Radioactive contamination found in a popular product

The agency said it was immediately recalling 2-pound (about 0.9 kg) packages of Walmart Great Value white Vannamei shrimp because they came from the same Indonesian supplier, BMS Foods, whose other shipments have been found to contain the isotope cesium-137. The affected shrimp have a March 15, 2027, expiration date on their packaging and were sold in at least 13 U.S. states, including Alabama, Florida, Texas and West Virginia.

Although the contaminated shipments were intercepted at US ports (Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, Miami), so they did not reach store shelves, the FDA says there is a risk that shrimp sold in Walmart stores may also be affected. Tests showed 68 becquerels/kilogram of contamination, which is well below the 1,200 Bq/kg action level, but the agency stressed that long-term, low-dose radiation exposure can also increase the risk of cancer.

The FDA recommends that consumers not eat the shrimp they have purchased, but rather throw it away or return it to stores. Walmart confirmed that it immediately removed the affected products from shelves. The US authorities are continuing the investigation together with Indonesian seafood inspection bodies.