In brief
Aquastar Corp has announced a massive recall of cooked and frozen shrimp products sold at Kroger and other grocery stores across the United States because of concerns over cesium 137 contamination. The FDA has indicated that while the risk is considered low, it poses a potential health concern for consumers. This recalls includes shrimp products sold from June to September across more than 30 states.
A Seattle seafood distributor Aquastar Corp is recalling over 157,000 pounds of cooked and frozen shrimp sold nationwide at Kroger grocery stores due to fears of radioactive contamination.
The recall is prompted by the discovery of cesium 137, a radioactive isotope, in the company's products. The affected items include nearly 50,000 bags of Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp, around 18,000 bags of Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, and over 17,000 bags of AquaStar Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers.
The shrimp were sold between June 12 and September 17 across multiple grocery chains, including City Market, Food 4 Less, and Fred Meyer, in more than 30 states.
This is not the first recall initiated by Aquastar, as the company previously took action in August concerning safety issues.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the ongoing investigation into cesium 137 contamination appears to pose a minor health risk. However, prolonged exposure to low levels of this radioactive substance could be a potential health concern for some individuals.
The FDA has previously issued a safety alert in August against shrimp imported from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, an Indonesian company. Reports suggest that cesium 137 was found in shipping containers and a sample of frozen breaded shrimp, leading to heightened scrutiny and recalls.
The FDA has enforced an import alert to prevent these potentially contaminated shrimp from being sold in the U.S. Despite significant amounts arriving at U.S. ports, officials claim none of the contaminated shipments made it to stores.
Experts in nuclear radiation assert the health risk remains low. Still, determining the source of contamination, suspected to stem from industrial operations in Indonesia, is crucial.
