Saving Seafood

String of frozen shrimp recalls related to radioactive material may be linked to Indonesia industrial site

September 8, 2025 — Astring of frozen shrimp recalls related to the discovery of radioactive material may be connected to an industrial site in Indonesia, the Associated Press reported.

Multiple U.S. companies have issued recalls for frozen shrimp due to possible contamination with Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a man-made radioisotope. Companies began issuing recall advisories in late August, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) followed it up with a voluntary recall after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detected Cs-137 in multiple shipping containers at the ports of Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

FDA investigation finds over 30 percent of frozen seafood import samples short-weighted

September 5, 2025 — A recently released report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found 36 percent of frozen seafood products it tested were short-weighted.

The FDA said it conducted an assessment from 2022 to 2024 to collect and test a range of frozen raw and seafood products for the practice of short-weighting – or indicating a higher net weight of seafood on the package than is actually contained. Short-weighting typically involves seafood companies adding a thicker water glaze to products that results in a higher water weight than legally allowed.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Health Secretary Kennedy says government has increased inspections over radioactive shrimp

August 28, 2025 — United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has weighed in on the discovery of a radioactive isotope in a shipment of foreign frozen shrimp, claiming that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has responded by conducting more inspections.

“We have now increased FDA inspections of shrimp to make sure that Americans are not buying and eating contaminated shrimp and putting our shrimpers out of business,” Kennedy said in a 26 August cabinet meeting.

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Jacksonville seafood company recalls frozen raw shrimp over possible radioactive contamination

August 26, 2025 — A Jacksonville seafood company voluntarily recalled a frozen raw shrimp product over possible radioactive contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Beaver Street Fisheries, located on W Beaver Street, announced on Friday that it would recall a limited quantity of Great Value Frozen Raw Shrimp EZ-Peel & Deveined Tail-On 21-25 per pounds as a precautionary measure recommended by the FDA regarding possible Cesium-137 (Cs-137) contamination.

According to the FDA, Cs-137 is a man-made radioactive form of cesium that can be present in the environment at background levels, and at higher levels in water or foods grown, raised, or produced in areas with environmental contamination.

Read the full article at News4Jax

Radioactive shrimp update: Walmart store brand and 5 other brands recalled

August 25, 2025 —  Days after the FDA issued a do-not-eat warning about imported shrimp sold at Walmart, a Florida company actually issued a recall of that shrimp and a California company recalled shrimp sold under five other brands.

So, if you have shrimp in your freezer or thawing in your refrigerator, check to make sure it’s not from Sand Bar, Arctic Shores, Best Yet, First Street, Great American Seafood Imports or Walmart’s Great Value brand.

This all concerns worries that the shrimp might be contaminated Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a man-made radioactive isotope. Breaded and frozen shrimp from Indonesia’s PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, which does business as BMS Foods, tested positive from Cs-137, although the FDA said at a “level that would not pose an acute hazard to consumers.”

Read the full article at Miami Herald

US legislation would require FDA approval of foreign shrimp production facilities

May 5, 2025 — Newly introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure foreign shrimp production matches American safety standards.

“Growing up on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, I know how important the shrimp industry is – not just to our economy but to our way of life,” U.S. Representative Mike Ezell (R-Mississippi) said in a statement. “Our local Gulf Coast shrimpers are playing by the rules while foreign producers are flooding the market with unsafe, low-quality products. This bill is about leveling the playing field, protecting our American producers, and keeping America healthy.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

How major FDA changes – both proposed and implemented – could impact the US seafood industry

April 24, 2025 — Significant proposed regulatory changes within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with large layoffs that have occurred across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – which oversees the FDA – could greatly affect seafood importers, processors, and other industry stakeholders in the near future, according to a former FDA seafood specialist.

The recent HHS layoffs, which total nearly 20,000, include personnel with expertise in seafood, traditional foods, and labeling, “leaving the FDA with lack of expertise in these areas,” said Brian Ravitch, a senior regulatory advisor at Washington, D.C., U.S.A.-based law firm Olsson Frank Weeda who also worked at the FDA for 25 years, including time spent as a seafood specialist.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

US lawmakers propose transferring blue catfish inspections back to the FDA

March 27, 2025 — Recently introduced legislation meant to improve conservation in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States would also reduce inspection requirements for blue catfish, making it easier to operate a commercial fishery.

“The bill would also enable more watermen to improve their bottom line by harvesting invasive blue catfish,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Federal Director Keisha Sedlacek said in a statement. “This would help protect native Bay species and the seafood industry from this voracious predator while supporting the region’s economy.”

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FDA pushes back Food Traceability Rule compliance to 2028

March 21, 2025 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has pushed back the compliance date for its Food Traceability Rule by 30 months.

“The compliance date extension affords covered entities the additional time necessary to ensure complete coordination across the supply chain in order to fully implement the final rule’s requirements – ultimately providing FDA and consumers with greater transparency and food safety,” the agency said in a 20 March constituent update.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource