Before consumption, food for the 2008 Olympic Games?athletes will be tested
by white mice, say Beijing officials.
Milk, alcohol, salad, rice, oil, salt and seasonings will be
tested by white mice 24 hours before they're used in cooking or
served to athletes, said Zhao Xinsheng of the Beijing Municipal
Health Inspection Bureau.
He told a meeting that the mice would develop reactions to any
poisoning within 17 hours which was quicker than test methods like
bacteria cultures.
Most of the food for athletes would be Western style but
complemented by Chinese dishes, said Zhen Xiaozhen, of the medical
team of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games, at
the meeting on hygiene safety for the games.
Zhao said all the food would be securely stored and any arriving
at Olympic restaurants would be recorded by control
headquarters.
Food deliveries would be approved by public security and
quarantine departments and transported by special vehicles and
staff. The vehicles would be equipped with global positioning
systems and food packages secured during transportation, said an
official with the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Food storage areas would be fitted with alarms, video cameras
and fire controls and kitchens guarded around the clock.
Health inspectors would receive training in management and
inspection techniques of Western food from this month, said Liang
Jin with the inspection bureau.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2006)