By Sama Marwan,
According to the American newspaper The Hill, more companies have recalled tens of thousands of packages of imported shrimp sold at Walmart, Kroger, and other U.S. stores due to potential radioactive contamination, as per federal notices.
A Seattle company recalled over 26,000 packages of refrigerated cocktail shrimp sold at Walmart stores in 27 states between July 31 and August 16. The company also recalled about 18,000 bags of Kroger-brand medium cooked peeled tail-off shrimp, which were sold in stores in 17 states between July 24 and August 11.
Meanwhile, a wholesale seafood distributor in Vernon, California, recalled more than 17,000 boxes of frozen shrimp sold to grocery stores on the East Coast, according to a notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product recall began on August 12.
The products were recalled due to potential contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope resulting from nuclear reactions. Although the risk appears to be small, the shrimp could pose a “potential health risk” to people exposed to low levels of Cesium-137 over time, according to FDA officials.
It remains unclear how the containers or the shrimp became contaminated. Federal officials said they are conducting investigations and declined to answer detailed questions from The Associated Press about the source or extent of the contamination. The FDA announced that none of the shrimp that raised alarms or tested positive for Cesium-137 had been sold to the public. However, it added that other shipments sent to stores may have been produced under conditions that allowed the products to be contaminated.
