FDA recalls related to this incident were listed on the 2025 Recalls of Frozen Shrimp Products Associated with Cesium-137 Contamination

Indonesia Launches 'Radiation-Free' Certificate to Save Shrimp Exports to US

INDONESIA
Wednesday, November 05, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

US FDA Demands New Certification After Cesium-137 Detection in Shipments from Java and Lampung; Indonesia Strengthens Quality Control

Yakarta — The Indonesian government has implemented a special certification scheme to ensure that shrimp exported to the United States (US) are free from the radioactive isotope Cesium-137 (Cs-137). This urgent measure responds to an import alert issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after detecting traces of the radioactive material in a batch of Indonesian shrimp in August 2025.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), through its Agency for Quality Supervision and Control (Quality Agency), is spearheading the effort.

"The KKP, through the Quality Agency, has prepared a scheme and procedure for Cs-137-free certification in accordance with the requirements set by the US FDA and Import Alert #99-52," stated Ishartini, Head of the KKP Quality Agency, in a statement in Jakarta on Monday, November 3, 2025.

Context of the US Alert and Origin of Contamination

The FDA activated Import Alert #99-52 on October 31, 2025, a date that now requires official certification for shrimp and spices originating from specific high-risk regions in Indonesia.

• Affected Regions: Certification is required for shrimp originating from Java Island and the province of Lampung on Sumatra Island.

• Cause of Contamination: Investigations conducted by Indonesian authorities (including the Nuclear Energy Supervisory Agency (Bapeten) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)) traced the Cs-137 contamination back to the Cikande Industrial Zone in the Banten province, near Serang. It was determined that the contamination originated from imported scrap metal waste containing radioactive material, not from the shrimp farms themselves. The specific source was traced to a metal smelting plant near processing facilities.

• Initial Impact: Following the initial detection in August 2025, the FDA recalled frozen shrimp products from the company PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS Foods) and suspended its imports until the issue is resolved. Shrimp is a key export for Indonesia, valued between $1.7 billion and $2.2 billion in 2024, constituting about 40% of the country's total marine exports.

Indonesian Response and Next Steps

The KKP was designated by the FDA as the Certifying Entity (CE) for Indonesian shrimp. The ministry has collaborated with Bapeten and BRIN to establish a process that includes detection and testing at critical control points in the production chain in the Java and Lampung regions.

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• First Certified Shipments: The first shipment of shrimp utilizing the new Cs-137-free certificate departed from the container terminal at Tanjung Priok Port, Jakarta, on Friday, October 31, 2025, destined for the ports of New York (NY) and Los Angeles (LA). A subsequent shipment sailed on November 1 bound for Miami and Jacksonville.

 

• Minister's Commitment: The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, emphasized the KKP's commitment to "providing quality assurance in every fishing production chain so that the products produced are of high quality and safe for consumers" to maintain international market confidence.

Indonesian authorities have conducted a massive cleanup effort, removing over 550 tons of Cs-137-contaminated material from 22 factories and industrial areas in Cikande, attempting to eliminate the risk of future contamination and secure Indonesia's position as a reliable global seafood supplier.

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