SEEMS FISHY

FDA Warns Public Not to Eat Potentially Radioactive Walmart Shrimp

The FDA is telling customers to throw the product away.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to customers who recently purchased Great Value raw frozen shrimp from Walmart as it may contain radioactive isotope Cesium-137 (Cs-137). The warning followed an alert from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection who detected Cs-137 in shipping containers at four ports in the country. The distributor, an Indonesian company called BMS Foods, also tested the shrimp and yielded positive results. While no product that tested positive for Cs-137 has entered the country’s food supply, the FDA is still recommending that Walmart recalls the product, and advises customers to “throw it away.” Customers can get a full refund for the product at any Walmart store. The FDA said the shrimp has violated the “Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act in that it appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions,” posing safety concerns. The FDA’s investigation is ongoing, but until “the firm has resolved the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of the violation,” products from BMS Foods will not be allowed into the country. Walmart told the Daily Beast: “The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority. We have issued a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores. We are working with the supplier to investigate.” The CDC states that Cs-137 is commonly found in small quantities in the environment, but pose a danger to humans in large quantities. External exposure can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, and even death, along with increasing the risk for cancer.