Check your freezer: even more potentially radioactive shrimp has been recalled.
Seattle-based AquaStar Corp. has issued the eleventh recall since August of frozen shrimp products imported from Indonesia that might have been contaminated by radiation.
According to an October 17 press release by the Food and Drug Administration, the company said its shrimp was possibly exposed to “very low levels” of cesium-137, a human-made radioactive substance that can cause cancer.
The most recent recall included products sold under brand names AquaStar, Best Yet, Publix, and Waterfront Bistro.
Included in the recall are AquaStar’s five-pound bags of Frozen Raw EZ-Peel White Shrimp, which were sold at WinCo Foods in the following states:
- Arizona
- California
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
From Best Yet, multiple one-pound packages of the Frozen Raw EZ-Peel White Shrimp are recalled after being distributed by C&S Wholesale grocery stores in the following states:
- California
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Publix shoppers should also check if they bought AquaStar’s Raw Shrimp Easy Peel Deveined, or Publix brand’s Extra Large Shrimp Easy to Peel Deveined or Large Shrimp Peeled & Deveined Tail from the following states:
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
From Waterfront Bistro, two-pound bags of Frozen Raw EZ-Peel White Shrimp are recalled from Shaw’s and Star Market shops in the following states:
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
The same product is recalled from Safeway, Albertsons, Eagle, and Carrs-Safeway stores in the following states:
Before this, AquaStar already issued other recalls for frozen shrimp over Cs-137, along with brands including Kroger and Great Value. Possibly contaminated products have included frozen cooked shrimp, shrimp skewers, and cocktail shrimp.
All of the targeted brands were initially processed by BMS Foods, an Indonesian supplier. The company, which supplies millions of pounds of shrimp to the U.S. each year, has since been on a full import alert.
The shrimp products may have been contaminated with Cs-137 due to being “prepared, packed, or held” in unsanitary conditions.
Full lists of the recalled items affected by the potential contamination are available for customers to check brand names, product codes, and “best by” dates.
More information about the recalled products can be found the FDA’s website.
The FDA said the recall is a precautionary measure as no illnesses have been reported, but that customers should still not eat the shrimp. Instead, buyers are urged to throw the product away or return it to the store where it was bought.