FDA and NOAA found tens of thousands of packages of frozen shrimp contaminated
US Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana warned of the dangers of consuming shrimp imported from Indonesia contaminated with the radioactive isotope cesium-137.
In his Senate speech, he depicted the aliens from the movie Alien to illustrate the impact, saying the shrimp could cause extra ear growths.
He criticized the federal government for only inspecting approximately 1-2% of imported shrimp, far lower than the UK, which inspects 50%.
In a recent case, the FDA and NOAA discovered tens of thousands of packages of contaminated frozen shrimp sold at Walmart and Kroger in various US states.
He argued that this lax oversight threatens public health and harms Louisiana’s local shrimp industry. He emphasized that imported shrimp are often farmed under poor conditions, use dangerous antibiotics, and have now been found to contain radioactivity.
This situation has depressed local shrimp prices to the point that restaurants and retailers often unknowingly serve imported shrimp. Kennedy also urged NOAA to strengthen inspections and protect US consumers and the domestic shrimp industry, which has long been a mainstay of Louisiana’s economy.
