More shrimp recalled for possible radioactivity

Direct Source Seafood LLC, of ​​Bellevue, WA, is recalling 83,800 bags of frozen raw shrimp, imported from Indonesia, sold under the Market 32 ​​and Waterfront Bistro brands, because they may have been prepared, packaged or stored in unsanitary conditions where they may have been contaminated with cesium 137 (Cs-137).

Cs-137 is an artificial radioisotope of cesium. The main health effect of concern following repeated, long-term exposure to low doses, for example through consumption of contaminated food or water over time, is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from DNA damage in living cells in the body.

For photos of the recalled shrimp, Click here. There are concerns that consumers will have the shrimp in their home freezers due to their long shelf life, which extends until 2027.

The recalled frozen raw shrimp products include:

As of October 31, the FDA began requiring import certifications for all shrimp and spices in certain regions of Indonesia due to the risk of radioactivity. The current recall notice did not indicate whether the newly recalled shrimp had been certified.

The certification decision came after levels of the radioactive isotope cesium-137 were detected in shipping containers of shrimp and in a sample of cloves. More than 58 million pounds of shrimp were shipped in the containers involved.

The US Food and Drug Administration has already published seven reminders on shrimp associated with BMS Foods, the Indonesian importer ultimately discovered that it was supplying potentially contaminated shrimp. Additionally, the FDA recently detected Cs-137 in a sample of cloves from another Indonesian company, Natural Java Spice, and subsequently denied him permission to enter the United States.

Indonesian authorities determined that the problems stemmed from an accident beyond the control of the companies involved.

The Indonesian government sealed off the industrial zone of Cikande, a town about 65 km west of Jakarta, to clean up 10 sources of Cs-137. Nine people were treated for radiation exposure.

The contamination appears to be the fault of Peter Metal Technology (PMT), a steel manufacturer in Cikande, which uses imported scrap metal as its main raw material. It is likely that cesium was accidentally incorporated into the PMT waste stream at some point and then inadvertently melted, according to Indonesian Ministry of Food.