❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained several international food shipping containers containing cesium-137 contamination.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: CBP officers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati of Indonesia.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The discoveries occurred at major U.S. ports including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Houston, Savannah, Norfolk, Elizabeth, and Miami.
💬KEY QUOTE: “CBP and our partners are on the front lines ensuring that our imported food and other supplies are safe for American consumers,” said CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino.
🎯IMPACT: Contaminated food products were prevented from entering the U.S. The FDA issued a safety alert for certain frozen shrimp products.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently identified and seized several international food shipping containers containing cesium-137 contamination at major U.S. ports. Using advanced nonintrusive inspection equipment and radiation detection systems, CBP officers detected the radioactive material and prevented it from entering the country.
“CBP and our partners are on the front lines ensuring that our imported food and other supplies are safe for American consumers,” said CBP Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino. CBP collaborated with its Laboratories and Scientific Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) partners to address the contamination issue.
Cesium-137 (Cs-137) is a man-made radioisotope and by-product of nuclear fission used in industrial, medical, and research applications. While trace amounts of Cs-137 can naturally occur in the environment, the levels detected in these containers prompted the FDA to issue a food safety alert for certain frozen shrimp products imported from PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati of Indonesia. The FDA warned that repeated low-dose exposure to Cs-137 could increase the risk of cancer over time.
The contamination is believed to have resulted from an accident outside the control of PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, according to Indonesian authorities. The FDA has placed the company on Import Alert 99-51 for chemical contamination, ensuring no further adulterated shrimp products enter the U.S. until the issue is resolved. The contaminated products were found at ports including Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Miami, among others.
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