Aug 13, 2010
YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES: SINGAPORE 2010
YOG caterer acts on food
Picture of meal for volunteers sparks furore online
By Liew Hanqing
The meal in a box which was posted by a volunteer on his Facebook page. The caterer said it has taken action to improve the portions and variety of food served. -- PHOTO: FACEBOOK
THE caterer for meals provided to Youth Olympic Games (YOG) volunteers has moved to improve them after complaints about the food surfaced.
The action resulted after a volunteer took a picture of the meal he was served and posted it on his Facebook page, igniting a furore.
The meal, served in a plastic box, comprised a mound of rice, a meat fillet and six pieces of long bean.
Singapore Food Industries (SFI), a subsidiary of the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats), provided the food. It had been awarded a $5.5 million catering services contract by the YOG organising committee.
When contacted, a Sats spokesman confirmed that the meal in the picture was part of a meal provided to the YOG workforce. A bottled drink and some fruit were also provided, she added.
'We have received feedback from the workforce regarding the meals served. We take their feedback very seriously and have promptly taken action to improve and ensure that the portions and variety served will provide the workforce with a balanced meal.'
In its response to the criticism, the YOG's organising committee said: 'Our workforce is key to the successful organisation of the Games and their health and physical well-being is important to us.'
Added a spokesman: 'We are aware of the feedback (on the meal) and have taken immediate action. We will work with the caterers to continually improve the meal standards.'
The committee did not respond to questions on how much was budgeted for volunteers' meals and whether there had been any guidelines for food provision.
Criticism of the food has been raging online since the picture was posted on Tuesday.
One netizen, Mr Chris Liew, 33, an investment banker, said he was appalled after chancing upon the picture online.
He said: 'Even if (the meal) was an isolated incident, such a logistics oversight of providing sub-standard meals to our volunteers should have been avoided at all cost because we are hosting a world-class event after all.'
SFI's contract covers meals for up to 7,000 athletes, officials and volunteers at the Youth Olympic Village, among other things.
It is unclear whether the different groups involved in the YOG - such as full-time national servicemen and volunteers - were served different food, but their experiences were varied.
Full-time national serviceman Leslie Wong, 20, who was stationed at the Marina Bay floating platform, said the 15 or so meals he has been given so far were similar to the one that has been criticised.
He said: 'One of the meals was a dry, tasteless piece of chicken with a few slices of carrot and some soggy rice. I ended up throwing most of it away.'
He said that while he had no complaints about the portions, most of his friends on duty at the same venue chose to buy their own food instead of eating the packed meals.
But volunteer Siaw Jie Hao, 22, who helped with the YOG flame arrival celebrations at the National University of Singapore, said the food provided was acceptable.
A typical meal, he said, consisted of rice, fish and vegetables.
'The meals are not fantastic, but they're satisfactory.'
Other volunteers who spoke to The Straits Times said that they had no complaints about the food, which also included main courses of pasta, rice and noodles, and ice cream for dessert.
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YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES: SINGAPORE 2010
YOG caterer acts on food
Picture of meal for volunteers sparks furore online
By Liew Hanqing
The meal in a box which was posted by a volunteer on his Facebook page. The caterer said it has taken action to improve the portions and variety of food served. -- PHOTO: FACEBOOK
THE caterer for meals provided to Youth Olympic Games (YOG) volunteers has moved to improve them after complaints about the food surfaced.
The action resulted after a volunteer took a picture of the meal he was served and posted it on his Facebook page, igniting a furore.
The meal, served in a plastic box, comprised a mound of rice, a meat fillet and six pieces of long bean.
Singapore Food Industries (SFI), a subsidiary of the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats), provided the food. It had been awarded a $5.5 million catering services contract by the YOG organising committee.
When contacted, a Sats spokesman confirmed that the meal in the picture was part of a meal provided to the YOG workforce. A bottled drink and some fruit were also provided, she added.
'We have received feedback from the workforce regarding the meals served. We take their feedback very seriously and have promptly taken action to improve and ensure that the portions and variety served will provide the workforce with a balanced meal.'
In its response to the criticism, the YOG's organising committee said: 'Our workforce is key to the successful organisation of the Games and their health and physical well-being is important to us.'
Added a spokesman: 'We are aware of the feedback (on the meal) and have taken immediate action. We will work with the caterers to continually improve the meal standards.'
The committee did not respond to questions on how much was budgeted for volunteers' meals and whether there had been any guidelines for food provision.
Criticism of the food has been raging online since the picture was posted on Tuesday.
One netizen, Mr Chris Liew, 33, an investment banker, said he was appalled after chancing upon the picture online.
He said: 'Even if (the meal) was an isolated incident, such a logistics oversight of providing sub-standard meals to our volunteers should have been avoided at all cost because we are hosting a world-class event after all.'
SFI's contract covers meals for up to 7,000 athletes, officials and volunteers at the Youth Olympic Village, among other things.
It is unclear whether the different groups involved in the YOG - such as full-time national servicemen and volunteers - were served different food, but their experiences were varied.
Full-time national serviceman Leslie Wong, 20, who was stationed at the Marina Bay floating platform, said the 15 or so meals he has been given so far were similar to the one that has been criticised.
He said: 'One of the meals was a dry, tasteless piece of chicken with a few slices of carrot and some soggy rice. I ended up throwing most of it away.'
He said that while he had no complaints about the portions, most of his friends on duty at the same venue chose to buy their own food instead of eating the packed meals.
But volunteer Siaw Jie Hao, 22, who helped with the YOG flame arrival celebrations at the National University of Singapore, said the food provided was acceptable.
A typical meal, he said, consisted of rice, fish and vegetables.
'The meals are not fantastic, but they're satisfactory.'
Other volunteers who spoke to The Straits Times said that they had no complaints about the food, which also included main courses of pasta, rice and noodles, and ice cream for dessert.
[email protected]
