The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to consumers who recently bought frozen shrimp from Walmart that the product could be contaminated with a radioactive chemical.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection alerted the FDA about the possible presence of Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in shipping containers with the frozen shrimp product.
Those containers were brought to four U.S. ports from Indonesia, including Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah and Miami. None of the contaminated containers or products were allowed entry into the U.S., the FDA said.
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"Although testing to date has not confirmed the presence of contamination in any product in commerce, the product appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with Cs-137 and may pose a safety concern," the FDA said.
The agency recommended Walmart recall its frozen shrimp products associated with the possible contamination.
Those products include:
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005540-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005538-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005539-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027.
The FDA said it is working with the CBP and Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities to investigate the root cause of the contamination.
In the meantime, all products from the company PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati of Indonesia, doing business as BMS Foods, has been banned from entering the U.S.
Cesium-137, also known as Cs-137, is man-made through nuclear reactions for use in medical devices and gauges, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. External exposure to large amounts of Cs-137 can cause burns, acute radiation sickness and even death
