BENTONVILLE, Ark. - The Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers not to eat certain frozen shrimp sold at Walmart stores across 11 states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania, due to possible radioactive contamination.

The FDA issued a public health advisory Tuesday for specific lots of Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp, citing concerns that the product may have been prepared under unsanitary conditions and could be contaminated with Cesium-137, a man-made radioisotope.

The recall affects Great Value brand frozen raw shrimp with the following lot codes and best-by dates:

  • Lot code: 8005540-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
  • Lot code: 8005538-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027
  • Lot code: 8005539-1, Best by Date: 3/15/2027

The shrimp, imported from the Indonesian firm PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, was sold at select Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.

While the FDA has not confirmed that any of the recalled products in U.S. commerce has tested positive for contamination, the agency said its recommendation is based on a separate shipment of shrimp from the same company that was detected at a U.S. port with Cesium-137 present.

That shipment, which was denied entry into the country, had a Cesium-137 level below the FDA's Derived Intervention Level, but the agency noted that avoiding such products is a measure intended to reduce exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts with continued, long-term exposure.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, long-term, repeated low-dose exposure to Cesium-137 can increase the risk of cancer.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled shrimp are advised to throw them away immediately and not to eat or serve them. The FDA has also recommended that Walmart recall the product.

The FDA's investigation is ongoing, and the agency has placed PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati on a new import alert to prevent further products from entering the U.S. until the firm resolves the conditions that led to the violation.

Consumers who believe they may have been exposed to elevated levels of cesium are advised to contact their healthcare provider.