A Seattle-based seafood distributor has expanded its shrimp recall due to potential radioactive contamination, according to the Associated Press.
Aquastar Corp. announced Saturday it is recalling nearly 157,000 additional pounds of shrimp after concerns that some products may have been contaminated with cesium 137, a radioactive isotope.
The recall affects several Kroger-branded products, including nearly 50,000 bags of Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp, about 18,000 bags of Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, and more than 17,000 bags of AquaStar Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers.
The products were sold between June 12 and Sept. 17 at more than 30 grocery chains across the U.S. Those stores include Kroger, Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, Smith’s, King Soopers, Fry’s, Food 4 Less, City Market, Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pick ’n Save, Bakers, Dillons, Gerbes, Jay C, Pay Less Supermarkets, and Foodsco.
The Food and Drug Administration said the shrimp could pose a “potential health concern” if people are exposed to low levels of cesium 137 over time.
The radioactive element is a byproduct of nuclear reactions.
The FDA emphasized that the health risk appears to be small, but it is investigating how contamination may have occurred.
This is the second time Aquastar has recalled shrimp this year. A similar recall was issued in August after cesium 137 was detected in imports from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, an Indonesian seafood company that operates as BMS Foods.
Tests in August showed radioactive traces in shipping containers sent to U.S. ports and in a sample of breaded shrimp.
The FDA said none of those tested products were sold to consumers but warned that other shipments might have been processed in conditions that allowed contamination.
To prevent further imports, the FDA issued an import alert blocking potentially contaminated shrimp from entering the U.S. Customs records show more than 3 million pounds of shrimp from BMS Foods have arrived at American ports this month.
Investigators believe the radioactive contamination may trace back to metal at an industrial site in Indonesia, possibly from a smelting facility or scrap metal disposal.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has said evidence points to those activities as likely sources.
FDA testing found the shrimp samples contained about 68 becquerels per kilogram of cesium 137.
That figure is far below the FDA’s limit of 1,200 becquerels per kilogram that would require additional protective actions.
U.S. officials have not provided detailed answers about the source or extent of the contamination.
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