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Olympic Village Faces Food Shortages Amid High Demand

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Reports indicate that several athletes have raised concerns about a shortage of food at the Olympic Village in Paris. Complaints have centered on a perceived lack of availability of specific items, such as eggs, which were rationed at breakfast on Wednesday, and grilled meats, as noted by the French newspaper L’Équipe.

Sodexo Live!, the official catering partner for the Olympic Village, acknowledged the “very high demand” for certain food items and assured that “volumes will be increased” to meet the athletes’ needs. The Olympic Village is scheduled to serve around 13 million meals throughout the Games, with a daily total of 40,000 meals.

The Carrefour group, responsible for supplying fresh produce to the Olympic Village, confirmed that the quantities of food planned will be revised upwards to accommodate the high demand. Feeding approximately 15,000 athletes from 208 countries is a massive undertaking, with the total meals served over the 30 days of the Olympics and Paralympics equating to what is provided at 10 football World Cups.

The Olympic Village features six main dining areas offering French, Asian, Afro-Caribbean, and global cuisine, with 500 different recipes to suit various tastes. The food service is governed by a strict quality charter designed to halve the carbon footprint of meals compared to London 2012. To achieve this, a quarter of all ingredients are sourced from within a 250km radius of Paris, 20% are certified organic, and all meat, milk, and eggs are from French sources. Additionally, a third of the food is plant-based. The Village also has 200 water, juice, and soda fountains, with only reusable cups and crockery being used.

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Carrefour to halt Pepsi sales over price rises

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French supermarket giant Carrefour has announced its decision to cease selling Pepsi products in its stores due to what it deems “unacceptable price increases.” The move, affecting items like Pepsi soda, Doritos, and Quaker cereals, was communicated to customers through signs displayed in stores. Pepsi has expressed its commitment to continuing negotiations in “good faith” despite the disagreement.

The disagreement arises amid France’s struggle with rapidly increasing food prices, as indicated by a recent report showing a 7.1% rise in food prices in December compared to the previous year. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has been urging major food companies to lower prices and has even threatened special taxes on what he considers “undue” profits. The government has accelerated the deadline for price negotiations between food companies and supermarkets in an attempt to address the issue.

Pepsi, citing rising costs, has implemented price increases in recent years, with expectations of further hikes in 2024. The company has also faced criticism for “shrinkflation,” reducing product sizes without corresponding price decreases. Carrefour, as the second-largest grocer in France, has been notably resistant to this practice and, in September, displayed signs highlighting “shrinkflation” on certain products, including Lipton Ice Tea, a Pepsi brand.

Carrefour’s decision to no longer sell Pepsi products is accompanied by notices explaining the move as a response to “unacceptable price increases.” Despite this decision, existing Pepsi products on the shelves will still be available for purchase by French consumers. Pepsi has stated that discussions with Carrefour have been ongoing for months, and they remain committed to finding a resolution to ensure their products’ availability.

While public disputes over pricing are unusual, they are not unprecedented. In 2022, Tesco clashed with Kraft Heinz over price hikes for staples like baked beans and ketchup. Similarly, German grocers Edeka and Rewe halted sales of certain Mars products, citing price increases. Edeka also faced a dispute with Pepsi in the previous year, and a standoff between Mondelez, the maker of Milka chocolate, and Belgian supermarket Colruyt resulted in a supply gap last year.

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