In August, select shrimp products were pulled off the shelves across the country over fears of contamination with cesium-137 (Cs-137), a radioactive isotope.
Then, in early September, more shrimp products were recalled over the same fears.
Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is notifying the public about yet another round of shrimp recalls due to radioactive fears. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s happened?
The FDA has issued another recall notice, expanding the list of products that could be contaminated with Cs-137.
This recall is being carried out by Aqua Star (USA) Corp. of Seattle. As with previous recalls, these shrimp were processed by an Indonesian company whose containers tested positive for Cs-137.
Cs-137 is a radioactive isotope that is widely found in trace amounts throughout the environment, due to widespread testing of nuclear weapons in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, though these trace amounts usually don’t pose a threat, if a person ingests a larger amount of Cs-137, usually through food, then the isotope can cause serious adverse health consequences.
In all, the FDA has issued six recall notices related to potentially contaminated shrimp over the last five weeks. Thankfully, the latest notice states that no illnesses linked to the recalled products have been reported.
Updated recalled product list
The items being recalled in this latest round include three products:
Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp net weight 2 pounds with the following UPC, lot codes, and dates:
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5085 10, Best If Used By: March 26, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5097 11, Best If Used By: April 7, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5106 11, Best If Used By: April 16, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5107 10, Best If Used By: April 17, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5111 11, Best If Used By: April 21, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5112 10, Best If Used By: April 22, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5113 10, Best If Used By: April 23, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5113 11, Best If Used By: April 23, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5114 10, Best If Used By: April 24, 2027
- UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5114 11, Best If Used By: April 24, 2027
Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, net weight 2 pounds with the following UPC, lot codes, and dates:
- UPC 011110626196, lot code 10662 5112 11, Best Before: October 22, 2027
- UPC 011110626196, lot code 10662 5113 10, Best Before: October 23, 2027
Aqua Star Raw Peeled Tail-On Shrimp Skewers; net weight 1.25 pounds with the following UPC, lot codes, and dates:
- UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5127 10, Best If Used By: November 7, 2027
- UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5128 11, Best If Used By: November 8, 2027
- UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5133 11, Best If Used By: November 13, 2027
- UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5135 10, Best If Used By: November 15, 2027
In total, the notice says that approximately 49,920 bags of the Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp are being recalled, as well as approximately 18,000 bags of the Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, and approximately 17,264 bags of the Aqua Star Raw Peeled Tail-On Shrimp Skewers.
Where were the recalled products sold?
The recalled products were sold between June 12 and September 17, according to the notice. They were sold in numerous stores, including:
- Baker’s
- City Market
- Dillons
- Food 4 Less
- Foods Co.
- Fred Meyer
- Fry’s
- Gerbes
- Jay C
- King Soopers
- Kroger
- Mariano’s
- Metro Market
- Pay Less Super Markets
- Pick ‘n Save
- Ralphs
- Smith’s
- QFC
The recalled products were sold in the following states:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
What if I have the recalled shrimp?
If you have the recalled shrimp products, you should not consume them, according to the notice. Instead, you should dispose of them or return them to their place of purchase.
You can read the full recall notice on the FDA’s website here.
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