Shrimp from different distributors have tested positive for radioactivity
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Over the past four weeks, multiple frozen shrimp brands have been recalled in the U.S. over fears of radioactive contamination (Cesium-137).
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A prior recall earlier this summer targeted ready-to-eat shrimp meat over possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
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Regulators cite cross-contamination in shipping containers, failure of detection at ports, and potentially unsafe handling or processing conditions as the key causes behind the surge of recalls.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has reported yet another recall of frozen shrimp for possible radioactive isotope contamination. Southwind Foods, LLC is recalling a limited quantity of frozen shrimp, due to possible radionuclide (Cesium-137) contamination.
Cs-137 is a manmade radioisotope of cesium. Traces of Cs-137 are widespread and can be present in the environment at background levels, and at higher levels in water or foods grown, raised, or produced in areas with environmental contamination.
Its just the latest in a series of recalls for the same reason. Heres a breakdown of the major recall events over roughly the past month:
1. Walmart / Great Value (August 2025)
In mid-August, the FDA prompted a recall of certain Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp sold at Walmart in 13 states after detecting Cesium-137 in a container and a sample of shrimp imported from Indonesia (via the supplier PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, or BMS Foods).
Though the detected levels were well below the FDAs derived intervention level, the agency moved to pull all suspect lots and block additional imports from BMS Foods.
2. Southwind Foods Recall (Late August)
Shortly after the Walmart action, Southwind Foods, LLC recalled frozen shrimp sold under multiple labels (Sand Bar, Arctic Shores, Best Yet, Great American, First Street). The recall covered shrimp distributed between July 17 and August 8 across states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Virginia, and others.
The stated reason: possible Cs-137 contamination tied to BMS Foods processing.
3. AquaStar / Kroger / Additional Retailers (Late August Early September)
The FDA expanded the shrimp recall to cover more brands and retailers, including AquaStar products and Kroger-affiliated shrimp packages. In one notice, 18,000 bags of Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp and 26,460 packages of cocktail shrimp were flagged.
4. Latest Expansion & Kroger-Brand Shrimp (September)
Most recently, recalls were extended further to include Kroger-brand shrimp (including cooked and frozen shrimp sold under Kroger, Mercado, and Aquastar brand names) across more than 30 states.
A Seattle seafood distributor (Aquastar Corp.) recalled nearly 157,000 pounds of cooked/frozen shrimp sold in Kroger stores nationwide, citing possible radioactive contamination.
5. Listeria Recall (Earlier but still relevant)
Separately, earlier this summer, Bornstein Seafoods recalled about 44,550 pounds of ready-to-eat coldwater shrimp meat due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination discovered in a processing sample.
While that recall is older than four weeks, its an important precedent for how bacterial contamination still matters in shrimp supply chains.
Why so many recalls, and why now?
The clustering of frozen shrimp recalls over recent weeks reflects a confluence of supply chain complexity, detection gaps, and unusual contamination risks. Below is an analysis of the main factors driving this wave.
A. Radioactive Contamination: a rare but high-profile risk
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The central trigger has been detection of Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a man-made radioactive isotope.
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In one intercepted shipment, inspectors found ~68 becquerels per kilogram in shrimp from BMS Foodswell below the FDAs intervention threshold of ~1,200 Bq/kgbut still a red flag for potential long-term exposure.
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The presence of Cs-137 in shrimp is highly unusual, which has led regulators to suspect that contamination may have arisen from industrial scrap, recycled metal, or radioactive materials improperly handled near processing or shipping sites.
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Because the contamination may occur in shipping containers (not inherent to the shrimp), products that initially passed port checks may later be flagged as suspect as investigations deepen.
B. Complexity & opacity of seafood supply chains
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Many shrimp consumed in the U.S. are farmed or processed overseas and pass through multiple handling stagescatching, transport, processing, freezing, containerization, shipping, then domestic distribution. Each step is a potential point of contamination or oversight failure.
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Traceability is difficult: impacted shrimp have shown up under many brand names across multiple retailers.
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Detection systems at ports or during import inspections may not always catch low-level contamination or intermittent hot spots unless theyre extremely stringent.
C. Precautionary recalls andregulatory caution
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Because radioactivityeven at low levelscarries long-term risks (e.g. elevated cancer risk over prolonged exposure), regulators tend to err on the side of caution in food products, especially when the contamination vector is uncertain.
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Some shrimp batches that did not test positive were still recalled or pulled from shelves, because they came from the same supplier (BMS Foods) or shared shipping routes/containers that triggered suspicion.
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The FDA has placed BMS Foods on an import alert to block further shrimp from that firm until it resolves the contamination issue.
D. Preexisting microbial risks still relevant
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The earlier Bornstein recall shows that bacterial contamination (Listeria) remains a genuine risk in shrimp processing.
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Shrimp, like many seafoods, is vulnerable to cross-contamination, temperature abuse, and sanitation failuresespecially in ready-to-eat or cooked shrimp lines.
What it means for consumers
If you have frozen shrimp in your freezer, the FDA said you should check lot numbers and brand names against recall alerts from the FDA or your retailer, especially for Kroger-brand, Great Value, Sand Bar, Arctic Shores, Best Yet, First Street, and others that have been recalled. Do not consume or serve shrimp under recall. Return it or dispose of it as instructed by the retailer or the FDA.
Fortunately, no illnesses have been connected to the recalled shrimp, but the FDA warns that repeated long-term exposure to low levels of Cs-137 is considered undesirable.
Posted: 2025-09-25 11:45:15
