FDA Issues Warning Over Radioactive Shrimp Sold at Walmart

Health

FDA Issues Warning Over Radioactive Shrimp Sold at Walmart

3 months ago

News sources:

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NPR

FDA Issues Warning Over Radioactive Shrimp Sold at Walmart

Credited from: NPR

The FDA warns consumers not to eat certain Great Value shrimp due to potential Cesium-137 contamination.
No contaminated shrimp have entered the U.S. food supply, but a recall has been recommended.
Walmart stores in 13 states are affected by this warning, with specific lot codes identified.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning against consuming certain frozen shrimp sold under the Great Value brand at Walmart, which may be contaminated with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope. The potential contamination was flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which detected the isotope in shipping containers at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah, Georgia, raising concerns about imported shrimp from Indonesia's PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, also known as BMS Foods, according to ABC News, CBS News, and HuffPost.

The FDA is urging consumers to discard any of the identified shrimp products, which are specifically associated with lot codes 8005540-1, 8005538-1, and 8005539-1, all with a best by date of March 15, 2027. Although no contaminated products have entered the U.S. food supply, the FDA recommended a voluntary recall for these items as a precautionary measure to mitigate health risks tied to long-term exposure to low levels of Cesium-137, according to Newsweek and The Hill.

The Jakarta Post and BBC.

As a preventive measure, Walmart has removed the affected shrimp from their stores in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia, and has offered refunds to customers who purchased the recalled products, according to Los Angeles Times and NPR.