(5) Food animals. Food animals that have been exposed to fallout should be considered fit for consumption and slaughtered using routine inspection and slaughter procedures. In those cases where the animal has been exposed to fallout, but is not scheduled for immediate slaughter, the radiation burden can be reduced by moving the animal to an uncontaminated area (barn if available) and washing it with soap and water. Mild radiation sickness does not necessarily mean that the animals cannot be used for food. If the animals have been exposed to an internal radiation hazard, the meat can be eaten if the internal organs are discarded. Chickens that have eaten radioactive material may lay contaminated eggs, but most of the radioactivity will be concentrated in the shells. The white and yolk will be free of harmful amounts of radiation and can be eaten. Chickens will not lay eggs if the radioactive body burden is large enough that their eggs are unfit to eat.
Table J-2. Traditional Salt Preserving Brine
| MEAT, WHOLE 4-5 KG |
| 25% NaCl (SALT) BRINE 5-LITER BRINE PER KG. |
| KEEP MEAT IN BRINE FOR 3 WEEKS, TEMPERATURE BELOW 10°C. |
| SOAK IN WATER FOR 1-2 DAYS. |
| 65-70% OF CS ACTIVITY WILL BE REMOVED. |
| MEAT, CUT 1-2 KG |
| 25% NaCl BRINE 5-LITER BRINE PER KG. |
| KEEP MEAT IN BRINE FOR 4 DAYS. |
| SOAK IN WATER FOR 4 HOURS. |
| 65-70% OF CS ACTIVITY WILL BE REMOVED. |
| MUTTON/LAMB RIB |
| PIECE OF RIB 1-5 KG. |
| 25% NaCl BRINE 5-LITER BRINE PER KG. |
| KEEP IN BRINE FOR 2 DAYS. |
| SOAK IN WATER FOR 2 HOURS. |
| AIR-DRYING FOR 10 DAYS. |
| SOAK IN WATER FOR 2 HOURS. |
| BOIL IN WATER FOR 3 HOURS. |
| 85-90% CS ACTIVITY WILL BE REMOVED. |
| DECONTAMINATION OF COARSELY CHOPPED MEAT |
| 0.9% NaCl SOLUTION. 2-LITER SOLUTION PER KG. |
| SOAK IN NaCl SOLUTION FOR 10 MIN. |
| 60-70% CS ACTIVITY WILL BE REMOVED. |
| REPEATED PROCEDURES WILL REMOVE THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF CS ACTIVITY. |
| SIX TIMES REPEATED TREATMENT WILL REMOVE NEARLY 100% OF CS ACTIVITY. |
d. Considerations When Decontamination is Not Possible. When food cannot be decontaminated, sealing the product in a wrapping material or container may be needed. Sealing the product can reduce or shield the emanation of the contamination and/or fix the contamination in place. The hazard from contaminated food is small compared with that from external gamma radiation. Hungry people or animals should not be denied food because of possible fallout contamination. It is not practicable or desirable to preset maximum permissible limits of gross fallout radioactivity as a basis for judging whether or not food should be used. Common sense must be applied in establishing priorities for distribution of available food. For example, use the least contaminated and the most protected food first; hold milk products for 1 to 2 weeks before use.
J-4. Biological
a. Contamination. Biological warfare agents exist in the form of toxins and microorganisms. The normal packaging and packing of food (to protect against moisture, dust, and bacterial or other contamination) provides protection against most biological agents. The exception may be toxins and biologically derived substances. However, the protective methods used for chemical agents will also protect against toxins and derived substances. Food in freezers, refrigerators, and in refrigerated trucks or rail cars will be safe if these containers remain sealed until the outer surfaces are decontaminated.
(1) It is unlikely that a biological agent will affect the appearance, taste, or smell of the food enough for the change to be apparent.
(2) Packaging and packing materials are not life supportive to pathogenic agents and are, therefore, self-decontaminating with the exception of spore-forming organisms.
(3) Most operational rations are packaged in metal containers, or encased in heavy aluminum laminated plastics that can withstand boiling water; also, they are impervious to arthropod penetration. This food is highly resistant to biological agents.
(4) The use of unpackaged items (unwrapped meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables) should be restricted; use only operational rations. Unprotected fresh food stored in the open and close to the source of dissemination will become contaminated.