157,000 More Pounds of Frozen Seafood Recalled from Major Grocers in 31 States in Ongoing Food Safety Event

In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted an advisory notice warning shoppers that “certain raw frozen shrimp products” sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand were under recall due to the presence of possible carcinogens. Now, 157,000 more pounds of shrimp have been recalled as part of the event, this time affecting consumers at Kroger and other retailers in 31 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 

A September 21 FDA update now says three new frozen shrimp products sold under the brand names Kroger, Kroger Mercado, and AquaStar are now under recall “because they may have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with cesium-137 (Cs-137).” The FDA says the most recently affected shrimp products were sold at the following retailers: Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Foodsco, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, Jay C, King Soopers, Kroger, Mariano’s, Metro Market, Pay Less Supermarkets, Pick ‘n Save, Ralphs, Smith’s, and QFC.

This latest batch of affected seafood was reportedly processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (doing business as BMS Foods) of Indonesia, the same firm named in the August announcement. Expiration dates stretch more than 18 months out, into late 2027.

On counts and identifying codes for each, it’s reported 49,920 bags (net weight two pounds per unit) of the recalled Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp product is packaged in transparent printed bag with a blue band on the top with yellow and red details, and has the following codes:

• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5085 10, Best If Used By: 03/26/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5097 11, Best If Used By: 04/07/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5106 11, Best If Used By: 04/16/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5107 10, Best If Used By: 04/17/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5111 11, Best If Used By: 04/21/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5112 10, Best If Used By: 04/22/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5113 10, Best If Used By: 04/23/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5113 11, Best If Used By: 04/23/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5114 10, Best If Used By: 04/24/27
• UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5114 11, Best If Used By: 04/24/27

Another 18,000 bags (net weight two pounds) of the recalled Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp are packaged in clear plastic bags bearing a white label with green stripes on top of each unit, bearing the following codes:

• UPC 011110626196, lot code 10662 5112 11, Best Before: 10/22/2027
• UPC 011110626196, lot code 10662 5113 10, Best Before: 10/23/2027

Also 17,264 bags (net weight 1.25 pounds) of the recalled AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers are packaged in a printed bag with a black top and blue bottom and printed pictures of the skewers inside, and read the following codes:

• UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5127 10, Best If Used By: 11/07/2027
• UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5128 11, Best If Used By: 11/08/2027
• UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5133 11, Best If Used By: 11/13/2027
• UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5135 10, Best If Used By: 11/15/2027

The FDA advises consumers who have purchased affected shrimp to dispose of it or return it to their place of purchase for a refund. 

Cs-137 is a man-made radioisotope that emits radiation. In the case of the August recall, authorities reported belief the items became contaminated while in shipping containers. However, Cs-137 can also be found in the environment in “water or foods grown, raised, or produced in areas with environmental contamination,” the FDA explains. 

Repeated exposure to low doses of cesium-137 can damage DNA within living cells of the body, ultimately possibly raising one’s risk of cancer. It’s said so far, no illnesses have been reported in relation to the ongoing health event. The shipments have been intercepted before reaching U.S. soil: “At this time, no product that has tested positive or alerted for Cesium-137 (Cs-137) has entered the U.S. commerce,” the FDA said on August 19. 

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