The recall of raw, frozen shrimp due to potential contamination by radioactive isotope Celsium-137 (Cs-137) continues to expand.

To date, three firms have issued information on recalled products: Southwind Foods LLC, Beaver Street Fisheries and AquaStar. The products have been sold at retailers including Walmart and Kroger in over a dozen states.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first issued a recall alert for frozen shrimp last month. 

The recalls have been issued due to radioactivity detected in a shipment of imported shrimp processed by Indonesian firm PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) at the U.S. border. After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detected Cs-137 in the shrimp shipment, further FDA sampling and testing of BMS Foods shipments detected Cs-137 in a single shipment at 68 becquerel per kilogram (Bq/kg). There was no detectable Cs-137 in the other products tested; however, this does not rule out contamination.

Although 68 Bq/kg is below FDA’s Derived Intervention Level for Cs-137 of 1200 Bq/kg, and single exposure to the contaminated product would not pose an acute hazard to consumers, chronic exposure to levels of Cs-137 at this level could have health impacts.

Cs-137 is a radioisotope of cesium that is man-made through nuclear reactions and because it is widespread worldwide, trace amounts of Cs-137 can be found in the environment, including soil, food, and air.

FDA has added BMS Foods to a new import alert for chemical contamination to stop products from the firm from entering the U.S., until the firm has resolved the conditions that led to the violation. 

FDA’s investigation is ongoing. 

A complete list of recalled products can be found here.