A recent FDA alert uncovered low-level radioactive contamination in a shipment of frozen shrimp imported from Indonesia’s largest supplier, PT Bahari Makmur Sejati. The shrimp contained cesium-137 (Cs-137) at about 68 Bq/kg, well below the FDA’s safety intervention level of 1200 Bq/kg, posing no immediate health risk. Cs-137 is a radioactive byproduct of nuclear fission, commonly found in medical devices and as an environmental trace following nuclear accidents and weapons testing. It behaves like salt in the environment—dissolving in water and binding to soil—and can enter the food chain through contaminated plants.
Some see the FDA’s system for setting radiation safety levels in food, like the 1200 Bq/kg for cesium-137, as somewhat wonky because it primarily focuses on preventing immediate or acute radiation sickness rather than eliminating all long-term health risks. The levels are set to keep radiation doses below thresholds that would cause obvious and immediate harm, such as radiation sickness, but they accept low-level exposure that could still carry an increased risk of cancer or other effects over time with chronic consumption. Essentially, it’s about balancing practical limits for food safety while acknowledging that zero risk from any radiation in food is impossible to achieve.
Is 68 Bq/kg Much Radiation?
Fact check: An average adult human body contains roughly 4,000 to 5,000 Bq of naturally occurring radioactive potassium-40 (K-40), which is the main internal source of radiation. This comes from about 140 grams of potassium in the body, with 0.012% being the radioactive isotope K-40. Foods like milk and meat also contain naturally occurring potassium-40 with radioactivity levels around 100 Bq/kg or more. Thus, a cesium-137 level of 68 Bq/kg in shrimp is low compared to natural internal radiation from potassium-40 that humans commonly carry and ingest in everyday foods.
Beware of AI Comparing Posassium to Cesium to Justify CS-137 Levels as Safe
The risks of potassium-40 (K-40) and cesium-137 (Cs-137) are not considered the same despite both being radioactive. K-40 is a naturally occurring isotope with a very long half-life and is present in low, steady amounts in our bodies and environment, leading to a relatively constant low-level radiation dose that is generally considered safe and part of natural background radiation. Cs-137, on the other hand, is a man-made radioactive byproduct of nuclear fission with a shorter half-life (~30 years) and can be more harmful if ingested because it distributes differently in the body and emits more penetrating radiation. Cs-137 exposure is usually associated with nuclear accidents or fallout and poses a higher potential health risk, especially in concentrated amounts. Thus, while K-40 is a natural part of our environment and bodies, Cs-137 contamination is a more significant public health concern due to its origin, behavior, and radiation characteristics.
How did the Shrimp GET radioactive?
While Indonesia does not have a nuclear weapons program, it operates research reactors, which could be a potential source of contamination. The FDA has previously found no Cs-137 in samples linked to Fukushima, which is thousands of miles away, making it an unlikely cause. In the case of the Indonesian shrimp, the FDA noted that Fukushima is unlikely to be the source due to the vast distance (around 3,700 miles) and previous testing found no Cs-137 in related food samples. Instead, local sources like Indonesia’s research reactors or environmental contamination from other industrial or nuclear activities could explain the presence of Cs-137. Radioactive Cs-137 contamination in marine life often occurs through uptake in contaminated sediments or water near the source rather than from long-range atmospheric transport alone.
FDA Statements and Information
The FDA stated “FDA detected Cs-137 in a single shipment of imported frozen shrimp from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati that did not enter U.S. commerce. ” and that consumers “should not eat or serve certain lots of Great Value raw frozen shrimp from Walmart.” The product name was “Frozen Raw White Vannamei Shrimp”
Lots included in the recall where:
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005540-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005538-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, lot code: 8005539-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027.
Wow, they are good frozen for almost two years? Interesting.
So what’s the deal, they didn;t detect it but they think it is dangerous? Confusing. Here’s what the FDA said:
FDA has not detected Cs-137 in any product above the current derived intervention levels for Cs-137 (1200 Bq/kg); however, FDA has concluded that the level detected in the breaded shrimp sample could represent a potential health concern for those exposed to this level of Cs-137 from consumption of the shrimp over an extended period of time combined with radiation that exists in the environment and from other sources such as medical procedures.
It seems the FDA is either very cautious and thankfully so, or they are understating the amount of radiation found to protect company profits. Either way, avoid the radioactive shrimp!
How is Walmart Involved?
Walmart was involved as a major retailer that sources and sells imported seafood, including shrimp, which made the detection of radioactive cesium-137 in a shipment from Indonesia particularly significant given the scale of seafood distribution through such large chains. While the FDA alert specifically named the Indonesian supplier PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, which is the largest Indonesian shrimp exporter to the U.S., Walmart’s role as a primary vendor highlights the broader implications for consumer safety and supply chain scrutiny in retail outlets where millions purchase imported seafood products.
Domestic shrimp producers continue to scrutinize and challenge imports for health and fraud issues, demonstrating the complexity of global food safety.
Read More
[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-great-value-shrimp-radioactive-contamination-cesium-137-fda/
[2] https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-information/fda-advises-public-not-eat-sell-or-serve-certain-imported-frozen-shrimp-indonesian-firm
[3] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-20/fda-warns-against-eating-shrimp-brand-citing-radioactive-matter
[4] https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-19/dont-eat-these-potentially-radioactive-shrimp-fda-warns
[5] https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/food-safety-health/fda-issues-advisory-for-possible-radiation-contamination-of-frozen-shrimp
[6] https://www.productsafety.gov.au/business/recall-an-unsafe-product/be-prepared-to-recall
[7] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014292121002142