The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers, retailers, and distributors regarding certain lots of Great Value brand raw frozen shrimp imported from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, an Indonesian company.
The advisory is due to potential contamination with Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a radioactive isotope. As a precaution, individuals are advised not to eat, sell, or serve these specific shrimp products.
The FDA’s ongoing investigation revealed Cs-137 in a sample of frozen breaded shrimp from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati at a level of 68.48 Bq/kg, below the agency’s Derived Intervention Level of 1200 Bq/kg. While this level does not pose an immediate health risk, the FDA noted that long-term, repeated exposure to low levels of Cs-137 through contaminated food could increase the risk of cancer due to DNA damage.
“All [shipping] containers and product testing positive or alerting for Cs-137 have been denied entry into the country,” the FDA said in a safety advisory. “The agency continues to coordinate with CBP to prevent any contaminated products from reaching consumers and is working with Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities to investigate the root cause of the contamination.”
“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 advisory continued. “To date, FDA has learned that Walmart has received implicated raw frozen shrimp, imported after the date of first detection of Cs-137 by CBP, but from shipments that did not alert for Cs-137. FDA has recommended Walmart recall this product.”
The implicated products were sold at Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.
The shrimp products include Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp with lot codes 8005540-1, 8005538-1, and 8005539-1, all with a best-by date of March 15, 2027.
Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to discard them and not consume or serve them.
On August 14, the FDA added the company to Import Alert 99-51 for chemical contamination, blocking its products from entering the U.S. until the contamination issue is resolved.
Consumers suspecting exposure to elevated Cs-137 levels are advised to consult their healthcare provider. Additional information on Cs-137 health risks is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
The FDA will update its advisory as new information emerges.