The Food and Drug Administration is warning the public to not eat or serve certain frozen shrimp sold at Walmart, saying it may have been contaminated with unsafe levels of radiation that, if consumed, could lead to an elevated risk of cancer.
The release, issued Tuesday, says the FDA was alerted of the levels by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection, after officials said Cesium-137 (Cs-137) was detected in shipping containers of frozen breaded shrimp from Indonesian processor PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati at four U.S. ports.
The FDA is now investigating the reports, the release said.
According to the FDA, no products in the investigation have tested positive for Cs-137. However, contamination cannot be ruled out as it was determined that the processor violated the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act, and that products were found 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.”
“All containers and product testing positive or alerting for Cs-137 have been denied entry into the country,” the release went on to say.
The company is now on a “red list” as part of the investigation, which means no implicated shrimp products will enter the U.S. until it resolves 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,” the release said.
The impacted products were distributed to Walmart and sold under the Great Value brand, the release said, with the following lot codes:
BrandProduct NameProduct TypeBest ByItem CodeLot CodeDistributorGreat ValueFrozen Raw White Vannamei ShrimpFrozen Raw Ez Peel Tail-On Farm-Raised White Vannamei Shrimp, 2lb bag3/15/202773831088005540-1WalmartGreat ValueFrozen Raw White Vannamei ShrimpFrozen Raw Ez Peel Tail-On Farm-Raised White Vannamei Shrimp, 2lb bag3/15/202773831088005538-1WalmartGreat ValueFrozen Raw White Vannamei ShrimpFrozen Raw Ez Peel Tail-On Farm-Raised White Vannamei Shrimp, 2lb bag3/15/202773831088005539-1Walmart“If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away,” the release said. “Do not eat or serve this product.”
A post on Walmart’s website says the now-recalled shrimp was sold in Walmart stores in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.
What is Cs-137?
According to the FDA, Cs-137 is a radioisotope of cesium that is man-made through nuclear reactions.
“Because it is widespread worldwide, trace amounts of Cs-137 can be found in the environment, including soil, food, and air,” the release said. “FDA food monitoring focuses on radioisotopes (radionuclides) that are not normally present and are generally the result of human activities.”
The FDA went on to say that the level detected in the breaded shrimp sample could be a potential health concern for those exposed to similar levels over time.
“The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure (e.g., through consumption of contaminated food or water over time) is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body,” the release said.
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