Dynamics of radioactive cesium during fruit processing

Abstract

Fruit harvested in Fukushima Prefecture in 2012 was processed, and the concentration of radioactive cesium both before and after processing was compared. A processing factor was obtained by calculating the cesium concentration ratio of the processed products vs. raw materials. The range for each processing factor is as follows : pickled plum in salt, 0. 77 to 0.98 ; pickled plum in salt water, 0.52 to 0.55 ; dried pickled plum, 0.72 to 1.11 ; plum liqueur, 0.21 to 0.32 ; plum syrup processed with sugar, 0.48 ; plum jam, 0.61 to 0.88 ; plum juice, 1.00 ; boiled fig with sugar, 1.35 ; pickled fig in syrup, 0. 51 ; dried grape, 3.52 ; grape juice, 0.97 ; steamed chestnut, 1. 01 ; boiled chestnut, 0.90 ; boiled chestnut (with inner skin) in syrup, 0.56 ; marron glacé, 0.20 ; citron marmalade, 0.18 ; and citron liqueur, 0.19. The radioactive cesium concentration of processed products was altered by dilution or concentration of raw materials. Radioactive cesium was transferred to the liquid from the raw material in cases of processing in a liquid, such as syrup, thereby reducing radioactive cesium in the processed products.