FDA Advisory: Recall of Great Value Frozen Shrimp Sold at Walmart Due to Radioactive Contamination
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory warning consumers not to consume certain frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores in 11 states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania, due to potential radioactive contamination. The advisory pertains to specific lots of Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp that may have been prepared under unsanitary conditions and could be contaminated with Cesium-137, a man-made radioisotope. The affected shrimp were imported from the Indonesian firm PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati and were sold at select Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.
The FDA has not confirmed any contamination in the recalled products currently in U.S. commerce, but the advisory is based on a separate shipment from the same company that was found to have Cesium-137 at a U.S. port. While the level of Cesium-137 in that shipment was below the FDA's Derived Intervention Level, the agency recommends avoiding such products to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health implications with prolonged, continuous exposure. Long-term, repeated low-dose exposure to Cesium-137 can potentially increase the risk of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp are urged to discard them immediately and refrain from consuming or serving them. The FDA has also advised Walmart to recall the product. The agency's investigation is ongoing, and PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati has been placed on a new import alert to prevent further products from entering the U.S. until the company addresses the conditions that led to the violation. Individuals who suspect they may have been exposed to elevated levels of cesium should contact their healthcare provider for guidance.
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