Radioactive Shrimp Recall Prompts Nationwide Alarm

On August 20th, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a recall for specific Great Value brand frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart stores in several U.S. states. The recall comes after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected potential contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in shipping containers at four U.S. ports. Subsequent testing on frozen shrimp from the Indonesian distributor BMS Foods also returned positive results for the radioactive substance. While the FDA has confirmed that no contaminated shrimp have entered the U.S. food supply, the agency is advising consumers to discard all BMS Foods products shipped after the company's containers tested positive for Cesium-137. In response to the incident, the FDA has imposed a ban on all future imports from BMS Foods until the company addresses the conditions that led to the contamination risk. Exposure to significant amounts of Cesium-137 can cause serious health issues, including burns, acute radiation sickness, and, in severe cases, death.