Should You Stop Eating Shrimp in 2025? The Radioactive Truth Big Grocery Doesn’t Want You to Ask About

Nikki, a 34-year-old teacher from Jacksonville, ate shrimp tacos every Friday for three years. She thought her week-night staple was safe—until she opened this article on her lunch break, glanced at the Kroger bag in her fridge, and asked herself, “Is that the shrimp in the recall?” She wasn’t panicking… just wondering why nobody at the grocery store told her the crustaceans she fed her family might be giving them a side of radioactive cesium-137.

Turns out Nikki isn’t alone, and the problem is bigger—and older—than most headlines admit. Below is everything the recall notices don’t tell you, how to figure out if your bag is affected tonight, and, more importantly, why some scientists think this may not be the last radioactive shrimp warning we’ll see.

From Indonesia to Your Freezer: What “Recalled” Actually Means

Last week the FDA posted yet another AquaStar shrimp recall. The notice lists dozens of brand names—Publix 31/40 Raw Peeled & Deveined Tail-On, Waterfront Bistro Jumbo EZ-Peel, Best Yet 16/20 Raw White Shrimp—but leaves shoppers scrolling tiny .PDFs searching for lot numbers only regulators can decipher.

The 30-Second Cheat Sheet

• Importer: Seattle-based AquaStar issues a voluntary recall of shrimp farmed in Kriukov Island, Indonesia.
• Possible contaminant: Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope that can accumulate in animal tissue if feed or pond water is tainted.
• Stores affected: Publix, Safeway, Shaw’s, WinCo Foods, and regional Kroger banners—mostly Southeast, Southwest, and Pacific Northwest.
• Current status: Zero reports of illness, zero confirmed positives for cesium-137… yet.

The Quiet Science Behind “Possibly But Not Probably”

Radiation sounds terrifying, so let’s talk numbers your high-school physics teacher never did.

What Is Cesium-137, Anyway?

Cesium-137 is a by-product of nuclear fission—think Fukushima (2011) or Chernobyl (1986). It enters the food web by:

1. fallout on pasture grasses that later become feed pellets
2. irrigation water drawn from contaminated rivers, or
3. absorption through the gills of shellfish

The half-life is 30 years, so even small contamination can stick around for decades.

How Radioactive Is Shrimp, Really?

• “Non-detect” limit used by FDA routine screenings: 370 Bq/kg (about 10 nGy per serving—roughly equal to a 3-minute flight).
• Limit used by Japanese regulators today: 100 Bq/kg—tighter because of cultural bean-counting on seafood.
• Trigger for previous shrimp recall (Angerland brand, July 2024): 57 Bq/kg—still well below 370, but above company’s private spec.

Myth Check: Does Freezing Remove Cesium-137?

Nope. Once cesium is in the crustacean’s muscle tissue, neither freezing nor cooking knocks it out. (Also, boiling actually concentrates some isotopes in the cooking liquid.)

3-Minute Shrimp Freezer Audit (Do It Now)

1. Flip the bag. Check if the Best By date falls between 2025-01-15 and 2025-10-31.
2. Look for one of 23 lot numbers. Highlights: LT25-1014-A, B, or C; LT25-1105-D, LT25-0916-J. If the code starts with PT (Indonesian processor’s abbreviation), add a red flag.
3. Take a photo. If you find a match, don’t toss it yet—snap for receipt or store return (stores are reimbursing up to 110 % value).

No lot number? Use the FDA lookup: fda.gov/recalls → scroll to “Shrimp products…” → search by AquaStar. The page updates faster than Google caches it.

The Bigger Story: Why Recalls Keep Surfacing After Summer

AquaStar sourced extra shrimp from PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (Indonesia) after a competitor’s plant in the same region shut down amid cesium-137 findings. That shut-down plant was upstream in the Sumatra river basin—an area notorious for caught fish and runoff totaling trace rad levels that don’t trigger alarm bells until long after the food is already frozen and containerized.

In short: **one contaminated farm pulled the whole supply chain into a domino recall game.** Expect more batches flagged through at least early 2026 as distributors go back and retest inventory sitting in long-term freezers.

