An urgent recall of radioactive frozen shrimp that may be contaminated with nuclear waste has been widened to Kroger, Instacart and another four states.
It now covers 1lb and 2lb bags of shrimp sold between July 17 and August 8 under the brand names Sand Bar, Best Yet, Arctic Shores, Great American Seafood Imports and First Street.
The 13 products in the recall were on shelves in nine states across the South, West, MidWest and NorthEast.
It takes the total number of states affected in the recall to 19, after Great Value frozen shrimp products sold by Walmart were also recalled on Tuesday amid concerns over contamination.
All the products in the recall were sent to the US by BMS Foods in Indonesia, with FDA officials saying that contamination likely occurred during the packaging and preparation process.
Tests have revealed that the shrimp may be contaminated with high levels of Cesium-137, a byproduct of nuclear waste and nuclear weapons tests.
Cesium-137 is present at very low levels in the environment, partially as a result of nuclear tests, and is generally harmless.
But once inside the body, the substance can become lodged in tissue and release low-level radiation over time that can damage DNA and cause cells to turn cancerous.
The expanded recall affects another 13 frozen shrimp products sold across the US (stock image)
Shoppers are being urged to throw out shrimp that are in the recall immediately and return to stores to secure a full refund.
The FDA has not revealed what to do if someone has consumed the shrimps, but customers can generally contact the agency for advice via its online reporting form.
Anyone who believes they have eaten the radioactive shrimp has been advised to consult with their doctor.
No illnesses have been reported linked to the recall to date.
Anyone who has consumed the radioactive shrimp could be at higher risk of DNA damage and cancer, such as thyroid cancer.
The FDA said: ‘The primary health effect of concern [with Cesium-137 following longer term, repeated low dose exposure (e.g. through consumption of contaminated food or water over time) is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body.’
Shoppers can check whether their product is in the recall by checking the LOT number, which is listed on the back of the package underneath the barcode.
The FDA has published a full list of the codes for the products on its website. It is not clear exactly how many bags of shrimp have been recalled.
The radioactive shrimp bags in the latest recall were sold in nine states: Alabama, Louisiana, California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington state.
Among the brands that have been recalled are Sand Bar and Arctic Shores (pictured)
In the first recall, the Great Value shrimp sold in Walmart were sold in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Southwind Foods, based in California, shipped the shrimp across the US and issued the recall. Online, the business says it supplies the ‘finest fresh and frozen responsibly harvested seafood’.
The FDA was alerted to the potential contamination by the Customs and Border Protection agency, which detected Cesium-137 in shipping containers at four major US ports.
Tests on these shrimp revealed they had a radiation level of 68 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg).
This is significantly below the safe level of under 1,200 Bq/kg, but has still concerned officials who fear that it could cause harm to consumers.
Shrimp can absorb Cesium-137 from their environment if their habitat is contaminated with the substance, but can also become contaminated if they are washed with water that contains the radioactive substance.
There are no nuclear power plants in Indonesia, where the shrimp were prepared, and the country does not possess or test any nuclear weapons.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance, a Florida-based organization of shrimp sellers, suggested online that the contamination might be linked to the Fukushima nuclear plant fuel leak in 2011, with investigators saying at the time that the fuel released into the environment would be radioactive for at least 30 years.
Great American Seafood Imports and Best Yet, shown, are also part of the recall
The lobby group also said the FDA had rejected a large number of shrimp shipments from Indonesia this year for multiple violations including the use of banned pesticides.
Cesium-137 is primarily released by nuclear power plants or weapons, but it can also be used in industry to detect the flow of liquid through pipes, and by hospitals for medical sterilization and radiation therapy for treating cancer.
The recall is believed to be the first ever in the US linked to detection of Cesium-137 in commercial food products.
