FDA Warns Public Over Potentially Radioactive Walmart Shrimp

The FDA advised Walmart to recall certain lots of Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp after exposure to Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.

A woman wheels a cart with her purchases out of a Walmart store in Derry, N.H., on Nov. 18, 2020. Charles Krupa/AP Photo

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Aug. 19 told the U.S. public not to eat, sell, or serve certain imported Walmart frozen shrimp produced by an Indonesian company because it may have been exposed to a radioactive material.

Health officials said in a statement that it is investigating reports of Cesium-137 contamination in shipping containers as well as shrimp products that were processed by Indonesia-based PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, also known as BMS Food.

The shrimp was sold in Walmart locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia, according to a notice from the FDA.

“If you recently purchased one of the impacted lots of Great Value raw frozen shrimp from Walmart, throw it away,” the FDA said in the notice. “Do not eat or serve this product.”

Retailers and distributors in the United States are also advised to dispose of the frozen shrimp product and should not serve it, the agency stated.

The FDA also advised people to speak with a health care provider if they believe they may have been exposed to Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope of the element cesium that can increase the risk of cancer in humans.

Cesium-137 is a byproduct of nuclear reactions, including nuclear bombs, testing, reactor operations, and accidents. It’s widespread around the world, with trace amounts found in the environment, including soil, food, and air.

Elevated levels of the radioactive isotope can be present in high-contamination areas, including Chernobyl, Ukraine, and Fukushima, Japan, which each experienced a nuclear plant disaster, according to the FDA.

The FDA recommended that Walmart recall the Great Value brand frozen shrimp from stores after federal officials detected Cesium-137 in shipping containers and a sample of breaded shrimp imported from Indonesia, the FDA also stated.

The level detected in the frozen breaded Walmart shrimp was far lower than FDA intervention levels. However, the agency stated that avoiding potentially contaminated products could reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could lead to health problems over time.

The Epoch Times contacted Walmart for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

Walmart immediately recalled the products, a company spokesperson told media outlets this week. Consumers should discard the products or return them to any Walmart store for a refund, the spokesperson said.

According to the FDA notice, the affected products include Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005540-1, Best by Date: March 15, 2027; Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005538-1, Best by Date: March 15, 2027; and Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005539-1, Best by Date: March 15, 2027.

Symptoms of radiation sickness can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, low blood pressure, infections, hair loss, weakness and fatigue, and mental changes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Last week, the FDA issued an import alert for PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati for all shrimp products imported into the United States, while the agency stated in its Aug. 19 notice that the Indonesian company was “added to the red list of this alert” to ensure “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.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.