Seattle firm expands shrimp recall over cesium-137 fears, affecting millions of pounds from Indonesia.

A Seattle seafood distributor, Aquastar Corp., has expanded a shrimp recall by nearly 157,000 pounds due to possible cesium-137 contamination, a radioactive isotope linked to nuclear reactions. The affected products, including Kroger and other store-brand frozen shrimp, were sold at over 30 U.S. grocery chains between June 12 and September 17. This follows an August recall tied to imports from an Indonesian company, PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, where traces were found in shipping containers and samples. The FDA warns long-term exposure to low levels of cesium-137 may pose health risks, though current levels detected—about 68 becquerels per kilogram—are below the 1,200 threshold for stricter action. Over 3 million pounds of shrimp from the Indonesian company arrived at U.S. ports in September, prompting an import alert. Officials suspect contamination may stem from industrial sources in Indonesia, but the exact origin remains unclear. Consumers are urged to check labels and avoid the recalled products.