FDA detects radioactive contamination in spices as massive shrimp recall expands

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration blocked imports of spices this week from an Indonesian company amid widespread worries of radioactive contamination. The agency said it found cesium 137 in spices-specifically cloves-from Indonesian company PT Natural Java Spice that were shipped to California. The discovery marks the second food product imported from Indonesia found to have radioactive contamination, as recalls of potentially tainted imported shrimp expanded."

"What is cesium 137? Cesium 137 is a radioactive isotope that is formed during nuclear fission. It's used in industry and chemotherapy, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is also present in the environment, largely due to nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents, including the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and 2011's Fukushima nuclear accident. That environmental presence means trace amounts can be found in food."

The FDA blocked imports of spices from PT Natural Java Spice after detecting cesium-137 in cloves shipped to California. Products from PT Bahari Makmur Sejati and PT Natural Java Spice will be barred from U.S. entry until the firms demonstrate corrective actions. Cesium-137 is a radioactive isotope produced by nuclear fission and appears in the environment from weapons testing and nuclear accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Trace amounts can occur in food and repeated exposure may pose potential health concerns. The FDA is investigating the contamination source, and the IAEA suspects an industrial site near an Indonesian shrimp processing plant. Multiple shrimp recalls began in August 2025.

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