FDA finds cesium-137 in Indonesian shrimp and cloves

Federal regulators have detected cesium 137, a radioactive isotope, in a second food product imported from Indonesia, prompting new import restrictions and expanding recalls of potentially tainted shrimp sold in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week blocked all spice imports from PT Natural Java Spice after federal inspectors found cesium 137 in a shipment of cloves sent to California. The action follows an import alert in August on PT Bahari Makmuri Sejati, known as BMS Foods, after radioactive material was flagged in shipments of shrimp bound for multiple U.S. ports.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials first detected elevated readings of cesium 137 in shipping containers of shrimp from BMS and notified the FDA, which said laboratory testing found the isotope in one sample of breaded shrimp. Import data compiled by trade analysts show BMS has shipped roughly 84 million pounds, or about 38 million kilograms, of shrimp to U.S. ports this year and supplies about 6 percent of foreign shrimp imported into the United States. Records reviewed by regulators indicate PT Natural Java Spice exported around 440,000 pounds, or 200,000 kilograms, of...