Getting to the home straight away, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte wins gold in the 200 medley by hand touch, beating U.S. Champion Michael Phelps and setting the world record. The fans cheer excitedly, for they now have a new U.S. champion in the swimming sport. Shaking the hand of his famous opponent, Ryan Lochte flashes a winning smile to the crowd. Success never tasted so sweet.
The 2011 Championships brought joyous occasions and disappointed faces. However, many people have no idea what went on behind the scenes, prior to the championship. Like many countries, South Korea deals with the concern of food contamination. Although South Korea is an industrialized country, offers its citizens excellent healthcare and a rigorous education system, food contamination remains a major problem.
One may ask: why is there food contamination in the first place?
Some farmers in China feed the pigs and livestock illegal chemicals so that they reproduce quicker. Therefore, these farmers, who provide meat to other Asian countries, gain greater profit from higher meat production.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) sent 132 inspectors to examine the food in the city area of South Korea from August 27 to September 4. Food contamination levels often are at an all time high during the summer months.
Given that food contamination has been a prevalent problem in the past, many wonder why the government has become much more aggressive about the food now.
This is a question that can not be answered simply. Food contamination can hurt the athletes, and some chemicals in the contamination are illegal. As a result, drug testing happens in the beginning of every championship.
This year, Shanghai hosted the World Swimming Championship. Many countries worried for the swimmers, because a common chemical named clenbuterol, which can cause disqualification of athletes, is common in Asian livestock farming.
A study done by A World Anti-Doping Agency revealed that 22 out 0f the 28 travelers who returned from China tested positive for low levels of clenbuterol. Clenbuterol is a chemical strongly linked to cows and pigs raised in China. Clenbuterol is illegal, and many athletes have hit a wall with the chemical. Domitrij Ovtacharov was tested positive for the chemical during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The silver medalist blamed it on bad food. Although this is a possibility, the drug continues to be illegal, and there is no proof that it came from food.
As a result, many countries have become increasingly critical of contaminated food. What are they going to do to prevent their athletes from getting food contamination when abroad? This type of food contamination does not resemble the food poisoning we see on TV, where the man’s face turns red and he vomits in the bathroom. This type of contamination results in a loss of a medal, for the country and athlete alike.
In a frantic rush, countries like Australia and the United States have planned to import meat for their athletes from their own country. In contrast, countries like South Africa, Italy and Holland feel that it is not necessary.
Xie Minguiang, vice director of the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration (SFDA,) stated “after we communicated with the teams and reported our strict measures on food safety, they have withdrawn their requests.”
With all the extra precautions and measures taken, these championships were held without any major problems. As the athletes leave South Korea with medals, fans unpack the large track stadium, and parents and kids leave for the airport, what is left? It is disappointing that the government dealt with the problem last minute due only to championships. As everyone leaves, one must question if those extra precautions will extend beyond the tourist cities, and if food contamination will continue to rise.