FDA Advises Against Consuming Certain Great Value Frozen Shrimp Due to Potential Cesium-137 Contamination
The FDA has issued a warning regarding specific lots of Great Value frozen shrimp sold at Walmart, citing potential contamination with the radioactive isotope Cesium-137.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning advising consumers not to eat, sell, or serve certain Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp sold at Walmart due to potential contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope. The affected products include:
- 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
Consumers who have purchased these products are advised to dispose of them immediately. The FDA stated, "If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away."
The FDA's warning follows an alert from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which detected Cesium-137 in shipping containers at four U.S. ports. Subsequent testing on frozen shrimp from the Indonesian distributor BMS Foods also indicated the presence of the radioactive isotope. However, the FDA confirmed that no shrimp testing positive for Cesium-137 has entered the U.S. food supply.
Despite the absence of contaminated products in the market, the FDA recommends a recall of all products from BMS Foods shipped after the detection of Cesium-137. The agency determined that the shrimp from BMS Foods violates the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act, stating that it "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."
Cesium-137 is a radioactive form of the element cesium, produced by nuclear fission. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, external exposure to large amounts of Cesium-137 can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, and even death.
The FDA is collaborating with distributors and retailers that received the shrimp from BMS Foods to recommend a recall. Additionally, all products from the company are now banned from entering the U.S. until the firm resolves the conditions that led to the violation.