IAEA Says Radioactive Metal at Indonesian Site May Be Linked to Massive U.S. Shrimp Recall

Radioactive metal detected at an industrial site in Indonesia may be the source of Cesium-137 found in imported frozen shrimp, international nuclear safety officials said Friday, as authorities work to stop more shipments bound for the United States.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it is in “constant contact” with Indonesian nuclear regulators after authorities detected the radioactive isotope at a processing plant that exported millions of pounds of shrimp to the U.S. IAEA spokesperson Fredrik Dahl said in an email that preliminary information suggests the contamination “may have originated from activities at a metal melting facility at the same industrial site or from the disposal of scrap metal junk to other areas of the site.”

The exporter involved, PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, also known as BMS Foods, has recalled more than 300 shipping containers that were already on their way to U.S. ports, Dahl said. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned last month that Cesium-137 had been detected in shipping containers sent to four U.S. ports, prompting recalls and efforts to intercept further consignments.

U.S. federal officials said no investigators from the United States have been sent to the industrial site in Serang, a district west of Jakarta, to date. Indonesian regulators have been leading the on-site detection and assessment, with technical exchanges ongoing between the IAEA and local authorities, the agency said.

Cesium-137 is a radioactive isotope produced by nuclear fission that can contaminate metal and other materials when radioactive sources are inadvertently melted or improperly disposed of. Exposure risks depend on the form, concentration and route of exposure; ingestion of contaminated food is among the pathways that public health agencies seek to prevent through recalls and import controls.

The recall affects shipments of frozen shrimp exported from the processing plant to the United States, where millions of pounds were reported to have been imported. Federal agencies and the exporting company have been coordinating to identify and halt additional shipments and to trace the distribution of containers already delivered to U.S. ports.

Authorities in Indonesia are continuing sampling and investigation at the industrial complex to determine the contamination pathway and whether the radioactivity is localized or more widespread across the site. The IAEA did not immediately provide a timetable for completion of its technical support or for possible on-site missions by international experts.

U.S. officials have imposed heightened screening and quarantine measures for shipments linked to the exporter, and importers have been urged to check inventories and hold suspect consignments. The FDA has previously issued guidance to distributors and state regulators following the initial detection in containers.

The discovery underscores challenges in preventing contamination when radioactive sources enter the scrap metal stream or industrial processes. Regulators globally have documented cases where orphaned radioactive sources or contaminated scrap have been inadvertently processed, leading to contamination of products and supply chains. Investigators in the current case are focused on confirming the source of the Cesium-137 and ensuring that contaminated foodstuffs are removed from commerce.

Officials said consumers who have purchased affected products should follow recall notices and public health guidance from federal and local authorities. Further updates are expected as Indonesian regulators and the IAEA complete analyses and as U.S. agencies continue inspections and testing of imported seafood linked to the shipments.