Sushi, oysters off the menu for competitors
The Hong Kong Olympic village will not serve local favourites sushi, sashimi or oysters. Raw eggs and cream are also off the menu.
Hygiene authorities hope that, by not serving cold, raw dishes, they can help achieve the goal of a Games free of food poisoning.
The measure applies to the restaurants in the Olympic village and at competition venues.
'In Hong Kong, the temperature and humidity of summer is particularly high so we have to be vigilant in keeping the risks of food poisoning minimal,' Constance Chan Hon-yee, controller of the Centre for Food Safety, said.
Cases have arisen in the past few years and authorities are anxious to ensure competitors in the equestrian events and the thousands of visitors to the Games do not have their stay in the city marred by food poisoning.
Dr Chan said 350 caterers, hotels and food premises in the vicinity of event venues and tourist areas, and their suppliers, had been inspected.
Dr Chan said that at the Olympic village - the Royal Park Hotel in Sha Tin - hygiene officers would be stationed at the around-the-clock buffet, where the food would be changed every two hours.
The village will provide free catering services around the clock to Olympic riders and officials. However, there would be no room service because leaving food in the room could increase the chances of it going bad, Dr Chan said.
As a precautionary measure, samples of all food consumed by the athletes will be kept for two days for testing in the event food poisoning occurs.
Meanwhile, nine specialist teams have been set up to check for mosquitoes at competition venues and the Olympic village.
