After two weeks of IBC canteen food, the hacks are gravitating in ever larger numbers to the supermarket across the street -- where such contraband as Pepsi, beer other than Heineken, fruit and fresh bread is available.

This, of course, is bad news for those trying to enforce the IOC's "clean venue" guidelines, which are designed to keep out products made by firms who aren't official Olympic sponsors (the press centre is classed as an "Olympic venue" even if the physiques of many of us working in it aren't exactly Adonis-like.)

Rather than enforcing an outright ban, a more subtle approach is being used to try to dissuade us from bringing our own lunches.

As our bags of groceries pass through the X-ray scanners, the security guards warn us of the untold damage the radiation is doing to our food.

They may be right -- but I'd rather take my chances than eat another canteen Greek salad.