Walmart has taken precautionary measures by recalling certain shrimp products in the United States after the detection of potentially hazardous radioactive material in a shipment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted consumers that frozen shrimp sold under Walmart's Great Value brand may have been exposed to a dangerous isotope during transit. Although one tested sample of breaded shrimp was found positive for the radioactive Caesium-137, officials indicated that this sample did not enter the U.S. market.
Consumers across 13 states where the shrimp was sold—Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia—are advised to dispose of any recently purchased products from three specific batches. A Walmart representative emphasized their commitment to customer health and safety, stating, “We have issued a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores. We are working with the supplier to investigate.”
For those who purchased the affected shrimp, Walmart has offered full refunds at any of its locations. The shrimp in question was imported from an Indonesian supplier that has faced issues, resulting in several shipping containers being denied entry into the U.S. The FDA confirmed that, while the identified levels of Caesium-137 in the tested shipment were not acutely harmful, prolonged exposure to the isotope could increase cancer risk by damaging cells.
Caesium-137 is commonly produced in nuclear reactions and exists in trace amounts in various environments worldwide. It is notably associated with regions impacted by nuclear events, including Chernobyl and Fukushima. Although the FDA reported no detection of Caesium-137 in other tested shrimp products, officials have warned that this doesn't eliminate the possibility of contamination entirely.
Consumers across 13 states where the shrimp was sold—Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia—are advised to dispose of any recently purchased products from three specific batches. A Walmart representative emphasized their commitment to customer health and safety, stating, “We have issued a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores. We are working with the supplier to investigate.”
For those who purchased the affected shrimp, Walmart has offered full refunds at any of its locations. The shrimp in question was imported from an Indonesian supplier that has faced issues, resulting in several shipping containers being denied entry into the U.S. The FDA confirmed that, while the identified levels of Caesium-137 in the tested shipment were not acutely harmful, prolonged exposure to the isotope could increase cancer risk by damaging cells.
Caesium-137 is commonly produced in nuclear reactions and exists in trace amounts in various environments worldwide. It is notably associated with regions impacted by nuclear events, including Chernobyl and Fukushima. Although the FDA reported no detection of Caesium-137 in other tested shrimp products, officials have warned that this doesn't eliminate the possibility of contamination entirely.
