Radioactive Contamination in Indonesian Imports Expected to Continue, Officials Warn
Quick Summary
A Homeland Security intelligence bulletin issued on January 16, 2026, warns that radioactive contamination from Indonesian imports is an ongoing issue expected to expand beyond just shrimp in the coming months. This alert follows a December 19 recall of 84,000 bags of frozen raw shrimp potentially contaminated with cesium-137, processed by PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, a company also involved in a similar recall last August. The problem is already spreading to other goods, as evidenced by the FDA's discovery of cesium-137 in a shipment of cloves from PT Natural Java Spice and the interception of contaminated sneakers at U.S. ports. While officials are almost certain the contamination is unintentional, they are considering the slight possibility of it being introduced by travelers. Despite the serious nature of the threat, the bulletin offers reassurance that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is well-prepared to detect and intercept all affected bulk cargo, and the FDA has confirmed that, so far, no products testing positive for cesium-137 have reached the U.S. market.
The issue with radioactively contaminated imports from Indonesia isn't going away anytime soon, and it looks like it's about to get bigger than just shrimp. A new Homeland Security intelligence...
The issue with radioactively contaminated imports from Indonesia isn't going away anytime soon, and it looks like it's about to get bigger than just shrimp. A new Homeland Security intelligence bulletin, which ABC News got ahold of on January 16, 2026, warns that we should expect to see this problem spread to other products in the coming weeks and months.
This latest warning comes after federal regulators had to recall 84,000 bags of frozen raw shrimp back on December 19. The concern was that the shrimp may have been handled in facilities contaminated with cesium-137, a radioactive isotope. The bulletin suggests this is "very likely" to be an ongoing problem.
And it’s not just seafood. Because so many different goods are made in the affected region, the bulletin is clear: "additional commodities from Indonesia will almost certainly test positive for Cs-137." We're already seeing this happen. The FDA has reported finding cesium-137 in a batch of cloves from an Indonesian company, PT Natural Java Spice. On top of that, contaminated sneakers from Indonesia were intercepted at several U.S. ports just last summer.
The company that processed the shrimp from the December recall, PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati, was the same one involved in a similar recall that started in August. While officials are "nearly certain" the contamination wasn't on purpose, they're still considering the slim possibility that contaminated items could be brought in by tourists or other travelers.
Despite the serious warnings, there is some good news. The bulletin notes that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is "well postured to detect and interdict all impacted bulk cargo shipments," which should prevent these goods from ever reaching the public. The FDA has also confirmed that, so far, no products that have tested positive for cesium-137 have made it into the U.S. market.