At the very least, it's harmful: nutrition standards for workers in hazardous industries are outdated

Nutrition of workers of harmful industries in Russia is still regulated by the norms of 70 years ago. As reported to Izvestia at the Scientific Research Institute of Functional Nutrition, the standards of therapeutic and preventive nutrition have not changed since 1953. Current diets include excess calories, protein deficiency, and no personalization: height, weight, and physical activity of employees are not taken into account. According to doctors, this can provoke obesity, diabetes and other serious diseases. Izvestia studied what is being fed in hazardous industries and what experts suggest to change.

What's wrong with the workers' diet

Therapeutic and preventive nutrition rations for employees of harmful industries in Russia need to be updated, said Yulia Malevannaya, General Director of the Research Institute of Functional Nutrition. We are talking about workers in the coal and metallurgical industries, nuclear energy, construction and mechanical engineering.

The expert noted that current diets provide only basic protection and ignore modern concepts of nutritionology and elementology (the science of the role of macro‑ and microelements in the body. — Ed.).

"There is a need for their revision," she said. — There are serious shortcomings in diets, for example, outdated protein standards, focused on the lower limit of physiological needs. Current recommendations from WHO and leading dietetic schools speak of the need for increased protein intake for people exposed to stress factors, including chemical ones.

Currently, LPP is being issued in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Labor dated May 16, 2022. It approved a list of professions, positions and industries where work entitles you to free meals, as well as the standards for the provision of vitamins.

But the therapeutic and preventive nutrition itself is organized according to rations that were developed back in Soviet times, and are still in effect, Yulia Malevannaya noted.

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The standards of therapeutic and preventive nutrition and cooking technologies need to be reviewed, says Alexey Ostash, head of Rosatom's catering department and an expert on food safety in the nuclear industry. The main claims of the expert are that the dishes are too high in calories, and their compositions have not met current requirements for a long time.

"Today we feed according to the standards of 1953,— he said at the SmartZdrav congress in February 2026. — The products listed in the rations of the LPP have remained since those "shaggy" years. And nothing changes — neither the order of delivery, nor the order of cooking. I've been raising this topic for several years now.

Alexey Ostash noted that nutrition plays an important role in the formation of healthy habits: it must be safe, varied and meet calorie standards.

— The employer is responsible for catering at the enterprise, which is obliged to create all necessary conditions for the preservation of the health of its employees. Fruits should be available, and salt and carbonated drinks should be limited," the expert said.

Izvestia asked the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Health and Rospotrebnadzor whether changes in the nutrition of employees of harmful enterprises are expected. But the departments could not come to a consensus: Rospotrebnadzor forwarded the questions to the Ministry of Labor, and there they said that the federal service was responsible for the standards of the LPP.

The Ministry of Health told Izvestia that the agency is developing diets only for dietary nutrition, "since this area is part of the medical process and relates to the sphere of public health protection."

Why do we need fixed rations?

Each of the approved LPP rations is aimed at protecting specific organs and systems that are most vulnerable when exposed to certain harmful factors, explained Yulia Malevannaya.

— For example, the food for those working with radioactive substances is rich in phosphates, vitamins and other substances that stimulate fat metabolism, — said the expert. — In addition to hot breakfasts or lunches, employees may be given fermented dairy products or milk. Now it is allowed to replace milk with kefir, fermented milk and cottage cheese. The order of the Ministry of Labor also approved the distribution of vitamins depending on the harmful factor. So, when working with a high ambient temperature, A, B1, C, PP are given.

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Protein is necessary for the body not only as a "building material", but also for the synthesis of detoxification enzymes (detoxification of toxic substances. — Ed.), maintaining the functioning of the immune system and preventing age-related loss of muscle mass, which is aggravated by harmful conditions, said the general director of the Research Institute of Functional Nutrition.

— You also need to pay attention to the quality of fats and carbohydrates. The recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor from 2026 and global trends speak about the need to reduce saturated fats and trans fats. This is prescribed in current rations, but in practice cheaper raw materials are often used," said Yulia Malevannaya.

The standards of medical treatment for employees of harmful enterprises require revision, confirmed by gastroenterologist Andrey Simakov. According to him, nutrition recommendations "wander from one legislative act to another," preserving remnants of the 1960s.

"The main problem is the too high calorie content of the diet, which contains a lot of carbohydrates and fats," he said in an interview with Izvestia. — Previously, the level of automation in heavy industry, energy and mining was much lower, which means that workers spent more energy. For example, in the USSR, miners were supposed to have up to 6,000 calories per day, which is three times the daily norm for an adult man with low physical activity.

The doctor noted that current therapeutic and preventive nutrition diets contain insufficient amounts of protein and do not take into account the individual parameters of employees ‑ their height, weight and level of physical activity.

— Excess calories and fats in the diet are dangerous: they lead to obesity and can contribute to the development of cancer. Therefore, it's time to change the rations. It is critically important for nuclear industry workers to get enough protein and vitamins. And those who are engaged in hard work need more than 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily," explained the gastroenterologist.

Mariana Jutova, a dietitian at Meditsina JSC, agreed that the standards of therapeutic and preventive nutrition are outdated - many diets, according to her, have remained since Soviet times and do not take into account modern data on the metabolism of toxins.

"The calorie content of the dishes is high, the composition is outdated and requires changes," she told Izvestia. — This is harmful: excess calories leads to obesity and diabetes, and lack of focus on antioxidants leads to the accumulation of toxins. It is necessary to replace fatty meals with vegetables and unrefined carbohydrates, such as whole-grain bread. In addition, you should increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, and probiotics.

How do they propose to refine the rations of the LPP

The main source of energy, according to Andrey Simakov, should be complex carbohydrates — legumes, cereals, pasta and potatoes, and not fats, although they are also needed. Dietary supplements should focus on fiber, dairy products, and white meat, such as poultry, rabbit, or fish.

— Red meat should be included in the diet, but less often. The more different types of vegetables there are, the higher the satiety, the better the gut microbiome feels. This will eliminate the need to use vitamin mixtures and generally reduce the risks of chronic diseases," the doctor noted.

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Nutrition needs to be adapted to the modern rhythm of life and the needs of employees, added Mariana Jutova. She recommended giving workers shift rations with superfoods, as well as changing diets depending on a person's age and genetic characteristics.

— The importance of therapeutic and preventive nutrition is high — without it, harmful factors accelerate pathologies, especially with a shift schedule. A proper diet increases resistance to toxins, stimulates detoxification, and compensates for vitamin deficiencies from stress. The risk of occupational diseases is reduced, immunity and productivity are improved," the doctor emphasized.

Yulia Malevannaya believes that peptide products and protein composite mixtures should be introduced into the diets of the pharmaceutical industry — they will make it easy to increase the protein value of cereals, soups and drinks without increasing the volume of food.

"This has already been successfully tested in the medical nutrition system and allows us to move from simple saturation to targeted support for specific body systems operating under increased stress," she said. — It is recommended that workers of harmful industries be given vitamins C, E, D, and group B.

In addition, if industry is associated with the production of mercury and most heavy metals, it is useful to add selenium, zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, and iodine to the diet. If it's lead, then zinc, selenium, calcium, iodine, and iron. Workers in hot shops need electrolytes: potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium. In case of radiation — potassium, selenium, iodine.