Employers are demonstrating increased awareness of the importance of ensuring that employees receive adequate nutrition, as poor nutrition is constantly linked to absenteeism, sickness, low morale and a higher accident rate in the workplace, says workplace nutrition provider TRRC Nutrition MD Riaan Janeke.

Many South African workers do not have consistent access to healthy foods and many are unaware of the poor nutritional value of the foods they eat regularly.

“Workers often travel long and time-consuming distances to their places of employment and, more often than not, because of this or financial constraints, leave home without eating breakfast,” he says.

TRRC assists mining companies in dealing with these challenges by providing employees with an energy source while they are at work to keep them alert, explains Janeke.

The company’s products include GoAhead cereal, which is an instant precooked porridge; Mageu Boosta, a nutritious maize drink; and GoAhead Fresh Cooldrink, a powder isotonic drink. The company also produces diabetic snack packs.

The major benefit of TRRC’s products is that it is high-quality nutrition presented in an easy-to-use way. “The products are handed out to employees and all they have to do is add water,” says Janeke.

This solution is also affordable, compared with the cost related to accidents.

“If we can prevent one accident involving a truck driving off the road at an openpit mine, it will cover the costs of our nutritional meals for a number of years. A single accident can have a great financial impact on a mining operation” he explains.

However, every mining operation differs; therefore, we design and package products to suit the needs of the specific operation. This can be logistically challenging but it is what makes us unique,” Janeke says.

Some mines prefer the products in bulk form for easy serving directly into containers, while others prefer it in prepacked single servings to allow the effective management of rate of consumption. Products are packed according to the dynamics of a particular operation.

“We aim to take the hassle out of providing employees with the necessary nutrition they will need to perform at their peak by making it as simple as possible, as it is not the mine’s core business,” adds Janeke.

He says TRRC understands the workings of mining companies and what is necessary to satisfy the nutritional needs of the workers, and will go to some lengths to ensure the satisfaction of its clients.

Besides the mining industry, TRRC also supplies its products to other sectors, such as farming and agriculture, construction, industrial engineering and forestry.

“TRRC prides itself in tailor-making products to suit the specific needs of each operation it services,” he says.