Before consumption, food for the 2008 Olympic Games?athletes will be tested by white mice, say Beijing officials.

Milk, alcohol, salad, rice, oil, salt and seasonings will be tested by white mice 24 hours before they're used in cooking or served to athletes, said Zhao Xinsheng of the Beijing Municipal Health Inspection Bureau.

He told a meeting that the mice would develop reactions to any poisoning within 17 hours which was quicker than test methods like bacteria cultures.

Most of the food for athletes would be Western style but complemented by Chinese dishes, said Zhen Xiaozhen, of the medical team of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games, at the meeting on hygiene safety for the games.

Zhao said all the food would be securely stored and any arriving at Olympic restaurants would be recorded by control headquarters.

Food deliveries would be approved by public security and quarantine departments and transported by special vehicles and staff. The vehicles would be equipped with global positioning systems and food packages secured during transportation, said an official with the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Food storage areas would be fitted with alarms, video cameras and fire controls and kitchens guarded around the clock.

Health inspectors would receive training in management and inspection techniques of Western food from this month, said Liang Jin with the inspection bureau.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2006)