Walmart is taking frozen shrimp off the shelves in 13 U.S. states after officials warned about possible radioactive contamination. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told the company to recall three batches of Great Value brand shrimp. Cesium-137, a radioactive material, was found in shipping containers and in a sample from Indonesia. The affected shrimp had the codes 8005540-1, 8005538-1, and 8005539-1, with best-by dates of March 15, 2027. The products were sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. Experts said that Cesium-137 can cause health problems after long exposure, but the risk in this case is very low.

Officials said the shrimp came from an Indonesian company called P.T. Bahari Makmur Sejati, also known as BMS Foods. U.S. Customs officers had already found Cesium-137 in containers arriving at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah. The FDA confirmed the isotope in one shrimp sample, but the amount was far below danger levels. Food safety expert Donald Schaffner explained that the risk is small but that safety steps are still needed. Cesium-137 is also present in very small amounts in soil, food, and air. Regulators are planning stricter checks to protect consumers.