The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has once again issued a warning to consumers about shrimp that contains elevated levels of radioactive isotopes.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the FDA released an initial warning in August about the prevalence of “radioactive shrimp” due to contamination with Cesium-137 (Cs-137).
The most recent frozen shrimp recall was once again imported by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, marking the second time in just over one month that a shrimp recall has been instigated in cooperation with this processor.
The FDA wrote in a release about the recall that the amount of Cs-137 detected “would not pose an acute hazard to consumers,” but health defects could persist if consumed consistently.
“The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure (e.g., through consumption of contaminated food or water over time) is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body.”
This recall has included approximately 49,920 bags of Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp, approximately 18,000 bags of Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, and approximately 17,264 bags of AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers.
However, the FDA stated that “no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered the U.S. marketplace” at this time, adding that the administration is working alongside distributors and retailers to determine which product is contaminated.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller wrote in a statement sent to The Dallas Express that this type of incident is “flat-out unacceptable.”
“Americans deserve safe, clean food, not imports handled under shady, unsanitary conditions. This is exactly why folks ought to only buy wild-caught Texas shrimp, where quality, freshness, and safety are second to none,” stated Miller.
The full list of recalled items can be seen on the FDA website.