Olympians called the food in Paris a 'disaster' — and one team is flying in its own chef
- Athletes and team officials are no fans of the cuisine at the Paris Olympics.
- With a lack of protein and raw meat, Great Britain said it was flying in another private chef.
- The CEO of Paris 2024 acknowledged 'adjustments' — including a lot more eggs and meat.
A culinary catastrophe was brewing at the Paris Olympics.
Teams, including Great Britain and Germany, have complained that the food at the Olympics wasn't up to par, despite France's reputation as a foodie mecca.
The UK team has had to resort to flying in another private chef to Paris due to a lack of protein and raw meat being served at the Olympic Village, Andy Anson, the CEO of the British Olympic Association, told The Times.
The Paris Olympics are running low on chicken and egg options, and athletes were choosing to eat packed meals prepared at the UK performance lodge, he said.
Several members of Germany's men's hockey team also slammed the Paris 2024 cuisine, with one calling it "a disaster," dpa reports.
Norway's chef de mission Tore Ovrebo said that while earlier quantity issues had improved, "there's been a little bit to say about the quality," The Wall Street Journal reported.
Athletes also went viral, posting their concerns on social media. On TikTok, track star Zahria Allers-Liburd gave her meal a resounding thumbs down. (Gymnast Suni Lee and basketballer Promise Amukamara concurred in the comments.)
That said, Reuters reported organizers are quickly reacting to the complaints.
Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois acknowledged "we've had to make some adjustments," including more animal protein — to the tune of "700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat."
The Olympic Village serves 40,000 meals per day to 15,000 athletes, according to Reuters, with organizers initially promising more local produce and vegetarian options.
"Certain products, such as eggs and grilled meats, are particularly popular among athletes, so their quantities were increased, in agreement with Paris 2024," a representative for Olympics catering company Sodexo Live! told Business Insider in a statement. "Since then, the quantities offered for these products were adapted accordingly and have been sufficient to meet all needs."
Reps for Paris 2024 did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.