The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns shoppers to check their freezers after certain frozen shrimp sold at Walmart may have been exposed to a radioactive substance.
In a statement released this week, the FDA urged customers to immediately throw away specific lots of Great Value Frozen Raw Ez Peel Tail-On Farm-Raised White Vannamei Shrimp. The affected shrimp was sold in 2-pound bags and distributed to Walmart stores in 13 states, including Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
The following details can identify the bags:
- Lot code 8005540-1, Best by: March 15, 2027
- Lot code 8005538-1, Best by: March 15, 2027
- Lot code 8005539-1, Best by: March 15, 2027
The warning comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection flagged shrimp shipments from Indonesian seafood company PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods) was present during inspections at major U.S. ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah.
Tests revealed traces of Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in one batch of breaded shrimp. While the FDA confirmed that the levels detected — about 68 Bq/kg — were well below the agency’s safety limit, the recall was issued as a precaution since the same company processed the Walmart shrimp.
Cesium-137 is a byproduct of nuclear fission and has been linked to long-term health risks. Experts say that while the levels found in the shrimp would not cause immediate harm, prolonged exposure could increase the risk of cancer, cause DNA damage, and in extreme cases, impact reproductive health.
“The risk from this batch is very low, but any unnecessary radiation exposure should be avoided,” the FDA explained in its alert.
Walmart has already pulled the shrimp from shelves and offers full refunds to customers who return affected products. The FDA is urging anyone who purchased the shrimp to:
- Do not eat it — dispose of it immediately.
- Please return it to Walmart for a refund.
- Reach out to a healthcare provider if you have concerns about possible exposure.
The FDA has also placed PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati is on an import “red list,” and shipments from the company will be banned until further notice.
This rare case of radioactive contamination in the U.S. food supply highlights the importance of border inspections and global monitoring of imported food.
