In an uncommon case of food contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety advisory about certain raw frozen shrimp products that tested positive for radioactivity, which were imported from Indonesia and sold at Walmart stores in 13 states.

Specifically, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and FDA detected Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a radioactive isotope, in a single shipment of imported frozen shrimp processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods), an Indonesian company. After being alerted to the contamination of shipping containers detected by CBP, FDA initiated sampling of products which included five different shrimp products from BMS Foods, one of which was a sample of frozen breaded shrimp.

The level of Cs-137 detected in the detained shipment was approximately 68 becquerel per kilogram (Bq/kg), which is below FDA’s Derived Intervention Level for Cs-137 of 1200 Bq/kg. There was no detectable Cs-137 in the other products tested; however, this does not rule out contamination.

Although single exposure to the product would not pose an acute hazard to consumers at the level of radioactivity detected in the detained shrimp shipment, chronic exposure to levels of Cs-137 similar to what was found in the imported shrimp could have health impacts (i.e., DNA damage leading to an elevated risk of cancer).

The products for which FDA has issued a warning were sold at Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Misissippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. FDA is advising consumers not to eat the following lots of raw frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores in the aforementioned states:

• 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.

Detailed product descriptions can be viewed on FDA’s website.

At present, no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered U.S. commerce. FDA is working with distributors and retailers that received product from BMS Foods after the date of first detection of Cs-137 by CBP, and is recommending that firms conduct a recall of products from BMS Foods shipments, even if they did not alert for Cs-137.

Additionally, in conjunction with other information, FDA determined that product from BMS Foods violates the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as it appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions enabling its contamination with Cs-137, thereby posing a safety concern. The agency has also added BMS Foods to a new import alert for chemical contamination to stop products from the firm from entering the U.S., until the firm has resolved the conditions that led to the violation.

Cs-137 is a radioisotope of cesium that is man-made through nuclear reactions and because it is widespread worldwide, trace amounts of Cs-137 can be found in the environment, including soil, food, and air. FDA food monitoring focuses on radioisotopes (radionuclides) that are not normally present and are generally the result of human activities. Any unexpected finding of Cs-137 in a food product is evaluated to determine if follow up action is warranted on a case-by-case basis.

FDA’s investigation is ongoing. This advisory will be updated as more information becomes available.

Shrimp is the most widely consumed seafood in the U.S, most of which is imported; total seafood imports in 2018 accounted for approximately 94 percent of seafood sold by volume in the U.S., according to FDA. Indonesia is the second-largest exporting country of shrimp to the U.S. by volume, per Congress.

Update, August 25, 2025: The radioactive shrimp recall has been expanded.

Update, September 26, 2025: The recall has been further expanded, with additional distributors, brands, and retailers (including Kroger) now included. Additionally, FDA has detected Cs-137 in a shipment of spices from Indonesia. More information can be found here.

Update, October 6, 2025: Reports out of Indonesia suggest the source of Cs-137 contamination found in shrimp is environmental. The cause of cloves contamination is still under investigation.