Walmart Shrimp Recall: FDA Detects Radioactive Risk

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sharing a dire warning to not consume certain frozen shrimp products from Walmart, as they may be radioactive.

On August 19, the agency issued an alert stating it is “actively investigating reports of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) of Indonesia.”

Cesium-137, the Environmental Protection Agency explained, is “produced by nuclear fission for use in medical devices and gauges. It is also one of the byproducts of nuclear fission processes in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons testing.” The FDA added that while trace amounts of Cs-137 can be found in the environment, its food monitoring activities focus on “radioisotopes that are not normally present and are generally the result of human activities.”

According to the statement, the issue was first identified by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), which alerted the FDA to the detection of Cs-137 in shipping containers at four U.S. ports, including Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami. The FDA then “collected multiple samples for radionuclide analysis, with results confirming the presence of Cs-137 in one sample of breaded shrimp.”

The containers that tested positive have been denied entry into the U.S. to prevent the products from reaching consumers. It added that although testing has not confirmed the “presence of contamination in any product in commerce, the product appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions,” and may still pose a safety concern.

The FDA added that Walmart has received some of the raw frozen shrimp and has recommended recalling the product. The recall includes the following items:

• 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

These products were sold at Walmart locations across 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.

The FDA added, “If you have recently purchased raw frozen shrimp from Walmart that matches this description, throw it away. Do not eat or serve this product.”

As for how dangerous it would be to consume the shrimp, the FDA noted that “At this level, the product would not pose an acute hazard to consumers,” but they also warned that repeated exposure could cause an “elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body.”