Food Poisoning Outbreaks Common at Paris Olympics Due to Negligent Management

Pollution of the Seine River, poor living conditions in the athletes’ village, and food shortages. …… The Paris Olympics, which has been riddled with trouble, now has a “food poisoning” outbreak.

At the IOC’s regular press conference held on August 5 (local time), a question was asked, ‘What do you think about the many cases of food poisoning from the food provided at the various competition facilities? The person in charge of the organizing committee said, ‘I am sorry to hear that. Please be careful with the media in your countries.’ The words were muffled. …… The representative went on to say, “We are aware that some media members have complained of food poisoning, but we still don’t know the total number or location. It would mean that there were at least some people complaining of symptoms in more than one location. In fact, four members of the media who were covering the same day as me at one of the stadiums reported diarrhea, vomiting, and other symptoms at the same time. I would like to say to them, ‘Please be careful.

In addition to the main press center, which serves as a base for journalists from around the world, each stadium at the Paris Olympics has a large room for the media, called a media center. Each seat is equipped with an electrical outlet, which is useful when writing a breaking news article immediately after a match, or when discussing press conferences and interviews with other reporters.

A pot of coffee or tea is available near the entrance, which is free for all participants to drink. Depending on the venue, protein bars and fruits such as bananas, apples, and peaches may also be available. Reporters whose coverage extends into the wee hours of the night or who do not have time to go out to eat are able to eat these items to quench their hunger. The food poisoning reported this time is rumored to be caused by these fruits. They have been reporting the heroic deeds of athletes to their home countries day after day, night after night, without a break, and their immunity is weakened by fatigue, so the risk of serious illness is not small. It is too bad that they got sick from the fruit they ate at the media center for a short break, when they really should have eaten out and nourished their energy. Some people also believe that the salads and sandwiches sold in the stadium may be the cause of the illness. In any case, there is no doubt that the management is sloppy.

The Olympics this time showed that the concept of “hygiene” in France, a developed country, is very different from that of us Japanese. The media was the victim of food poisoning this time, but we hope that it will not happen in the athletes’ village as well.