Radiocesium activity reduction in boar meat by brining

Area of Science:

• Food science and technology
• Environmental radioactivity
• Nuclear safety

Background:

• Wild boar meat can accumulate radioactive cesium-137 (137Cs) from environmental contamination.
• Effective decontamination methods are crucial for ensuring the safety of wild game meat.
• Traditional processing methods like dry-salting show limited effectiveness in reducing 137Cs levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of brining techniques in reducing cesium-137 (137Cs) activity in wild boar meat.
• To compare the effectiveness of different brining solutions and exchange frequencies.
• To assess the technological feasibility of brining as a decontamination method.

Main Methods:

• Wild boar meat with an initial 137Cs concentration of 103 Bq kg(-1) was subjected to dry-salting.
• Subsequent brining was performed using pure sodium chloride and a sodium chloride/potassium nitrate mixture.
• Double-brine exchanges were conducted at 24-hour and 7-day intervals.

Main Results:

• Dry-salting alone reduced 137Cs activity by only 12-18%.
• Double-brine exchanges, regardless of the time interval (24h or 7 days), reduced 137Cs activity concentration by at least 72%.
• No significant difference in 137Cs reduction was observed between the different brine exchange time intervals.

Conclusions:

• Repeated brine exchange is a highly effective method for reducing cesium-137 (137Cs) in contaminated wild boar meat.
• The brining process, particularly double-brine exchange, offers a practical and technologically feasible approach to decontaminate pork.
• This method provides a significant reduction in radioactivity, enhancing the safety of wild game consumption.