A comprehensive program to ensure the safety and quality of food for athletes at the 2017 Summer Universiade—the largest sporting event ever staged in Taiwan—was unveiled June 12 by Taipei City Government, with more than 150 officials tasked with carrying out inspections throughout the Aug. 19-30 event.
Implemented by TCG’s Department of Health, the food safety management plan is budgeted at NT$2.4 million (US$79,410) and comprises three main elements: instructional courses for participating caterers and restaurant owners, hygiene inspection and food sampling measures, as well as procedures for the reporting and testing of suspect food items.
Rapid tests for three kinds of leanness-enhancing additives are also being introduced for the first time at a sporting event in Taiwan. They enable inspectors to check for additive residues in meat products within 30 minutes, allowing competitors to avoid substances that could potentially impact athletic drug testing.
Huang Shier-chieg, commissioner of the Department of Health, said that the city government is also putting a strong focus on preventing intentional contamination or adulteration of food at the Universiade. Food defense measures for the games involve extensive security collaboration between central and local government units, with controls in place to restrict access to all food preparation and storage areas, he added.
Event organizer Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee recently unveiled a variety of menus to be served to competitors during the games, including Asian, halal, Mediterranean, Taiwan and vegetarian. According to the TUOC, the dining hall in the Athletes’ Village, located in New Taipei City’s Linkou District, will offer rotating weekly meal plans for each of the menus, with hot meals available 20 hours a day and bread, drinks, fruit and snacks provided around the clock.
Also known as the World University Games, the Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival staged biennially in a different city worldwide. The 29th edition of the games in Taipei involves 7,700-plus student athletes from 153 countries contesting 21 sports at 38 competition venues in Taipei, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, New Taipei and Taoyuan cities.
Excitement is building for the global sporting extravaganza. Tickets for the event went on sale online June 13, with over 60 percent of those for the opening ceremony snapped up within four hours, the TUOC said. (CPY-E)
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