The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) just dropped a pretty serious bombshell. On Sunday, they announced that AquaStar (USA) Corp from Seattle is pulling back around 85,000 bags of shrimp products that have been sold at big grocery chains across the country. Why? Possible contamination with cesium-137, which is a radioactive isotope.
This recall includes; Kroger’s raw and cooked shrimp, plus AquaStar’s raw shrimp skewers that were distributed in 31 states from June 2025 to September 2025.
So far, no illnesses have been reported, but the whole situation brings up some major health concerns. Repeated exposure to this stuff could have serious long-term cancer risks.
Newsweek reached out to both AquaStar and Kroger for their take on this alarming news.
Why Should You Care?
Here’s the deal: this isn’t just a minor issue. This recall is the second big radioactive shrimp scandal in a little over a month, and it raises serious alarms about food safety practices from a certain supplier in Indonesia.
Back in August, the FDA also flagged cesium-137 contamination in Great Value shrimp products found at Walmart, which traced back to the same supplier, PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods) in Indonesia. The quick-fire recalls bring into question how effectively food safety is being monitored on a global scale.
Both incidents involve cesium-137, which we know from the CDC is linked to DNA damage and raised cancer risk with repeated exposure.
What Exactly is Cesium-137?
According to the CDC, cesium-137 is produced during nuclear reactions and has a few different uses, mainly in medical devices for radiation detection and treatment. But be warned: being exposed to this stuff externally can lead to skin burns and even serious health issues, including death.
The CDC explains, “Exposing yourself to Cs-137 increases your cancer risk due to the high-energy gamma rays it emits. If it’s ingested or inhaled, it can pool in soft tissues like muscles, which increases the chances of developing cancer.”
This contamination concern was caught during routine inspections in shipping containers at various ports like Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and Savannah, Georgia.
Retailers That Sold the Affected Shrimp
The dangerous shrimp was sold between June 12, 2025, and September 17, 2025, at a bunch of stores including:
- Baker’s
- City Market
- Dillons
- Food 4 Less
- Foodsco
- Fred Meyer
- Fry’s
- Gerbes
- Jay C
- King Soopers
- Kroger
- Mariano’s
- Metro Market
- Pay Less Supermarkets
- Pick ‘n Save
- Ralphs
- Smith’s
- QFC
And get this, the affected shrimp shipped to 31 states including states like:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Details on Recalled Products
Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp (2 pounds): They come in a clear bag with blue bands and yellow/red details. Look for the UPC code 20011110643906
Check these lot codes and expiration dates:
- 10662 5085 10 (Best If Used By: 03/26/27)
- 10662 5097 11 (Best If Used By: 04/07/27)
- 10662 5106 11 (Best If Used By: 04/16/27)
- 10662 5107 10 (Best If Used By: 04/17/27)
- 10662 5111 11 (Best If Used By: 04/21/27)
- 10662 5112 10 (Best If Used By: 04/22/27)
- 10662 5113 10 (Best If Used By: 04/23/27)
- 10662 5113 11 (Best If Used By: 04/23/27)
- 10662 5114 10 (Best If Used By: 04/24/27)
- 10662 5114 11 (Best If Used By: 04/24/27)
Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp (2 pounds): Packaged in a clear plastic bag with a white label and green stripes. Check for UPC code 011110626196
Lot codes and expiration dates to check:
- 10662 5112 11 (Best Before: 10/22/2027)
- 10662 5113 10 (Best Before: 10/23/2027)
AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers (1.25 pounds): These have black tops and blue bottoms with skewer pictures. Keep an eye out for UPC code 731149390010
Lot codes and expiration dates include:
- 10662 5127 10 (Best If Used By: 11/07/2027)
- 10662 5128 11 (Best If Used By: 11/08/2027)
- 10662 5133 11 (Best If Used By: 11/13/2027)
- 10662 5135 10 (Best If Used By: 11/15/2027)
All these products are from the same Indonesian facility flagged in the earlier Walmart recall.
What’s Next?
AquaStar has set up a customer hotline you can call at 1-800-331-3440 for any questions regarding this recall. They’re available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.
Meanwhile, the FDA is digging deeper into the PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati processing facility. They’re focusing on finding out where the contamination came from and if there are any other potentially affected products. On top of that, Border Protection has increased their screening requirements for all shipments coming from the facility.
