A Chinese proverb says: "Food is of utmost importance to everyone." Indeed, food is important to everyone in their daily lives. Therefore, food safety is also essential to the success of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. There are nine months to go before the opening of the Olympic Games. Is China prepared in terms of food and safety? In this regard, this People's Daily reporter had an interview with Professor Cai Tongyi, expert on food safety from the Beijing Olympics Committee.
Supply of raw materials
According to Professor Cai, Beijing began breeding a variety of pigs for eating three years ago. There will be 24 varieties of pork, 5 kinds of beef, 9 varieties of lamb and 65 types of vegetables available during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Athletes will be able to choose from 28 major categories including over 450 varieties of food during the Games. Recipes will change every week. Because many vegetables are not in season in August, Beijing will grow 5,000 tons of off-season vegetables on thousands of mu of land in northern region of the city: approximately 500-800 meters above sea level.
It is somewhat a cumbersome task for Beijing to satisfy the entire food chain. It cannot rely on domestic production to meet the dietary demands of athletes, such as the 140 or more varieties of cheese. As a result, BOCOG has signed an agreement with the Carrefour Group to import some cheese products during the games. At the same time, BOCOG and the market regulation division have discussed further details. For example, BOCOG will take into account the energy intake of athletes and replace sugar in canned food with low-calorie xylitol.
Food transportation and cleaning
Hot weather in Beijing in August does not keep food fresh. Therefore, refrigeration will be a big part of food transport. The Olympic Games Committee will need refrigerated transport to carry vegetables and meat. A GPS tracking system and automatic temperature recording devices will be used during the entire transport process. Delivery routes will be strictly defined. In addition, BOCOG will establish an Olympic food safety tracking system which will monitor the entire procedure from production to processing, distribution, and final setup. Should there be any problems the system can test and determine if the food should be unloaded within 10 minutes.
Professor Cai introduced a "secret weapon" for washing vegetables and tableware: acidic electrolyzed oxidizing water. It generates active chlorine in water which kills pathogenic microorganisms. And it will eventually return to its natural water state with no residual chemical composition. Common bacteria will be destroyed once immersed in acidic electrolyzed oxidizing water for 40 seconds. Now Olympic partner hotels are using this kind of water.
Athletes' meals
For many athletes who are making their first trip to China, they are looking forward to tasting authentic Chinese food. However, sometimes it might be dangerous for athletes to eat food normally eaten by the general public. According to Professor Cai, sometimes athletes may consume "stimulants" by mistake because some animal meats contain elements of stimulants. And these come from the animal feed. Therefore, the Beijing Olympic Committee ensures the safety of all feed and pesticide ingredients through rigid testing.
Athletes from 203 countries and regions will come to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. BOCOG will provide a "worldwide taste of food and internationalized services" to these athletes. Each type of food must be approved by the Food and Services Department of the International Olympic Committee. Detailed and strict guidelines have been made on how to make Chinese cuisine such as Beijing roast duck, glutinous rice balls and dumplings. The Committee will consider the tastes of foreign athletes in terms of both ingredients and flavor. In addition, BOCOG will coordinate with international embassies on the special dietary restrictions of certain athletes.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics will also bring opportunities to Beijing's catering industry. To ensure food safety, Beijing will assign standard grades to restaurants in terms of hygiene, tableware, and service. According to BOCOG regulations, there should be no D-class restaurants in bustling streets, scenic areas and within one 1,000 square meters of major Olympic venues. All partner hotels that have signed agreements with BOCOG must meet A-class standards.
By the end of 2007, the Beijing Municipal government will rectify small caterers and restaurants in the city. Relevant departments will "encourage a number, improve a number and shut down a number of" street vendors. Small vendors with qualifying hygiene standards will be allowed to operate in fixed markets; those of average quality will be ordered to improve and meet strict requirements and standards; and those that cannot meet hygiene standards will be shut down. By October this year, Beijing has appointed 10,000 supervisors of food safety. The food safety and hygiene satisfaction rate exceeds 96%. Beijing will become a city with food that is guaranteed to be safe and served in hygienic environments in 2008.
By People's Daily Online
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