Massive Radioactive Shrimp Recall Expands to More Stores and States—Here’s What to Know

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat multiple brands of frozen and cooked shrimp from several companies due to possible radioactive contamination.

Southwind Foods is recalling bagged, frozen shrimp that were distributed between July 17 and August 8 to retailers, distributors, and wholesalers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The affected shrimp was sold under various brand names. The product information is listed in the chart below:

AquaStar (USA) Corp of Seattle is also recalling about 26,460 packages of cocktail shrimp and about 18,000 bags of Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp.

The recalled cocktail shrimp was sold in Walmart stores in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin between July 31 and August 16. It was sold in the refrigerated section and has a 12-day shelf life. The product information is listed below:

• Product name: Cocktail Shrimp
• Product description: Packaged in a 6-ounce clear plastic tray with a red and white label.
• UPC: 19434612191
• Lot codes: 10662 5106; 10662 5107; 10662 5124; 10662 5125

The recalled peeled shrimp was sold at several Kroger Co. stores including Baker’s, Gerbes, Jay C, Kroger, Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pay Less Supermarkets, and Pick ‘n Save in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia between July 24 and August 11. The product information is listed below:

• Product Name: Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp
• Product description: Packaged in 2-pound clear plastic bags with a white label with green stripes.
• UPC: 011110626196
• Lot codes: 10662 5139; 10662 5140
• Best-before dates: 11/19/2027; 11/20/2027
  

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These recalls are related to another recent recall involving Great Value raw frozen shrimp sold at Walmart. The FDA is investigating Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination found in shipping containers and frozen shrimp products processed by an Indonesian company, PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, also known as BMS Foods. The agency has determined that the products from the company violate the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act because they were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions where they may have become contaminated with Cs-137.

The amount of Cs-137 detected by the FDA is below its "levels of concern" for imported foods, but it "could represent a potential health concern" when combined with radiation found in the environment.

Exposure to Cs-137 through ingestion or inhalation allows the radioactive material to be distributed in the soft tissues, especially muscle tissue, potentially increasing a person's cancer risk, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So far, no illnesses have been reported in relation to these recalls.

If you purchased the recalled shrimp products, don't eat them. Instead, throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For any questions, contact either Southwind Foods at 1-323-262-8222, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, or AquaStar at 1-800-331-3440, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.