2 Food Recalls You Need To Know About This Week

Food recalls typically happen because of contamination with foodborne pathogens or labeling mistakes that lead to undeclared allergens. This week's news is anything but typical.

It’s rare for recalls to involve possible radiation exposure or counterfeit USDA inspection stamps. Yet, both issues surfaced in two major announcements this week, affecting frozen shrimp and a variety of meat products.

FDA Warns Consumers Not To Eat Potentially Radioactive Shrimp

This week, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public alert, warning consumers that certain raw frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart may have been contaminated with radiation. 

The FDA was alerted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after shipping containers from Indonesia, arriving at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami, were found to contain Cs-137, a radioactive isotope.

The public alert revealed that Walmart received "implicated" raw frozen shrimp, which means the frozen shrimp in stores could be radioactive. Walmart has since recalled the product, according to an NPR report.

Here’s how to identify the potentially contaminated shrimp sold at Walmart:

• Product Name: Frozen Raw EZ-Peel Tail-On Farm-Raised White Vannamei Shrimp
  Product Size: 2-pound bag
  Lot codes: 8005540-1, 8005538-1, and 8005539-1
  Best By Date: 3/15/2027

This shrimp was sold at Walmart stores in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.

The FDA urged shoppers to toss packages of Great Value raw frozen shrimp bought at Walmart, and we expect that Walmart's customer service will issue a refund if customers present a receipt.

The same Indonesian company that processed Walmart's shrimp also supplied shrimp to Southwind Foods, which is now recalling some of its shrimp. Southwind distributes its shrimp to Kroger under the Sand Bar and Great American Seafood Imports Co., among others.

32,000 Pounds of Meat Recalled for Fraudulent USDA Inspection Mark

On August 20, Sabrositos Hondurenos, LLC of Edison, New Jersey, recalled approximately 32,000 pounds of various meat products. Investigators from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) discovered the meat products had fraudulent USDA marks of inspection on their labels. 

To be considered safe to eat, all meat and egg products need a real USDA mark of inspection with an establishment (EST) number. The USDA never inspected Sabrositos Hondurenos, and the packaging has a fake establishment number: “EST. 1785.”

Eating food that a federal agency hasn’t inspected is unsafe because it may contain harmful bacteria or other contaminants that pose a health risk.

The recalled items were sold nationwide and come in 14-ounce vacuum-sealed packages labeled OLANCHO SABROCITOS HONDUREÑOS. The recalled products are:

• Homestyle Chorizo (Chorizo Suelto Olanchano)
• Smoked Pork Chops (Chuleta Ahumada Olanchana)
• Smoked Chorizo (Chorizo Ahumado Olanchano)
• Cased Homestyle Chorizo (Chorizo Olanchano Criollo)
• Smoked BBQ Spicy Chorizo (Chorizo Parrillero)
• Smoked Ribs (Costilla Ahumada Olanchana)

The FSIS will keep the public informed if any other products are found to have a fake mark of inspection and establishment number. If you have food safety-related questions about this recall, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-MPHotline (888-674-6854). Alternatively, you can send a written question to MPHotline@usda.gov.