Nothing wrong with tasty morsels of raw horse meat, especially in an emergency, or when in France, and offered a tofu burger

Athletes served raw meat as Olympic village rations food

Team GB are taking packed lunches to their hotels and flying in a chef as Paris 2024 runs low on high-protein chicken and eggs

The organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympics may have boasted that athletes would be catered for by Michelin chefs, but Team GB have been forced to fly out their own cook after shortages led to the rationing of high-protein items and service of uncooked meat.

Andy Anson, the British Olympic Association’s chief executive, revealed the shortcomings, telling The Times that the food in the village “is not adequate” and “a dramatic” improvement is needed. British athletes have even taken to bringing back to the village packed lunches for their evening meal. In one of the gastronomic capitals of the world, catering organisers admitted to some supply issues and have promised to rectify the situation.

“There are not enough of certain foods: eggs, chicken, certain carbohydrates, and then there is the quality of the food, with raw meat being served to athletes,” Anson said. “They have got to improve it over the next couple of days dramatically.

Sodexo Live, the company in charge of catering, said it has increased the daily order of several of the most popular items after complaints that athletes were unable to eat their choice of food, particularly high-protein eggs and chicken.

So, how’d this come to pass? Here’s a hint:

The International Olympic Committee had mandated the food must be local, primarily plant-based, and focused on minimal waste. 

Nearly two-thirds of the 500 dishes on offer will be vegetarian, including meat-free options like beefless bourguignon and 'not-dogs', a meatless option featuring onions and pickled cabbage with honey-mustard sauce. 

Leftovers will be redistributed to those in need, and used coffee grinds will be repurposed for fertilisation.

The sustainable menu aims to meet the diverse cultural, religious and nutritional needs of athletes while showcasing French gastronomy.

All is going according to plan:

Paris 2024 Olympics to be ‘most sustainable in history’ – with plant-based push to slash the carbon footprint of the games

‘Food vision’

According to Paris 2024 organisers, the event’s food vision ‘prioritises quality, taste and experience, and purity of products’.

It was created in collaboration with a number of experts, following ‘extensive consultations’ with representative groups across France and the entire agri-food sector.

Over an 18-month period, some 120 organisations – ranging from agriculture and catering to NGOs and nutritionists, as well as Paris 2024 partners – discussed the plans.

In addition, organisers also ‘conducted 40 individual interviews and 10 group workshops on integrating sustainability at every stage, from food and drink supply and preparation to surplus management’.

Furthermore, 200 athletes (80 per cent of them foreign) were also surveyed to ‘explore their eating habits, cultural needs and tastes’. 

According to organisers: “The vast majority of the athletes (98 per cent) are ‘concerned’ or ‘very concerned’ by the social and environmental impacts of their diet.”

“Social aspects of their diet”? Does that mean not eating too many beans?

But wait, there’s more!

Marie Sallois, the IOC’s Director for Sustainability, said: “France certainly knows how to welcome the world to its table.

“The Games organisers are laser focused on showcasing French food that is sourced, produced and consumed in a responsible way.

“We hope that this approach will go beyond helping reduce the Games’ footprint, raising the bar for sustainable catering at sports events and beyond.”

Thierry Marx hopes Paris 2024 can ‘provide a more responsible food model for other major sporting and cultural events’.

He said: “The Games are enabling us to bring together the entire food ecosystem around a vision for catering that is sustainable from an environmental and social point of view. 

“It is a unique opportunity to support the food transition in a positive way by proving that what is good for our health and the planet is also good to eat! 

“With more plants on our plates, as well as more local and seasonal products and greater responsibility throughout the entire supply chain, Paris 2024 isn’t just setting out specifications – it’s presenting several opportunities for us all to seize.'”

Mission accomplished:

“For France, it’s an opportunity to showcase our [lack of] expertise at every step of the chain – production, logistics, preparation, service and waste management.”