COMMISSIONER SID MILLER WARNS OF RADIOACTIVE FOREIGN SHRIMP

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today highlighted a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning advising Americans not to eat, sell, or serve certain imported frozen shrimp from an Indonesian firm. Texans deserve to know exactly what's on their plate, and the FDA's advisory proves exactly why. The Texas Department of Agriculture fully supports this action and urges all Texans to take it seriously.

"If you hear the word 'radioactive' in the same sentence as something you were about to serve for your family, that's a problem." Commissioner Miller said. "Texans do not need shrimp from halfway around the world when we've got the safest, freshest, highest-quality shrimp harvested right here off the Texas Gulf Coast. Buying wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf of America isn't just common sense, it supports our local fishermen, family businesses, and rural coastal communities."

NOTES FOR CONSUMERS:

• Do not consume Great Value Raw Frozen Shrimp with lot numbers 8005540-1, 8005538-1, or 8005539-1, and a Best by Date of 03/15/27.
• FDA testing detected the presence of cesium-137 (Cs-137) in a shipment of raw frozen shrimp. While that shipment was intercepted before reaching store shelves, the results were alarming enough to merit a full advisory.
• No room for radiation: even if the detected level falls below federal intervention thresholds, Texans shouldn't be exposed to any long-term risk-especially not from a foreign product with questionable safety standards.
• Recall under way: distributors and retailers should immediately remove these products from circulation and dispose of them to help protect Texas families.
• Import alert issued: this firm has now been placed on import alert, meaning additional shipments will be detained at the U.S. border until conditions are verified safe.
• If you have already eaten these products and have health concerns, contact a healthcare provider out of an abundance of caution.

"I encourage everyone to choose Texas shrimp first. It's raised with pride, inspected with care, and harvested under the strictest safety standards in the world," Commissioner Miller continued. "That's what Texas families deserve. So next time you buy seafood, make sure it's wild caught and from Texas harvesters."

The Texas Department of Agriculture will continue monitoring the FDA's investigation closely and will keep the public informed as new developments surface.

To read the FDA's full statement, click here.

To learn more about how you can identify wild-caught Texas shrimp, click here