This popular product in the U.S. has been recalled due to possible radiation exposure

A major seafood distributor is recalling specific frozen shrimp products sold between June 12 and September 17, 2025, after federal officials flagged possible radiation exposure.

The advisory lists three product lines under Kroger and AquaStar, notes distribution across 31 states, and urges consumers not to eat the affected lots.

Regulators say there are no confirmed illnesses and no products that tested positive for the isotope entered the marketplace.

The recall is a precaution tied to insanitary conditions that could have allowed contamination, and to a positive finding in a shipment that was stopped before it reached stores.

Shrimp product exposed to radiation

Nicholas S. Fisher from Stony Brook University, is a marine radioecologist whose work on radionuclides in seafood helps put these events in scientific context.

His field focuses on how radioactive elements move through ocean food webs and what that means for consumers.

A federal update on September 23, 2025 clarified the scope: approximately 49,920 bags of Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp; about 18,000 bags of Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp; and roughly 17,264 bags of AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers.

The agency listed the Kroger family of banners where the products were sold and provided lot codes to help shoppers check their freezers.

“At this time, no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered the U.S. marketplace,” stated the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Regulators emphasized that testing to date has not confirmed contamination in any shrimp that reached commerce. 

The update also explained why a recall can proceed even when no retail samples test positive.

If a product appears to have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated, the law treats that as a safety concern.

Why Cesium-137 raises eyebrows

The radioactive substance at the center of this case is cesium-137, a human-made radionuclide created during nuclear fission in reactors and certain devices.

The EPA notes that external exposure to large amounts can cause serious acute effects, but such conditions are not typical in food safety incidents.

Internal exposure is the concern for foods, because ingested cesium distributes in soft tissues, especially muscle. The CDC explains that ingestion allows the material to irradiate tissues from within, which can increase cancer risk.

Radiation levels in these recalled shrimp, and all other foods, are measured in Becquerel (Bq) per kilogram, which counts nuclear decays-per-second in a given mass.

That unit helps regulators compare a laboratory reading in a sample to health-based guidance levels.

Federal guidance uses derived intervention levels to decide when a product poses enough risk to require action. Those levels vary by isotope and were established to protect the public with a margin of safety.

Low radiation reading recalls shrimp

In this investigation, one detained shipment of shrimp tested at about 68 Bq per kilogram for Cs-137, and that lot never entered U.S. commerce.

The advisory states this reading is below the agency’s derived intervention level for Cs-137 of 1,200 Bq per kilogram.

“The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure, e.g., through consumption of contaminated food or water over time, is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body,” stated the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Health protection is not only about one number at one time point. 

That is why the agency aims to reduce exposures that could add up over time, especially when the source can be traced and removed from shelves.

The recall and import controls are designed to prevent cumulative exposure and to address poor handling conditions at their source.

Officials also caution that even a below-threshold reading can signal a broader problem with how a supplier manages risks.

When shipping containers or processing lines show contamination, regulators act to break potential exposure pathways early.

What this means for your freezer

If you purchased the listed shrimp products within the sales window, do not eat them, because they may have been exposed to radiation. Follow the lot code guidance in the advisory and discard the product or return it to the store for a refund.

Kroger and its affiliated banners carried the impacted items, with distribution spanning much of the country. Stores posted recall notices, and customer service desks can help match UPCs and lot codes to the advisory.

Households that already cooked and ate shrimp from these lots do not need special medical screening unless a clinician advises otherwise.

People with questions about radiation exposure should speak with their health care provider and mention the product and date consumed.

Consumers can also report adverse events through the agency’s complaint system. Documenting symptoms and purchase details helps investigators close the loop quickly.

Where the investigation points now

The investigation began when U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected radioactive isotopes in food shipment containers at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami, which led to targeted testing and coordination with FDA.

FDA has placed the Indonesian processor linked to the shrimp on an import alert that blocks implicated shipments until problems are resolved.

This action remains in place while investigators and the supplier work on root cause and corrective steps.

The advisory indicates the likely issue involves unsanitary conditions that could enable contamination to transfer from equipment or environments to packaged foods.

That can include hot spots in scrap metal or industrial sources that should never be near food operations.

Investigators are tracing product lots through the supply chain to confirm whether any other items need to be recalled. Updates will be posted as firms expand or close recalls with final testing results.

Seafood safety on larger scales

Cesium can move through marine food webs, although levels vary widely by species and location.

A 2012 study showed that Pacific bluefin tuna carried Fukushima-derived radionuclides across the ocean, which demonstrated long range transport rather than a specific hazard level for U.S. consumers.

Food safety systems account for such transport by using screening at ports and by sampling products in commerce.

That is why CBP and FDA monitor for unexpected isotopes in shipments from higher risk settings or firms with compliance issues.

Seafood remains an important source of protein and micronutrients, and the goal of these actions is to keep it that way.

Removing suspect lots, improving sanitation, and enforcing import controls protect the larger marketplace.

For households, the practical steps are simple. Check freezers, verify lot codes, and when in doubt follow the advisory’s discard or return guidance.

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