Federal regulators in the U.S. have identified potential radioactive contamination in spices and shrimp imported from Indonesia. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked all spice imports from PT Natural Java Spice after detecting cesium 137 in a shipment of cloves. This follows an earlier alert regarding PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, which supplies shrimp to the U.S. and was found to have cesium 137 in their products as well. Approximately 84 million pounds of shrimp have been imported from this company this year. While the levels of contamination are considered low, prolonged exposure to cesium 137 can be a health risk, potentially raising cancer rates. The FDA has emphasized that no contaminated food has yet been sold in the U.S., but there have been multiple recalls of frozen shrimp sold in grocery stores due to possible contamination. Investigations into the source of this contamination are ongoing, with possible links to recycling practices or industrial sites in Indonesia. Consumers are advised to avoid recalled shrimp products until the situation is resolved.
Fri, 26 Sep 2025 20:23:14 GMT | ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos