Don’t eat this shrimp sold at Walmart in Arkansas due to possible radiation contamination: FDA

(WJW) – The Food and Drug Administration is investigating contamination reports in frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart.

According to a press release from the FDA, Cesium-137 (Cs-137) was detected by U.S. Customs & Border Protection in shipping containers that arrived at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah. Samples found the presence of Cs-137 in a shipment of breaded shrimp.

The FDA confirmed that Walmart received raw frozen shrimp that could be affected by the issue.

Cs-137 is a product of nuclear fission and is used in medical devices and gauges, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains. It can also be used to gauge “the flow of liquid through pipes,” the agency said, and is “present in the environment from weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s.”

At room temperature, Cs-137 is a liquid, but it can become a powder if bonded with chlorides. Used inappropriately, Cs-137 can burn you, cause acute radiation sickness, and be fatal. Long-term exposure can increase your risk of developing cancer.

None of the shrimp products, which were processed by a company in Indonesia, that have entered the U.S. market have tested positive or alerted for Cs-137, according to the FDA.

However, the alert warns “the product 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.”

The FDA says it found a Cs-137 level of 68 Bq/kg in one shipment of frozen shrimp products. While that would “not pose an acute hazard to consumers,” the agency warned that advising against eating the shrimp “is a measure intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued exposure over a long period of time.”

While the FDA’s warning says the frozen shrimp Walmart received came “from shipments that did not alert for Cs-137,” the agency has recommended a recall for the following products:

• 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.

“If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away,” the FDA warning reads.

A notice on Walmart’s website said the shrimp was sold at select stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.

The FDA is now working with Customs to prevent any contaminated products from reaching store shelves, including any others processed by the Indonesian company PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati.