CIRCLEVILLE, OH – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a urgent advisory, urging the public not to eat, sell, or serve certain Great Value frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart stores across 13 states, including Ohio, due to potential contamination with the radioactive isotope Cesium-137 (Cs-137). The affected shrimp, imported from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) in Indonesia, has prompted a recommended recall as the agency investigates possible violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The alert follows detections of Cs-137 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in shipping containers at four U.S. ports—Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami. FDA testing confirmed the presence of Cs-137 in one breaded shrimp sample at 68.48 Bq/kg (±8.25 Bq/kg), though this level is below the agency’s safety threshold of 1200 Bq/kg and poses no immediate health risk. However, the FDA warns that long-term, repeated exposure to low levels of Cs-137 could increase cancer risk by damaging DNA, especially when combined with environmental radiation or medical procedures.No shrimp testing positive for Cs-137 has entered U.S. commerce, but the FDA has identified shipments received by Walmart after the initial detection that may have been processed under insanitary conditions. Affected products include:
- Great Value Frozen Raw White Vannamei Shrimp, 2lb bag, lot code 8005540-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value Frozen Raw White Vannamei Shrimp, 2lb bag, lot code 8005538-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
- Great Value Frozen Raw White Vannamei Shrimp, 2lb bag, lot code 8005539-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
These items were distributed to Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. Consumers are advised to discard any matching products immediately and not consume or serve them. Distributors and retailers are also instructed to dispose of the items.
On August 14, 2025, the FDA added PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati to Import Alert 99-51, banning all shrimp products from the firm until the company addresses the conditions leading to potential contamination. The agency is collaborating with CBP to block contaminated imports and is working with Indonesian authorities to pinpoint the contamination source, which remains under investigation.
Walmart has implemented a sales restriction and removed the product from affected stores, stating, “We are working with the supplier to investigate.” The retailer is offering full refunds to customers who return the shrimp.Cs-137, a man-made radioisotope from nuclear reactions, is found in trace amounts globally but raises concerns when detected unexpectedly in food. The FDA’s ongoing probe includes tracing all implicated products through the supply chain, with updates to be provided as new information emerges.
For health concerns or exposure suspicions, contact a healthcare provider. Additional details are available through the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
