If you’re buying shrimp for your end-of-summer cookouts, the FDA would like you to steer clear of the radioactive kind.
On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration warned the public not to eat, sell, or serve certain imported frozen shrimp because it could be contaminated with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.
The agency’s warning includes bags of Great Value raw frozen shrimp sold at Walmart $WMT, distributed by Indonesia's BMS Foods.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected Cesium-137 in shipping containers at four U.S. ports and frozen shrimp from BMS Foods tested positive for the isotope, the FDA said. The levels found would not pose an acute hazard to consumers, the agency said, but continued exposure to low-level radiation over a long period of time could have health impacts.
Yet, the FDA assured that no shrimp that tested positive has entered the U.S. food supply. Still, to be sure, the agency recommended a recall on any products from BMS Foods that were shipped after the date of first detection.
This includes the following products:
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005540-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005539-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005538-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
To mitigate any further possible risk, the FDA has issued a new import alert for BMS Foods until the distributor addresses the chemical contamination. Any frozen shrimp imported from the distributor violates the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act.
The FDA’s investigation is ongoing.