"Lately we've been experimenting with a new technique that combines air purification and air conditioning; in this way we can clean up and disinfect the air at the same time. Moreover, the 'waste' generated would be purified before being exported. Experts from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) are now doing research."

Keeping food fresh

According to Prof. Cai, the "Cold Chain" technique will be adopted in the preservation & carriage process during the Games. It provides an environment that can extend the preservation times for perishable foods by retaining low temperatures, thus the term "Cold Chain". For instance, during a cucumber or hyacinth bean harvest, if the field temperature is high, 30℃, for example, then pre-cooling the field from 30℃ to 15℃ is necessary, because it ultimately cools products down to their proper level.

The Cold Chain provides consumers with various desired vegetables for a comparatively longer period of time. By adopting this approach, some vegetables can be stored for a month while others for even up to six months. "The Cold Chain is an important storing and preserving technique," Prof. Cai said. "Vegetables and fruits, for instance, are all perishable products which must be put at proper low temperature as soon as possible. Take tomatoes, for example; 0℃ is suitable for green tomatoes but 4℃ suits red fruits. If the temperature is too high, it can cause decay; if the temperature is too low, the cold damages the organic matter. So we have to figure out the ideal temperature for each vegetable."

22 experts from home & abroad make up Olympic food safety think tank

The Beijing Olympics Food Safety Committee of Experts is known as the Food Safety think tank for the duration of the Games. Cai revealed that the committee has conducted two seminars: the first in July 2005 and the second in September 2007. During the first seminar, eight out of the 15 experts came from abroad with the other seven being Chinese. In 2007, we got three more experts from abroad and four more domestic experts. All are authoritative representatives in their field. They work together as a team in order to guarantee food safety during the Olympic Games.

"Those foreign experts are usually very professional." Cai cited examples: "Like the American professor from Auburn University, he detects food composition via wireless radio-frequency; an Australian senior official who once contributed to the food safety work of the Sydney Olympics brought the director of South Wales Food Administration with him. We've also got terrorism experts such as the deputy director general of the Atlanta Police Department and other experts, including several officials of the US National Security Agency. They are now committee members and they have wholeheartedly contributed their working experience and problem solving techniques. They've also given us many useful suggestions."

Prof. Cai concluded that food safety remains a key component of Olympic security safeguards along with meteorological and environmental security. "The food issue played an important role in all previous Games. Athletes who ate unsafe foodstuffs could easily suffer diarrhea afterward. Previously some athletes were harmed by eating unsafe food, rendering them unable to participate fully." Prof. Cai stressed that the Olympic catering service is of vital importance, a safeguard that guarantees the vigor and good performance of all players.

(China.org.cn April 14, 2008)