WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised consumers to avoid eating specific bags of frozen raw shrimp sold at Walmart due to concerns about unsanitary conditions and potential radioactive contamination.
The advisory follows the detection of the radioactive isotope cesium-137 in samples of breaded shrimp from the same Indonesian supplier, BMS Foods, during port inspections. Although the contaminated shipments were prevented from entering the U.S. market, the FDA is urging caution regarding the Great Value brand raw frozen shrimp from the same supplier. The agency stated that the product “appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with Cs-137.”
The detected levels of cesium-137 were 68 becquerels per kilogram, which is significantly below the FDA’s intervention level of 1,200 Bq/kg. However, the advisory was issued as a precautionary measure due to the potential risks associated with long-term, low-dose exposure and reported issues at the supplier’s facility.
The warning applies to 2-pound Great Value bags of white vannamei shrimp with a best-by date of March 15, 2027. The affected products were distributed to Walmart stores in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.
Consumers who have purchased the shrimp are advised to either throw it away or return it. The FDA is currently investigating in collaboration with Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities.
