Controversy over meal packs for YOG volunteers

By Republic Polytechnic’s Fann Sim
Local internet forums are buzzing over the sub-standard food being served to the volunteers at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

The issue surfaced after a volunteer snapped a photo of the meal and uploaded it onto his Facebook page.

According to the volunteer, a typical lunchbox consists of a piece of meat (fried chicken in this case), long beans, corn and white rice. Debate has raged on since the photo was posted on Tuesday.

Netizen Chris Liew, 33, an investment banker said, “Even if the meal was an isolated incident, such a logistics oversight of providing sub-standard meals to our volunteers should have been avoided at all costs.”

Another full-time NS man Leslie Wong, 20, who was stationed at the Marina Bay floating platform, was quoted on The Straits Times as saying, “One of the meals was a dry, tasteless piece of chicken with a few slices of carrot and soggy rice. I ended up throwing most of it away.”

Online socio-political website The Temasek Review even had an anonymous volunteer comparing the bland meals to “dog food”.

Food for the volunteers is provided by Singapore Food Industries (SFI), a subsidiary of the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (Sats). Sats has confirmed that the meal in the picture above was indeed part of a meal that was provided to the YOG volunteers.

“We have received feedback from the workforce regarding the meals served. We take their feedback very seriously and have promptly taken action to improve and ensure that the portions and variety served will provide the workforce with a balanced meal,” said the Sats spokesperson.

YOG’s organising committee have also been quick to respond: “We are aware of the feedback (on the meal) and have taken immediate action. We will work with the caterers to continually improve the meal standards.”

YOG volunteers Yahoo! Singapore spoke to had a mixed experience.

20-year-old Audrey Ng, a volunteer at the National Sailing Centre had a better dining experience.

Ms Ng said volunteers there are given meal coupons they can redeem at various food vendors.

When asked if she’s been given lunch like the one pictured above, she said ‘no’.
“The food at the other venues seems lousy. Ours is not that bad and we have free flow of drinks here. I’ve heard from my friend that the food provided was quite bad on the first day of rehearsal but it’s getting better,’’ said Ms Ng.

But 21-year-old Md Raziman Sani, a full-time NS man activated to volunteer at the YOG floating platform, agreed that the food he’s being served is similar to the lunchbox pictured above.

“Our meal consists of rice that’s cold, vegetables and a meat usually chicken or fish. It’s nice and generally enough to fill us,” he said.

For dinner, volunteers are given free drinks such as a can of Coca-Cola, green tea or ice lemon tea. On top of that, they get a packet of wet wipes and dry tissue and once a week, they get ice cream.

“We also got vouchers from McDonald’s and some Old Chang Kee vouchers,” said Raziman.