The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about shrimp consumption over a potential radioactive contamination. As per their latest announcement, frozen shrimps sold under Walmart's Great Value label could have been exposed to a dangerous isotope in shipping containers. This has prompted Walmart to recall three lots of frozen raw shrimp sold in 13 US states. The decision was taken after several tests conducted on one batch of shrimp imported from Indonesia revealed traces of Cs-137 - a radioactive element that is produced during nuclear fission. This type of radioactive substance can remain active in the environment for approximately 30 years.
As per the announcement, the FDA is now coordinating with US retailers and distributors linked to the supplier, PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods). These companies received shipments after the Cs-137 was first detected. The shrimp products have been sold to 13 US states - Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.
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Consumers who recently bought shrimp from any of these states have been advised to discard the food.
At present, the amount of Cs-137 discovered in the particular batch of frozen shrimp is below the safety threshold demarcated by the FDA. As a result, if consumers accidentally eat the shrimps, they are not likely to face any immediate danger.
However, the FDA has warned that repeated exposure to the substance could have long-term health effects. According to the agency, consuming Cs-137 over a considerable period may harm the DNA, increasing the risk of developing cancer.
A Walmart spokesperson told BBC, "The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority. We have issued a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores. We are working with the supplier to investigate."
The FDA investigation revealed that BMS Food violated the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act as their shrimp appeared to be processed in unhygienic conditions. BMS Food is now on a new import alert for chemical contamination in a bid to prevent its products from entering the US until improvements are implemented.