The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that shrimp sold by Wal Mart in 12 states of the United States contain an ultra safe level of radioactive isotope cesium-137.
Although not sufficient to cause acute radiation poisoning (which may lead to serious health problems or even death), long-term repeated exposure may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The agency has not recorded unsafe radiation levels in products sold by Wal Mart, but it has indeed detected the presence of such isotopes in four ports in the United States.
It is actually normal for us to consume trace amounts of radiation in our daily diet. For example, the banana we often eat contains the natural radioactive isotope potassium-40, so technically speaking, it itself has a little radioactivity. But don't worry, this radiation doesn't accumulate in the body, but is excreted through metabolism, helping us maintain body balance. That's why for decades, scientists have even had an informal term, using "banana radiation equivalent" to measure safe radiation levels.
However, sometimes radiation can also enter our food chain through non natural pathways.

Earlier this week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency alert: a batch of frozen shrimp from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (also known as BMS Foods) in Indonesia was found to have significantly exceeded the levels of radioactive isotope cesium-137.
Cesium-137 is a common cesium isotope commonly used in industrial equipment, Geiger counters, and radiation therapy. But it is also a byproduct of nuclear fission. For example, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 led to the widespread spread of this substance in Europe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States pointed out that this isotope is very common, and we are exposed to safe doses of trace cesium-137 in our daily lives.
But this time the situation is different. If you buy the "Great Value" brand frozen raw shrimp with a shelf life of March 15, 2027 in Wal Mart supermarkets in several states of the United States (mainly in the south), if you repeatedly eat it for a long time, your radiation exposure may exceed the safety level. Therefore, the FDA strongly recommends that consumers immediately discard all frozen shrimp that meet the batch requirements.
Although it has not been confirmed which Wal Mart store sold the contaminated shrimp, the FDA said that cesium-137 in this batch of shrimp has exceeded the standard in four ports in the United States. Although no product has exceeded the current intervention level of 1200 Bq/kg, the FDA believes that this contamination still poses a potential health hazard for consumers who consume it for a long time and are also affected by other radiation sources such as the environment and medical care.
The FDA stated in the announcement: "Although the FDA has not detected any cesium-137 in any product that exceeds the currently established intervention level of cesium-137 (1200 Bq/kg), we believe that this may pose potential health risks for people who consume this type of shrimp for a long time and are exposed to this level of cesium-137, especially when they are also affected by other radiation sources such as the environment and medical care. ”
High dose exposure to cesium-137 may lead to severe burns, radiation sickness, and even death. Although the harm of low doses is far less than this, long-term repeated exposure is not wise. According to CDC data, ingestion or inhalation of cesium-137 can cause it to spread in soft tissues such as muscles, thereby exposing these tissues to long-term exposure to beta and gamma rays and increasing the risk of cancer.