The American health authorities announced on Tuesday the recall of shrimps imported from Indonesia, after the detection of radioactive traces in a cargo intended for the Walmart distribution giant. This recall concerns 13 American states.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), customs controls highlighted the presence of Cesium 137 “in a cargo of frozen shrimp” from the company PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati. This radioactive isotope, used as a nuclear contamination indicator, is associated with health risks when it accumulates in the body.
A level deemed “minimal”
The FDA said, however, that the detected level was “minimal” and that “the product would not have a serious danger for consumers”. The authorities have not yet confirmed if the lots already present on the American shelves were also contaminated, but they emphasize that these products seem to have been prepared or stored “in unsanitary conditions”.
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The federal agency also recalls that repeated exposure, even at low doses of Cesium 137, can lead to “an increased risk of cancer”. As a precaution, she asked Walmart to organize a national recall campaign and calls on consumers not to consume the shrimp concerned.