Walmart has announced the withdrawal of some shrimp products in the United States, after the US customs authorities (US Customs and Border Protection) have detected traces of radioactive material on an expedition of seafood imported by Indonesia.
The discovery took place during routine controls on incoming containers, which also include screening for radioactive materials. Subsequently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the official notice and invited citizens not to consume the frozen shrimp by the Great Value brand, for possible exposure to radioactive isotopes.
The contaminated load was fortunately intercepted before arriving in the stores, therefore it did not represent a direct risk for consumers. By precaution, however, Walmart also recalled other lots of the same Indonesian company, pt. Bahari Makmur Sejati, sold in 13 US states. Customers were asked to check any recent purchases and, if they found the shrimp objects of the call, to dispose of them.
Here are the lots affected by the call:
Those who have purchased the products can get a complete refund in any store. In the meantime, the FDA continues the investigation into the company and on the production conditions, to ensure that no other contaminated product reaches the shops.
However, the question remains: how is it possible that shrimp have become radioactive?
Radioactive shrimp, how is it possible?
Cesio-137 is a radioactive substance produced by nuclear reactions and can contaminate the environment in different circumstances. It can be in the ground, water and foods in small quantities all over the world. More significant contaminations are known in the areas affected by nuclear accidents, such as Chernobyl in Ukraine and Fukushima in Japan.
In the case of the shrimp sold by Walmart, the contamination seems to have occurred during the processing or transport of shrimp, probably due to the containers used.
Although the quantities detected in the tested lot were very low and not sufficient to cause immediate damage, prolonged exposure to Cesio-137 can increase the risk of cellular damage and tumors. Hence the need to protect consumers.
The response of the authorities and distributor
The FDA immediately blocked the entry of suspicious containers and continues to carefully monitor all the products from the Indonesian supplier PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati. The authorities are also still investigating to determine the exact source of contamination from Cesio-137.
For his part, Walmart has withdrawn the products affected by sales and is fully collaborating with the authorities to shed light on the origin of the contamination. The company reiterated that customer security is an absolute priority and has adopted immediate measures to avoid any risk for consumers.
This episode shows us once again how complex the global food distribution chain is and the importance of guaranteeing the safety of products, especially those from countries where contamination risks can be greater due to less rigorous control standards or different monitoring systems.
Don’t you want to lose our news?
