Can food be safe at 2022 Olympics, if held in Beijing?

Beijing, March 19 (IANS) The idiom 'Bread is the staff of life' holds especially true for China -- a country with infinite love for food.

As a candidate for the 2022 Winter Olympics, China's capital city Beijing is eager to show off a wide variety of cuisines to visitors from all over the world. But wait before being served -- what about the safety of your food?

A recent survey by China Youth Daily showed that food safety has become one of the public worries as well as one of the government's major concerns, reports Xinhua.

In its report on China's economic, social development plan, the government listed improving food supervision system as one of the 'major tasks for economic and social development in 2015'.

Besides, a 22-month crackdown on food and drug, and environmental crimes will be launched by China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) to keep the momentum from an eight-month campaign of the sort last year.

As the Chinese government is making more efforts, food safety for the general public, hopefully, can be removed from the list of concerns in the years to come. And for athletes who have higher standards for food, Beijing already has a lot of experience from hosting the 2008 Olympics to make sure their needs are met.

Back in 2008, the Olympic Food Safety Action Plan was in place and Beijing also mapped out a preparedness plan to cope with any possible emergencies in food safety during the Games.

Food for athletes was produced in compliance with strict standards, delivered in a unified way and carried electronic labels recording the whole process from the producer to the eaters. Even white mice were said to be used to test food including milk, alcohol, salad, rice, oil, salt and seasonings, 24 hours before they were used in cooking or served to athletes.

As Beijing's bid committee pledged an "athletes-centred" Winter Olympics, the hosts would exert themselves to ensure food safety for athletes, coaches, officials and visitors from all over the world should they win the bid.

Zhangjiakou, co-host city some 200 km northwest of Beijing, has already started to raise the level of supervision in food safety.