Exploring key factors influencing the elution of radioactive cesium from wild boar meat

Soaking or boiling meat in water is an effective method for reducing its radioactive cesium content. We investigate the efficiency of some factors in the removal of radioactive cesium from wild boar meat. Heat facilitates the denaturation of muscle protein and the shriveling of meat slice producing drip. A part of the cesium in raw meat was lost with the drip. Furthermore, when heat-denatured cooked meat is soaked in water, the proportion of cesium eluted into the soaking liquid increases compared with that when raw meat is soaked. By soaking the meat slice in water or processing boiling the minced meat, the cesium concentration could be reduced to less than 50 % of the raw material. Conversely, increasing the salt concentration of the soaking water or adding fat to the minced meat before boiling did not significantly change the reduction rate of cesium in the meat.