Radioactive shrimp? FDA issues bizarre urgent warning
News | By Easton Martin | August 19, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an urgent warning concerning frozen raw shrimp sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand, following the detection of radioactive Cesium 137 in shipping containers imported from Indonesia. The affected products, processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, were flagged at U.S. ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami.
While no contaminated shrimp has entered U.S. store shelves, the FDA confirmed that samples taken from breaded shrimp matched to the supplier tested positive for Cesium 137. The agency identified unsanitary conditions during processing or handling as a likely factor in the contamination.
The recalled shrimp includes specific lot codes 8005540 1, 8005538 1, and 8005539 1, all carrying a best by date of March 15, 2027. Consumers who purchased these products are urged to dispose of them immediately and not consume or serve them. Distributors and retailers have been instructed to remove the items from sale.
The FDA has banned further imports from the implicated supplier and continues collaborating with U.S. Customs, Indonesian authorities, and Walmart to trace the source and prevent future risks.
