Jewel-Osco stores across Illinois have quietly cleared certain two-pound Waterfront Bistro frozen shrimp bags from their freezers after a federal safety alert flagged the product as potentially contaminated with cesium-137. The move is part of a wider federal investigation into imported shrimp processed in Indonesia.
Which Shrimp Bags Vanished From Shelves
Direct Source Seafood LLC issued the recall on Dec. 19, covering roughly 83,800 bags of frozen raw shrimp sold nationwide under the Market 32 and Waterfront Bistro labels. According to the FDA, the affected Waterfront Bistro two-pound bags (UPC 021130132249) carry best-by dates of April 25 or April 26, 2027, and in Illinois, those bags were sold at Jewel-Osco, as reported by NBC Chicago.
How Inspectors Caught The Problem
Radiation monitors at U.S. ports first flagged several shipping containers earlier this year, and federal sampling later identified cesium-137 in a detained shrimp sample at roughly 68 becquerels per kilogram, which is well below the agency’s Derived Intervention Level of 1,200 Bq/kg. The alerts involved containers bound for Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah, and are part of a larger probe into shipments processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, according to Associated Press.
What The Readings Mean, According To Experts
Public-health and radiation experts say a single short-term exposure at the measured level would not likely cause acute illness, but regulators are being cautious because low-level exposure over time can increase cancer risk. Steve Biegalski of Georgia Tech told NBC Chicago that routine Cs-137 readings in Pacific shrimp are about 100 times lower than the concentrations found in the shipments tied to the investigation, which makes the finding unusual.
What Shoppers Are Being Told To Do
The FDA is advising anyone who bought the recalled shrimp not to eat it and to either throw it out or return it to the store for a full refund. The agency says no illnesses have been reported so far. Consumers with questions can consult the recall notice for contact details and refund information, per the FDA.
Where This Fits In A Bigger Shrimp Probe
The recall is one of several tied to products processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods) and follows reporting that the International Atomic Energy Agency has pointed to possible radioactive metal at a nearby metal-melting operation as a plausible source, according to Associated Press. Regulators have tightened import controls and are coordinating with Indonesian authorities while the broader investigation continues.
