Federal regulators have detected possible radioactive pollution in a second food product sent to the United States from Indonesia, while continuing to increase potentially contaminated shrimp. The discovery adds to questions about the origin of this unusual problem.
Last week, officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked the import of all the spices of natural PT Java Spice of Indonesia after federal inspectors detected Cesio 137 in a nail cargo sent to California.
This adds to the import alert imposed in August to the company PT Bahari Makmuri Sejati, or BMS Foods, which sends millions of shrimp pounds to the United States every year.
This is what you have to know about the possible contamination by Cesio 137:
What is Cesium 137?
Cesium 137 is a radioactive isotope created as a byproduct of nuclear reactions, as nuclear bombsessays, reactor and accident operations. It is widespread throughout the world, and are traces in the environment, including soil, food and air.
What have the US authorities found?
Customs and border protection officials of the United States detected Cesio 137 in shrimp containers sent by PT Bahari Makmur Sejati to several US ports. CBP officials pointed out the possible FDA pollution, which analyzed shrimp samples and detected Cesio 137 in a sample of empanados shrimp.
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The company has sent around 84 million pounds (38 million kilograms) from shrimp to US ports this year, according to Import Genius data, a commercial data analysis company. It supplies about 6% of foreign shrimp imported in the United States.
This month, FDA officials detected Cesio 137 in a clove sample exported by PT Natural Java Spice, which sends spices to the United States and other countries. The records show that the company sent around 440,000 pounds (200,000 kilograms) of clove to the United States.
What are the health risks?
FDA officials stressed that no food that has been positive in the evidence or activated alerts has been put up for sale in the United States.
However, hundreds of thousands of imported frozen shrimp packages that were sold in Kroger and other grocery stores from all over the United States have retired from the market, since they could have been manufactured in conditions that allowed their pollution, according to the agency.
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Although the risk seems to be smallfood could be a “possible health problem” of people exposed to low levels of Cesium 137 over time.
The pollution levels detected are well below the level that could trigger the need for health protection measures, but long -term exposure could increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
Where does contamination come from?
It is not clear if there is a common source of pollution for shrimp and spices. FDA officials and the Border Customs and Protection Office (CBP) said their investigations continue. The two processing facilities seem to be about 500 miles (800 kilometers) away in Indonesia.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (OIEA), the source of the radioactive material could be contaminated junk or molten metal in an industrial zone close to the Indonesian shrimp processing plant. Indonesian nuclear regulatory authorities claimed to have detected the radioactive isotope in the facilities located on the outskirts of Yakarta.
This type of pollution may come from the recycling of medical equipment containing Cesium 137, according to Steve Biegalski, expert in nuclear medicine of the Technological Institute of Georgia.
Container containers contaminated or shipping methods, such as trucks, ships or shared materials, could also be a source, he said.
What should consumers do?
For now, consumers should avoid eating or serving shrimp withdrawn from the market for possible contamination with Cesium 137, according to the FDA.
To date, four companies have retired shrimp from the market since August, including those listed below:
- August 21, 2025: Southwind Foods, LLC.
- August 22, 2025: Beaver Street Fisheries, LLC.
- August 27, 2025: Aquastar (USA) – Kroger brand.
- August 28, 2025: Aquastar (USA) – Aqua Star brand.
- August 29, 2025: Southwind Foods, LLC – Expansion of the original withdrawal.
- September 19, 2025: Aquastar (USA) – Expansion of the original withdrawal.
- September 23, 2025: Southwind Foods, LLC – Expansion of the original withdrawal.
- September 23, 2025: Lawrence Wholesale, LLC – Kroger brand.
