On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers about potential contamination of a well-known brand of frozen shrimp sold at Walmart.
In a press release, the FDA urged the public not to eat, sell or serve certain Great Value raw frozen shrimp. The warning came after shipping containers of the shrimp at four U.S. ports tested positive for Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.
Cesium-137 was also detected in the shrimp itself in one shipment from the supplier, Indonesia’s BMS Foods. The good news is that no contaminated shrimp has entered the U.S. food supply, the FDA says.
However, the products that have tested positive “appear 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.”
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FDA asks Walmart to recall the shrimp
The FDA said Walmart received a shipment of the frozen shrimp after the product had tested positive for Cesium-137. While the company was unaware of the potential risk involved, the FDA is still recommending the shrimp be recalled.
Customers are asked to not eat any Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp from the following lot numbers.
- 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 said in its press release. “Do not eat or serve this product.”
What is Cesium-137?
Cesium-137 is the most common radioactive form of Cs-137, a “soft, flexible, silvery-white metal that becomes liquid near room temperature, but easily bonds with chlorides to create a crystalline powder,” according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
External exposure to large amounts of the isotope can cause burns, radiation sickness and even death. Ingestion of Cs-137 could pose more long-term health concerns, such as cancer, particularly if consumed over an extended period of time.