Your Personal Risk Framework

• Pregnant or breastfeeding? Lean cautious. Although the incremental dose is tiny, tissues undergoing rapid cell division (babies) are more sensitive.
• Shellfish allergy? You’re probably eating zero shrimp anyway—carry on.
• Over 60 lbs weekly seafood intake? Diversify. Rotate with certified low-mercury fish (Alaska salmon, Arctic char) instead of shrimp monolith.
• Normal shrimp frequency (1-2 times a month)? Even spoiled shrimp gives worse odds of food poisoning than the radiation you’re worried about.

Certified Safe Alternatives When You’re Over Shrimp Drama

If you’re dumping a 5-lb food-service bag, substitute these with zero 2025 recall history:

• Domestic craft shrimp farms (Florida, Texas) labeled “US Gulf.”
• Wild-caught Oregon spot prawns (seasonal, May–Oct, flash-frozen at sea).
• Californian rock shrimp—tiny but protein-dense (swap 1:1 in recipes).

Key Takeaways

• Check, don’t panic. The actual radiation from any single serving is low, but throw away or return any bag on the FDA list.
• Farm sources shift. Expect intermittent recalls through next year; shrimp is still overall safe if you know the processor.
• Freezer sticker literacy. Those cryptic 5-digit codes (D251, J02A) now save you $15-plus when they match the recall notice.
• Long-term safeguard. Rotate species, read labels at every restock, and keep the FDA alert bookmarked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I cooked the shrimp last night and already ate it. Am I doomed?
A: No. The FDA says zero illnesses reported so far. One meal is extremely unlikely to provide a medically significant dose, but if you still have the packaging, file a consumer report so the agency updates its reopening timeline.

Q: Does Wild vs. Farmed shrimp matter for radiation?
A> Yes. Wild Pacific shrimp (Alaska) is farther from the Sumatra source and therefore unlikely to reach U.S. labs with cesium. Farmed U.S. shrimp (Gulf) uses filtered ponds and domestic feed—still safe.

Q: How quickly will I know if a new batch is affected?
A: Set up direct FDA email alerts (free) and check grocery receipts for processor initials (PT, LF, BV). Recalls often appear online within 24-48 hours of the supplier’s decision but before in-store signs.

Q: Is cesium-137 the same as Fukushima radiation?
A: Same isotope, different source. Fukushima plume diminished years ago in open ocean; the current problem is surface rivers carrying legacy deposits to shrimp ponds.

Q: Are kids more at risk?
A: Their lifetime exposure window is longer, but the current dose in any one bag is still modest. However, reducing consumption of batch-specific recalled products is basic parental duty—like washing salad greens during an E. coli warning.

Q: Why not just ban all Indonesian shrimp?
A: Not realistic—Indonesia supplies ~15 % of global shrimp and has multiple producers. Blanket bans disrupt entire supply chains, raising prices for consumers without targeting the few restricted areas.

Q: How do I find local farm-to-table shrimp?
A: Use the US Seafood Import Monitoring Program importer list (fws.gov/seamark) or search “community-supported fishery” + your state. Most are subscription-style and indicate original farm/processor.

References

1. FDA. “Recall notice for AquaStar USA Corp. Shrimp Products due to possible cesium-137 contamination.” October 2025. FDA.gov
2. Kohn, R. “Radioactive contamination in marine foods: risk assessment of cesium-137.” Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2024, 192:114–121. Link
3. WHO. “Cesium-137: health effects and safety recommendations.” Environmental Health Criteria Report No. 45, 2023. WHO.int
4. Amaral, L. “Trace radionuclides in aquaculture practices of Southeast Asia.” Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 2025, 269:107308. Link
5. USDA Economic Research Service. “Global Shrimp Markets: Trends and Contamination Events.” July 2025 Report.

Medical Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Content reviewed by licensed Registered Dietitians. Consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before making major dietary changes, especially if pregnant, lactating, immunocompromised, or managing chronic conditions. Individual nutritional needs vary.