August 6, 2010 9:30 AM

Radioactive Wild Boars for Dinner? Toxic Animals Run Loose in Germany

By
Aina Hunter
Topics
News ,
Food and Drink
Wild boar in Germany.

A young wild boar in a game park Hanover, Germany. Is she radioactive? (Michael Gabler/Wikimedia)

(CBS) Planning a trip to Germany? Choose chicken over the wild boar.

Germany's wild boar population is skyrocketing, and that means more boar meat for dinner. Regrettably, 25 years after the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown in neighboring Ukraine, much of that meat is radioactive, according to Spiegel Online.

Wild boars love to eat mushrooms and truffles, which is why they are especially susceptible to radioactive contamination, says the magazine. And mushrooms are extraordinarily efficient at absorbing radioactivity.

It is illegal in Germany to sell meat from animals containing high levels of radioactive material, and animals that test positive are not permitted to be brought to market. In some parts of Germany, particularly in the south, wild boar routinely show unacceptable levels of contamination.The government is forced to compensate hunters for the ruined meat.

The problem is not likely to go away any time soon, experts told Spiegel.. "The problem has been at a high level for a long time," says Joachim Reddemann, an expert on radioactivity in wild boar with the Bavarian Hunting Federation. "It will likely remain that way for at least the next 50 years."

Read more on Spiegel Online.


Add a Comment
by jrdunebuggy August 6, 2010 2:11 PM EDT
germanys concern over radioactive meat in wild boar meat can be overcome with a bit of caution.in fact,an abundance of wild game is a good thing because;the meat can be eaten safely as long as the meat close to the bone is not eaten.radiation goes straight to the bone marrow,but cuts of meat NOT close to the bone can be eaten safely.this is according to us army survival training.therefore,the boost in population of wild boar is not all bad news,the german peeople should be made aware of this.as i understand,wild boar is pretty tasty.education is the key!
Reply to this comment
by xxxwilliam August 6, 2010 1:04 PM EDT
I should like to see the Germans become more involved with species restoration. Can you think of a better reason for the re-introduction of the wolf and the bear?
Reply to this comment
by XenJac August 6, 2010 2:31 PM EDT
I can think of several reason to not reintroduce those species until the radioactivity declines to safe levels. For example, the Boars are eating mushrooms, thus they're becoming radioactive, what do you think would happen to a wolf, or a bear? Poisons multiply through the food chain by the way. If a wolf was to consume two boars, it would become twice as radioactive as one boar. The only "good" thing to do, is wait for radioactive decay to take it's course in the environment.
by rf35 August 6, 2010 11:12 AM EDT
Would you like plutonium with your pig?
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