FDA bans imports of cloves and shrimp from Indonesia due to radiation risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found radiation from Cesium-137 in one sample of frozen shrimp and one sample of cloves from Indonesia.

Starting October 31, 2025, the agency will require import certification for shrimp and spices from specific Indonesian regions.

Indonesia began its own investigation and paused sales from a flagged clove farm while testing expands. The FDA blocked shipments from two firms until they fix the problem at the source.

Radiation and Indonesia

The investigation team coordinated sampling, enforcement, and public communication to ensure transparency and safety.

Their response focused on tracing the contamination’s source while preventing affected goods from reaching consumers.

Authorities placed two Indonesian exporters under a new import alert, directing inspectors to detain their shipments on arrival and check for radiation.

The notice applies to all shrimp from one company and all spices from the other until the contamination issues are fully resolved.

Tests found about 68 Bq/kg in a shrimp shipment and 732.43 Bq/kg in a clove sample. The agency’s intervention level for food is 1200 Bq/kg, which these results did not exceed.

No product that tested positive or alerted entered U.S. commerce. Detained shipments were kept out and the agency coordinated precautionary recalls with retailers.

How the import rules will change

Beginning October 31, shrimp from Java and Lampung and all spices from those areas must carry pre shipment import certification.

The certificate must come from a designated Indonesian government entity or an accredited body recognized by the FDA.

Firms with evidence of contamination are placed on a Red List. The Red list, a roster of firms with confirmed risk, requires an accredited third party audit before removal.

After removal, those firms still need shipment specific certificates under a Yellow List process. Shipments that arrive without proper certificates can be refused at the port.

Tracing Indonesia radiation source

Specialists are now collecting environmental and soil samples near processing and storage sites to measure how radioactive isotopes behave under tropical conditions. 

These samples will help determine whether local climate factors, such as heavy rainfall and porous soils, played a role in spreading the contamination beyond industrial zones.

Radiation monitoring teams are also reviewing past import data and satellite imagery to pinpoint when contaminated materials first entered the supply chain.

By matching shipping records with soil readings, they hope to create a clear timeline that reveals whether the exposure began recently or has persisted undetected for years.

What Indonesia is doing

Officials reported contamination at 22 facilities in the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, about 35 miles west of Jakarta.

One plant was decontaminated, and more cleanups are planned, a process known as decontamination, the careful removal of radioactive material.

Authorities also tightened controls on scrap metal imports while they investigate the source.

The task force stated that environmental officials have temporarily halted recommendations for new scrap metal imports until stronger monitoring systems are in place.

Investigators say Indonesia has no nuclear power plants and suspect a contaminated material stream. The task force and Bapeten are tracing whether a radionuclide, an unstable atom that gives off radiation, entered through industrial inputs.

What Cesium-137 does in the body

Cesium-137 emits gamma and beta radiation that can damage tissues. Prolonged exposure increases the risk of cancer. 

Evidence from a large international worker study links long term low dose exposure to higher leukemia mortality. That pattern supports keeping dietary radioactivity as low as reasonably achievable.

The FDA posted a consumer advisory and said implicated products were kept out of the market. People can check lot codes against recall notices and avoid listed items.

Importers should plan for audits, shipment specific paperwork, and root cause fixes. The new certification path aims to keep safe products moving while closing gaps that let contamination occur.

Indonesia, radiation, and health

The measured levels in detained shipments were below the agency’s legal intervention threshold. The FDA still acted because small doses added over time, together with background sources, can raise lifetime risk.

Half life and distribution also matter with this isotope. Cesium-137 has a long environmental presence and behaves in ways that make food pathway controls essential.

Expect more sampling and firm specific decisions as corrective actions are verified. The agency can adjust lists as new evidence comes in and as Indonesian controls take hold.

If Indonesia’s investigation confirms a scrap metal pathway, additional industrial safeguards will follow. Food producers near affected zones will likely add pre shipment radiation checks to their routine.

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