(3) Some products can be decontaminated by washing, peeling, or trimming the outer skin or leaves. Decontaminate potatoes and hard-skinned fruits and vegetables by washing or scrubbing under running water, followed by peeling or scraping, then washing again. Potatoes, carrots, beets, and turnips can be washed at the supply depot. However, do not wash beans, rice, and onions until they are delivered to the field kitchen; washing reduces their storage quality and shelf life. Citrus fruits, pineapples, corn, peas, beans, melons, pumpkins, cabbage, and nuts can be peeled. Decontaminate cucumbers, tomatoes, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, plums, and thin-skinned squash by soaking in a water or detergent solution and rinsing with vigorous agitation or brushing. Apricots, peaches, most berries, asparagus, broccoli, and leafy vegetables cannot be satisfactorily decontaminated because of fuzzy surfaces, irregular shapes, or small size, which makes washing difficult.
· Fresh carcass meat, sausages, and fish can be decontaminated by several washings with cold water. The exterior layer of the food item is removed if radioactivity is still present. There is, however, a risk of contaminating the inner parts of the foodstuff in the process. Cooking with several changes of water is the last step in decontamination.
_Table J-1. Decontamination of Food Supplies_
======================================================================== | | TYPE OF CONTAMINATION SURFACE +---------------+----------------------+----------------- OR | | | MATERIAL | CHEMICAL | BIOLOGICAL | NUCLEAR ----------------+---------------+----------------------+----------------- | | | CANNED, BOTTLED,|IMMERSE IN |WASH WITH SOAP AND |WASH WITH SOAP OR PROTECTED BY |BOILING, |WATER, THEN IMMERSE |AND WATER, RINSE. IMPERMEABLE |SOAPY WATER |IN DISINFECTANT | CONTAINER. |FOR 30 MINUTES |SOLUTION. (IMMERSE IN |BRUSH, WIPE |AND RINSE. |BOILING WATER FOR 30 |CHLORINE, FOOD | |MINUTES. FOOD DIS- |CONTAMINATION | |INFECTANT, OR 1/3 |FROM SURFACE OF | |CANTEEN CUP OF HOUSE- |CONTAINER. | |HOLD BLEACH IN 10 GAL | | |OF WATER). | | | | |SPRAY WITH | | |DS2 AND RINSE | | | | | |WASH IN HOT, |BOIL IN WATER 15 | |SOAPY WATER, |MINUTES; NOT EFFECTIVE| |RINSE, AND |ON TOXINS AND SOME | |AERATE. |SPORES. | | | \ | |IMMERSE IN 5% SODIUM \ | |CARBONATE (4 LB WASHING | | |SODA IN 10 GAL WATER), | | |RINSE WITH POTABLE WATER.| | | | | |IMMERSE IN HOUSEHOLD | | |BLEACH SOLUTION (1/2 GAL | | |BLEACH IN 25 GAL WATER) | | |FOR 30 MINUTES THEN RINSE| | |AND AERATE FOR 10 | | |MINUTES. | | | | | |IMMERSE IN HTH SOLUTION | | |(1/2 LB IN 25 GAL WATER) | | |20 MINUTES, THEN RINSE. | | | | | |IMMERSE IN STB SOLUTION | | |(1 LB IN 25 GAL WATER) | | |30 MINUTES, THEN RINSE. | | | | | |IMMERSE IN 2% PERACETIC | | |ACID FOR 10 MINUTES, | | |RINSE, AND AERATE FOR | | |10 MINUTES. | | | | NOT CANNED OR |FOOD KNOWN OR |BOIL IN WATER 15 MINUTES.|WASH OR TRIM IMPERMEABLE |SUSPECTED TO |COOK. |CONTAMINATION CONTAINER. |BE CONTAMINATED| |FROM UNPACK- |SHOULD NOT BE |IMMERSE IN OR SPRAY WITH |AGED FOOD. |CONSUMED UNTIL |2% HOUSEHOLD BLEACH | |APPROVED BY |SOLUTION. PACKAGED, | |VETERINARY |PEELED, OR PARED FOOD MAY| |PERSONNEL. |BE IMMERSED OR SPRAYED. | =========================================================================