Paris Olympics 2024: Food becoming an issue for athletes in Olympic village

Food has become a major issue in the Olympic Village as the Paris Games are underway. Adequate food supply and uncooked meat are among the concerns.

Grilled chicken and eggs, in particular, are among the items in short supply. As a result, some athletes have resorted to bringing packed meals back to the Village for lunch and dinner, according to the Times of London.

British athletes are staying away from the restaurants in the residential complex and officials have sent an extra chef to Paris to provide proper meals for the team. Caterers are working to increase their food orders — especially in regards to eggs and chicken, which Paris Olympics officials wanted to source from France.

"At the beginning of every Games there are usually two or three issues and the transportation is always one," British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson told the Times. "But the big one this time is the food in the village, which is not adequate."

Paris Olympic officials attempted to offer more plant-based foods in an effort to reduce the Games' carbon footprint. While there is a variety of cuisine available to accommodate the tastes of different countries — and an abundance of baguettes in France — vegan meals aren't in line with what the athletes prefer to eat while competing.

One British athlete told the Times that the food situation is chaotic compared to the well organized facilities in Tokyo.

The Village provides approximately 40,000 meals a day with 3,300 seats available in the facility's main restaurant. Some countries can't get meals anywhere else but the Village, while Great Britain's athletes are housed in a part of the village near the River Seine that has a separate restaurant and performance lounge.