Another company has recalled shrimp sent by an Indonesian distributor in containers that tested positive for the radioactive isotope Cesium-137.
Seattle’s AquaStar USA Corp issued two recalls this week for a total of 44,460 bags of two different shrimp products due to the possibility that they were contaminated by Cesium-137.
AquaStar’s 18,000 2-pound bags of Kroger Mercado cooked medium peeled tail-off shrimp recalled Wednesday were sold at Baker’s, Gerbes, Jay C, Kroger, Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pay Less Supermarkets, and Pick ‘n Save stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia from July 24 through Aug. 11.
The recalled bags either have lot code 10662 5139 and a best-by date of Nov. 19, 2027, or a lot code of 10662 5140 and a best-by date of Nov. 20, 2027, according to the recall notice.
The Seattle distributor’s 26,460 6-ounce packages of Aqua Star brand cocktail shrimp were sold exclusively at Walmart stores in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin between July 31 and Aug. 16.
The packages are refrigerated clear plastic trays with lot codes 10662 5106, 10662 5107, 10662 5124, or 10662 5125 on the bottom. No illnesses have been reported yet from the Aqua Star cocktail shrimp. The packages have a 12-day shelf life and varying best-by dates according to the recall notice.
In addition to the cocktail shrimp, Great Value frozen shrimp sold exclusively at Walmart stores in some states were also recalled due to radioactivity concerns.
The Food and Drug Administration is still saying that “no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered the U.S. marketplace.” The agency first alerted the public about the radioactive shrimp on Aug. 19.
The radioactivity was detected by customs agents at the ports of Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Savannah, Georgia, in containers full of products sent by Indonesian company PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, doing business as BMS Foods.
Subsequent recalls affect products that, while not alerting for the isotope, came from BMS Foods shipments after the initial detection by Customs and Border Protection.
The FDA also detected Cesium-137 in a single BMS Foods shipment that did not enter U.S commerce. BMS Foods remains under an FDA import ban until the issues that led to the contamination of the shipping containers are resolved.
