The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee's food support center has begun full operations to fuel Team Korea athletes competing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The center has introduced self-heating lunch boxes designed for the cold mountain environment as part of comprehensive efforts to maintain athletes' peak condition.
The committee announced it will operate food support centers across three locations—Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Livigno—for 17 days from the opening ceremony on February 6 through the closing on February 22.
With a total budget of 2.2 billion won ($1.5 million), the committee dispatched 36 staff members: 15 to Milan, 12 to Cortina d'Ampezzo, and 9 to Livigno. The team provides Korean-style lunch boxes twice daily—lunch and dinner—to 130 athletes, preparing approximately 100 meals per serving: 50 in Milan and 25 each in Cortina and Livigno.
The committee has operated on-site food support centers since the 2008 Beijing Olympics, establishing it as tradition. However, this marks the first time a Winter Olympics operation has been split across multiple regions. With Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo more than 400 kilometers apart, the arrangement ensures all athletes receive equal meal service regardless of location.
The most notable innovation is the introduction of self-heating lunch boxes. A dedicated heating pack tray installed beneath each container rapidly warms food when submerged in water. The system ensures athletes competing in sub-zero conditions can enjoy hot meals even when dining is delayed.
Menus emphasize high-protein content. Cho Eun-young, a nutritionist dispatched from the Jincheon National Training Center, explained: "We determined that the Olympic Village dining hall's protein offerings were somewhat insufficient, so we increased the protein ratio in main dishes and maximized portion sizes."
Meat dishes including braised short ribs (galbi-jjim), stir-fried pork (jeyuk-bokkeum), beef tenderloin stir-fry, and bulgogi dominate the menu. Total meat consumption during the Games will exceed 700 kilograms. On Lunar New Year's Day, February 17, athletes will receive traditional holiday dishes including rice cake soup (tteokguk), pan-fried zucchini, pan-fried fish, and skewered meat and vegetables (sanjeok).