What kind of food will athletes at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing eat? Mostly western, as most athletes at the Games will be coming from western countries, according a Beijing Organizing Committee of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) officer before the Spring Festival.

"Because the majority of athletes come from Western areas, the BOCOG has decided to mainly provide western-style food, although we hope that foreigners will also try Chinese food as well," Xiang Ping, vice director of the BOCOG Games Services Department, said.

Xiang said that the athlete's diets will not only meet their daily nutrient requirements, but will also be in accordance with various religious traditions.

The BOCOG has picked up an experienced diet supplier that has participated many previous Olympic Games but Xiang declined to release the name of the supplier for commercial reasons.

A group of dieticians and culinary experts will test the prospective menu and evaluate it before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) makes a final decision.

"I believe that creating the menu through such a complex process will be appreciated during the Games," Xiang said.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)