In an effort to ensure food safety for the 2008 Olympics officials in Beijing vegetables will be given tracking codes before they are used in Olympic kitchens according to report by Reuters.

Food safety is a major issue in fast growing China as industrialization has led to an increase in pollution in formerly rural areas where a majority of the food is grown.  Combined with lax enforcement and small fines eating home grown vegetables can be risky.

With some 5,000 metric tons of vegetables expected to be needed this seems more like a public relations ploy to assure the public and the athletes that the food will be safe to eat.  If I were them I’d find another source of food. 

In reality it will be far too easy for a worker to let a toxic peapod pass rather than spend the time to track it back to its origin. 

There is no word on whether or not fruit will also be subjected to the same requirement.

For the truly fearful pass on cabbage number 13 or carrot number 666.

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