The Food and Drug Administration warned people on Tuesday to stay away from buying or eating frozen raw shrimp due to possible radioactive contamination, forcing Walmart to recall the seafood immediately.
The recall affected frozen raw shrimp under the Great Value brand sold at Walmart stores in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.
The FDA is investigating reports of cesium-137 contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by an Indonesian company. Cesium-137 is a man-made radioactive isotope that is dangerous in large, concentrated amounts.
The possibly contaminated products could pose a “potential health concern” if the consumer is exposed to low levels of cesium-137 over a long period of time, the FDA said. No radioactive traces in the products have been detected at high levels. Still, the FDA advises consumers to dispose of shrimp packages with an expiration date of March 15, 2027.
“If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away,” the federal agency said in a statement. “Do not eat or serve this product.”
Customs and Border Protection notified the FDA of the possible radioactive shrimp contamination. The products were carried in shipping containers sent to United States ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah, Georgia.
Federal officials also detected cesium-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp imported from Indonesia.
“All containers and product testing positive or alerting for Cs-137 have been denied entry into the country,” the FDA said.
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“The agency 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,” it added.
Walmart urged customers to discard the products or return them for a refund.