CA's Radioactive Shrimp Recall Expands To More Products Sold By These Companies

CALIFORNIA — More brands have been added to an already massive recall of potentially radioactive shrimp, including some products sold in California, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns consumers of the dangers of eating the shellfish.

A pair of recent recall notices is tied to an ongoing investigation by the agency into the detection of Cesium-137 in shipping containers at four U.S. ports. Indonesia-based BMS Foods issued a recall after a sample of its breaded shrimp tested positive for Cs-137.

The FDA said Friday that Southwind Foods was recalling bagged frozen shrimp products sold under various brand names in nine states, including California.

The products distributed between July 17 and Aug. 8 to retailers, distributors and wholesalers include frozen cooked and raw shrimp sold under the Sand Bar, Best Yet, Arctic Shores, Great American and First Street brands.

If you bought shrimp, check your freezer. The “Best-by” dates extend into 2027. A full product list can be found on the FDA website.

On Thursday, the FDA said AquaStar (USA) Corp. of Seattle had recalled about 26,460 packages of cocktail shrimp and about 18,000 bags of Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp.

Earlier, the FDA warned consumers not to eat Walmart’s Great Value brand frozen shrimp products without first checking to see if they’re involved in the recall.

On Wednesday, Walmart spoke with Patch about the recall efforts. "No Walmart stores in California have been impacted by shrimp recalls," according to Hannah Henderson of the Walmart Global Press Office.

The cocktail shrimp was sold in select Walmart stores in 13 states, including Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania, between July 31 and Aug. 16 in the refrigerated section, and had a 12-day shelf life. California Walmarts were not included in this recall, Henderson said. She added that the 19 states not affected by the Walmart shrimp recall include Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Vermont.

More information can be found on the FDA website.

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 stores in 17 states, including California.

The recalled shrimp was sold between July 24 and Aug. 11, according to the FDA. It was packaged in 2-pound clear plastic bags and has a “best-by” date of November 19-20, 2027.

More information can be found on the FDA website.

The radiation contamination was discovered in shipping containers at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami and Savannah, Georgia, as well as in some shrimp products. The FDA stated that containers and cargo testing positive for radiation contamination have been denied entry into the U.S. and that additional alerts may follow.

The FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are working with Indonesian seafood regulatory authorities to investigate the root cause of the contamination. The investigation includes tracing all implicated products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati through the supply chain to gather as much information about them as possible and take action as appropriate.”

At the level detected, Cesium-137, or Cs-137, wouldn’t immediately make people sick; however, the FDA warned that repeated low-level exposure to radiation could increase the risk of cancer due to changes to DNA within the living cells of the body.

Related:

• In New Radioactive Shrimp Warning, FDA Says More May Be Coming
• Radiation Contamination Prompts Recall of Shrimp Sold At Walmart