**New York State Senator Chen Hsueh-li’s Office Alerted to Suspicious Sale of Frozen Shrimp**
Yesterday, a complaint was received by the office of New York State Senator Chen Hsueh-li, reporting that foreigners were driving small trucks in the area between 55th and 59th Streets on 8th Avenue in Brooklyn, selling frozen shrimp at a low price of “three packs for $10.” Residents suspected that these shrimp might be the same ones recalled by the FDA as “radiated shrimp” some time ago.
The communications director of the office, Ling Fei, stated that multiple residents had called to report the situation: “Some people saw it on Monday, others saw it on Wednesday, and there were still people buying them yesterday (November 7). Many elderly residents are unaware of the news and bought them simply because they were cheap, having no idea if these shrimp were safe.”
Upon inspecting the packaging on-site, Ling Fei discovered that it prominently displayed the “Great Value” label, which is a brand under Walmart that was recently included in the FDA’s recall list for frozen shrimp contaminated with the radioactive element cesium-137.
**Recall Background: Shrimp Tested Positive for Cesium-137**
On August 19 of this year, the FDA announced that frozen shrimp products processed by the Indonesian company PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (operating under the name BMS Foods in the U.S.) were found to be contaminated with the radioactive element cesium-137 (Cs-137) during testing.
The first affected products were Walmart’s own brand Great Value Frozen Raw Shrimp (lot numbers 8005540-1, 8005538-1, 8005539-1 with an expiration date of March 15, 2027), sold in various states across the U.S.
After detecting Cs-137 at ports in Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) initiated an investigation, confirming the presence of radioactive substances in frozen breaded shrimp produced by the company. While the radiation levels found in the sample (approximately 68 Bq/kg) were below the FDA intervention standard (1200 Bq/kg), they still constituted a “non-natural radioactivity source,” categorizing them as a potential health risk.
The FDA noted that these shrimp products seemed to be prepared, packaged, or stored under unsanitary conditions, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. As a result, the company was placed on the Import Alert Red List, halting all products from entering the U.S. market until the issues were addressed.
Since the initial report, the FDA has issued 11 recall notices from August 21 to October 17, affecting other brands of the company. Multiple distributors and food companies have also recalled their products, impacting over 30 states.
According to a news release on the FDA’s website updated on October 1, no contaminated products have entered the U.S. market so far. However, the public is advised to discard any suspicious batches of frozen shrimp, refrain from consuming or reselling them and contact retailers for recall details. The investigation is ongoing.
Cesium-137 is a radioactive isotope generated from artificial nuclear reactions and can be found in contaminated soil, water, and food. Prolonged low-dose exposure may lead to DNA damage, increasing the risk of cancer. Although the detected levels in this case were not considered dangerous, the FDA took preventive recall measures to reduce the long-term radiation exposure risk to the public.
**Community Emergency Alert: Involvement of Health Department and Police via 311**
Regarding the appearance of “ultra-cheap frozen shrimp” on 8th Avenue, Ling Fei mentioned that he had reported the issue using the 311 helpline. The 311 system responded by forwarding the case to the city’s Health Department and advised him to also submit a complaint on the FDA website simultaneously.
Ling Fei explained that since the truck happened to be parked next to a fire hydrant, he also informed the police citing it as illegal parking to address the situation promptly. “This is the fastest way to involve the police and halt the sales.”
Reportedly, officers from the 72nd Precinct arrived on the scene, but the street vendor had likely caught wind of the situation and left early. Ling Fei urged residents to contact the councilman’s office at 718-333-0311 if the street vendor reappears over the weekend. Individuals can also call 311 themselves, select “Illegal Street Vendor” as the primary category, and specify “suspicious sale of food possibly recalled by the FDA” for prompt referral to the relevant authorities for follow-up actions.
Although the packaging batch numbers of the Great Value shrimp sold on 8th Avenue currently differ from those announced by the FDA, Ling Fei pointed out that the street vendor sells them for only “three packs for ten dollars,” equivalent to just over three dollars per pack, significantly lower than the normal supermarket price of seven to eight dollars. “There is nothing that cheap in the world.”
“We’ve checked the FDA data, the products from this Indonesian company are still on the restriction list until the corrective actions are completed. The shrimp sold by the street vendors are the same as those of the company, even though the batches are different, as some batches have been found with issues, the safety of others cannot be guaranteed. The FDA investigation is still ongoing, and it’s best to refrain from purchasing any products related to this company to avoid falling victim to deception.”
He urged residents to stay vigilant: “Do not buy or consume frozen shrimp with unknown origins, especially if there are elderly or children at home. Report suspicious sales immediately, and we will conduct periodic inspections on 8th Avenue to ensure the immediate cessation of this illegal sales activity.”