALMACO was awarded a multi-million euro contract to modernize accommodation and food handling areas onboard Mein Schiff 2, the ship that TUI Cruises is adding to its fleet in the spring 2011. TUI Cruises is a joint venture cruise line comprised of TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ALMACO will modernize 900 cabins, build ten new passenger cabins, modernize twenty-five food handling areas and build a new fine dining galley. The project will take place during the months of March and April in 2011. In 2009, ALMACO delivered similar scope to TUI Cruises onboard Mein Schiff 1. After the christening in May 2011, the extensively modernized Mein Schiff 2 will sail into her first season in the Nordic region and in the Baltic.

Almaco was contracted to deliver a complete turnkey project for cabins, corridors, galley, provision stores and refrigeration machinery for the latest newbuilding ferry vessel being built at Singapore Technologies Marine's shipyard for Louis Dreyfus Armateurs' subsidiary LD Lines. The contract was signed in November 2008 and the project is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2010. Almaco’s Accommodation Systems division will deliver a full turnkey for 226 Cabins and Corridors on both passenger and crew decks. The scope of supply includes design, supply of material, assembly, installation onboard and all background works such as ducting, piping, insulation, electrical. The design and standards of the cabins are of higher quality than those offered in earlier vessels.

ALMACO delivered the 336-cabin accommodation vessel Bibby Renaissance to Bibby Maritime Ltd. ALMACO Group provided a total turnkey package to Bibby Renaissance which incorporated structural construction as well as the total outfitting of the vessel with accommodations, food handling, and additional Systems. The project involved widening the vessel, originally an empty steel pontoon, by approximately 18 ft. The existing top-side accommodation structure was split longitudinally in half, leaving the port-side part of the structure in its existing place.

The new 88,500-ton Carnival Legend scored perfect 100s from both the U.S. Department of Public Health and Canadian Public Health Service during inspections in Baltimore and Halifax, Nova Scotia, earlier this month. The new 2,124-passenger vessel, which entered service in August 2002 and embarked on a six-day Bermuda cruise from Baltimore yesterday, Oct. 30, received perfect marks on all 42 items that comprise the U.S. encompass the Health Canada's Cruise Ship Inspection Guide. U.S. and overall cleanliness of the galley and other shipboard areas. The potable water supply used in spas and pools is also examined. "While Carnival ships consistently receive high public health inspection marks, perfect scores are quite rare. perfect marks from both U.S.