State urges residents to check freezers for radioactive shrimp after damning investigation into Indonesian farm
Michiganders have been warned by the state health department to check their freezers for radioactive shrimp, following revelations from an ongoing investigation into an Indonesian seafood company.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added to the list of brands and products that may have been contaminated with cesium-137, a human made radioactive substance that can cause cancer.
The agency had previously widened the scope of the recall.
All the shrimp brands targeted in the recalls were initially processed by PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, an Indonesian supplier operating as BMS Foods. The company has since been put on a full import alert.
Products distributed by Seattle-based AquaStar Corp, and California-based Southwind Foods were previously announced as being affected – with consumers advised to toss the shrimp.
Newly affected brands and products
The FDA advises that customers check a range of products from Tampa Maid Foods, LLC., and Lawrence Wholesale, LLC. The items were distributed to Walmart, Kroger, and Kroger affiliate stores in Michigan.
From Tampa Maid, products that are potentially affected include:
- Panko Style Breaded Butterfly Shrimp
- Admiral of the fleet and Portico Seafood Classic
- Cleantail Breaded Butterfly Shrimp “Breaded butterfly shrimp”
- Clean-tail Coconut Farm Raise Breaded Butterfly Shrimp Clean Tail
From Lawrence Wholesale LLC., products that are potentially affected include:
- Shrimp Bowl Cooked Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
- Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce
- Kroger Cooked Jumbo Tail-On, Peeled & Deveined
- Kroger Cooked Medium Tail-On, Peeled & Deveined
Previously reported brands and products:
When it previously expanded the warning in August, the FDA said thousands of packs of frozen Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp and of cocktail shrimp — both products of AquaStar Corp – had been affected.
AquaStar products affected in Michigan also included:
- Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp.
- AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers.
- Frozen AquaStar Breaded Shrimp, Butterfly, Clean-Tail.
The previous alert also warned consumers of contamination in Walmart’s Great Value shrimp and frozen shrimp sold by Southwind Foods. More shrimp products were added in Michigan including the Best Yet, Great American, Arctic Shores, Tovala, Master Catch and Sand Bar.
The shrimp products may have been contaminated with cesium-137 due to being stored in unsanitary conditions, according to the FDA.
At this level, the product would not pose an acute hazard to consumers, the FDA said. The recall measures are intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued exposure over a long period of time.
The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure – through consumption of contaminated food or water over time – is an elevated risk of cancer.
