HEALTH ALERT: FDA investigating radioactive shrimp bound for US stores, product pulled

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FROM FOX BUSINESS: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday said it is actively investigating after a shipment of Walmart shrimp tested positive for a man-made radioactive material.

U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) alerted the FDA to the detection of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed in Indonesia at four U.S. ports, including Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah, Georgia, according to a news release from the FDA.

Officials collected multiple samples for radionuclide analysis, confirming Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp. The shrimp supplier, PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (aka BMS Foods), was added to the “red list,” meaning its products cannot be sold in the U.S. until the issue is resolved.


Officials have stated that the product appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary conditions, resulting in its contamination with Cs-137.

Walmart allegedly received potentially contaminated shrimp imported after the detection date. They immediately recalled the shrimp at the direction of the FDA.

“The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority,” Walmart told FOX Business. “We have issued a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores. We are working with the supplier to investigate.”

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