The FDA has issued an urgent warning about radioactive shrimp sold at Walmart stores nationwide, advising consumers “Do Not Eat” certain frozen products contaminated with the dangerous isotope Cesium-137, which poses severe health risks including radiation poisoning and long-term cancer threats.
In a press release Tuesday, the FDA detailed their ongoing investigation into reports of Cs-137 contamination detected in shipping containers and frozen shrimp imported by Indonesian company BMS Foods, flagged by customs officers at four major U.S. ports. This alarming discovery has prompted recalls at Walmart locations, where the affected batches were distributed, raising questions about supply chain oversight and the potential for widespread exposure. Officials urge anyone who purchased the shrimp to dispose of it immediately and seek medical advice if consumed, while emphasizing the need for stricter import inspections to prevent future incidents involving hazardous materials in everyday food items.
Infowars.com reports: “FDA collected multiple samples for radionuclide analysis, with results confirming the presence of Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp,” the press release states.
Via Tuesday’s press release:
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 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.
While contamination has not been found in shrimp being sold commercially, the FDA says they “learned 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.”
As such, they’ve asked Walmart to recall the shrimp out of an abundance of caution.
Consumers in the following states, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia, are advised not to eat or serve shrimp from the following Walmart brands:
“If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away. Do not eat or serve this product,” the FDA states.
The FDA says it’s still investigating the root cause of contamination, however, it notes Cs-137 is a radioisotope “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.”
