b. Biological.
Decontaminate containers that are contaminated with
toxins in the same manner as you decontaminate those that are contaminated
with chemical agents.
Be sure that personnel decontaminate the exposed
threads of jars that have screw caps before the personnel remove the caps.
DO NOT use water from unapproved sources for drinking or preparing food
unless no other water is available. If you must use water from unapproved
sources, disinfect it. To decontaminate food that is contaminated by germs,
peel, pare, or heat the food.
NOTE:
Disinfecting water does not ensure that it is safe to drink.
If the water is contaminated by toxins, disinfection will not
work. Also, some germs cannot be destroyed by disinfection.
(1) Peeling and Paring.
Peel or pare potatoes and hard-skinned
fruits to decontaminate them.
First, use disinfectant, bleach, hi-test
hypochlorite (HTH), or super tropical bleach (STB) to disinfect the surface
of the food. After you disinfect the surface, peel or pare, wash, and, if
appropriate, cook the food before you serve it.
(2) Heating.
Using heat is the best way to decontaminate
biologically contaminated food. Thorough cooking reduces contamination to a
safe level. Figure 1-25 shows methods of decontamination using heat. Make
sure that the heat penetrates the food completely for the time that is
shown.
Figure 1-25.
Heat methods of decontamination
c. Chemical.
Decontaminate
food
that
has
been
exposed
to
chemical agents as shown in Figure 1-26.
Unless no other foods
are
available,
discard
exposed
foods
that
are
unprotected
or
that are protected poorly.
Foods with a low water content and a
high fat content, such as butter, lard, ham, cheese, bacon, fatty
1-55
QM3511
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