Walmart recalls shrimp after FDA warns of radioactive isotopes

Walmart has recalled some shrimp products in 13 US states after one shipment of seafood tested positive for radioactive contamination.

The US Food and Drug Administration said varieties of frozen shrimp sold under Walmart’s Great Value label could have been exposed to a dangerous isotope in shipping containers.

One sample of breaded shrimp tested positive for the substance, but this positive sample “did not enter US commerce”, the FDA said.

Consumers are advised to throw away recently bought Walmart shrimp that matches this description – and not to eat or serve it.

“The health and safety of our customers is always a top priority,” a Walmart spokesperson told the BBC. “We have issued a sales restriction and removed this product from our impacted stores. We are working with the supplier to investigate.”

The spokesperson added that consumers who bought the recalled products can visit any Walmart location for a full refund.

The recalled shrimp was sold at Walmart locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia, and shoppers in those states were advised to be cautious.

It came from an Indonesian supplier that has since had a number of shipping containers denied entry to the US, the FDA said.

One shipment tested positive for Cesium-137, the radioactive form of the chemical element Cesium.

The amount contained in the tested shipment held by the FDA was not enough to pose acute harm to consumers, but exposure over time could pose an elevated risk of cancer by damaging living cells in the body, said officials from the agency.