Radioactive Shrimp Scare: FDA Warns Against Consuming Contaminated Walmart Shrimp

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning and initiated an investigation after discovering radioactive contamination in a shipment of frozen shrimp bound for Walmart stores. The contaminated shrimp, imported from Indonesia and processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods), tested positive for Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a man-made radioactive material.

Details of the Contamination
– Affected Product: Great Value raw frozen shrimp with lot codes 8005540-1, 8005538-1, and 8005539-1.
– Contamination Level: The FDA detected Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp at a level of approximately 68 Bq/kg, which is below the agency’s derived intervention level for Cs-137 (1200 Bq/kg).
– Potential Health Risk: Although the contamination level is not considered an acute hazard, long-term exposure to low-level radiation could have health implications, including an increased risk of cancer.

FDA’s Response
– Import Alert: The FDA issued an import alert for chemical contamination and added BMS Foods to the “red list,” prohibiting its products from being sold in the US until the issue is resolved.
– Recall: Walmart has recalled the affected shrimp at the FDA’s direction and removed the product from impacted stores.
– Investigation: The FDA is working with Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities to investigate the root cause of the contamination and prevent future occurrences.

Consumer Advisory
– Do Not Consume: Consumers are advised not to eat or serve the affected shrimp and to discard any recently purchased products with the specified lot codes.
– Safe Disposal: Distributors and retailers should dispose of the product and not sell or serve it.

The FDA continues to monitor the situation and work with industry partners to ensure contaminated products do not reach consumers. The agency will provide updates as more information becomes available