White mice will be used to test athletes’ food at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to make sure it is not poisoned.
The Xinhua news agency says milk, alcohol, salad, rice, oil, salt and seasonings will be tested by white mice, 24 hours before they are used in cooking or served to athletes. Beijing’s Municipal Health Inspection Bureau says the mice will develop adverse reactions to poisoning within 17 hours, much sooner than other testing methods. Other safeguards will also be used. All of the food arriving at Olympic restaurants will be monitored and recorded and food storage areas will be fitted with alarms and video cameras.
So says a November 17, 2006 report by the ABC.
(Thanks to investigator Richard Fitzpatrick for bringing this to our attention.)