FDA issues warning about shrimp sold at Walmart because of radioactive concerns

The FDA has issued a warning about shrimp imported from Indonesia and sold at some Walmart stores because it could by contaminated with radiation.

The Food and Drug Administration is actively investigating reports of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, doing business as BMS Foods, of Indonesia.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) alerted FDA to the detection of Cs-137 in shipping containers at four U.S. ports — Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah and Miami. The FDA collected multiple samples for radionuclide analysis, with results confirming the presence of Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp. 

All containers and product testing positive or alerting for Cs-137 have been denied entry into the country. The FDA 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. 

To date, the 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. The FDA has recommended Walmart recall this product. 

The implicated Great Value raw frozen shrimp was sold at Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.

Consumers can identify the affected shrimp by looking for the following label information:  

• 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. 

Cs-137 is a radioisotope of cesium that is man-made through nuclear reactions and because it is widespread worldwide, trace amounts of Cs-137 can be found in the environment, including soil, food, and air. 

The FDA’s food monitoring focuses on radioisotopes (radionuclides) that are not normally present and are generally the result of human activities. Any unexpected finding of Cs-137 in a food product is evaluated to determine if follow up action is warranted on a case-by-case basis. 

After being alerted to the contamination of shipping containers detected by CBP, the FDA initiated sampling of products which included five different shrimp products from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, one of which was a sample of frozen breaded shrimp. FDA’s laboratory confirmation of Cs-137 in the breaded shrimp had detectable levels of Cs-137 present at 68.48 Bq/kg +/- 8.25 Bq/kg. There was no detectable Cs-137 in the other products tested; however, this does not rule out contamination.

FDA has not detected Cs-137 in any product above the current derived intervention levels for Cs-137 (1200 Bq/kg); however, FDA has concluded that the level detected in the breaded shrimp sample could represent a potential health concern for those exposed to this level of Cs-137 from consumption of the shrimp over an extended period of time combined with radiation that exists in the environment and from other sources such as medical procedures. 

Avoiding products like the shipment the FDA tested with similar levels of Cs-137 is a measure intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued exposure over a long period of time. FDA has taken swift action to prevent potentially contaminated product from being introduced into U.S. commerce in response to reports of contaminated shipping containers from CBP. 

On Aug. 14, 2025, FDA posted a new import alert (IA 99-51) for chemical contamination under section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.  PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati has been added to the red list of this alert due to the presence of Cs-137. 

The import alert ensures that no implicated shrimp products will enter U.S. commerce until the company resolves the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of the violation. 

FDA will continue working with industry to trace all implicated products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati through the supply chain to gather as much information about them as possible and take action as appropriate. 

Additional information about Cs-137 is available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry resources.

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Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2025/08/fda-issues-warning-about-shrimp-sold-at-walmart-because-of-radioactive-concerns/