December 26, 2025 | 08:47 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has clarified that it has received no new reports of shrimp from Indonesia contaminated with Cesium-137 in the United States.
Ishartini, Head of the Agency for Controlling and Monitoring the Quality of Marine and Fisheries Products, said the recent circulation of such news referred to an old case.
"In fact, Indonesian shrimp with the SMKHP (Quality and Safety Certificate for Fishery Products) issued by the KKP are now entering the American market," Ishartini said in a written statement on Friday, December 26, 2025.
Ishartini confirmed this after reviewing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) release and consulting business actors through the Indonesian Association of Fishery Product Processing and Marketing Producers (AP5I).
She noted that media reports about shrimp being returned or withdrawn were linked to leftover products from the earlier case involving PT Bahari Makmur Sejati in Cikande, Serang Regency, Banten.
According to Ishartini, as of December 22, 2025, 954 containers of Indonesian shrimp, with a total weight of 20,454 tons and a value of Rp3.6 trillion (US$215 million), have been shipped to the United States.
All containers carry the SMKHP certificate confirming they are free of Cesium-137, issued by the BPPMHKP, the FDA-recognized certifying body.
Previously, 1,063 shrimp containers worth over Rp1 trillion from various Fish Processing Units (UPI) in Java and Lampung had already entered the U.S. market.
These shipments were sent before October 13, 2025, and were not accompanied by the new Cesium-137-free certification. Nonetheless, they passed strict inspection or alternative screening procedures, with nearly all containers now arriving at U.S. ports.
"A total of 474 containers have been released into the American market, approximately 44.5 percent, while the remaining containers await FDA inspection results," Ishartini said.
The Cesium-137 contamination issue initially arose in mid-August 2025, traced to airborne particles from a scrap iron smelting plant at PT Peter Metal Technology. In response, the FDA ordered the withdrawal of certain shrimp products.
On December 19, the FDA reported that Direct Source Seafood LLC had withdrawn about 83,800 bags of frozen raw shrimp imported from Indonesia, sold under the Market 32 and Waterfront Bistro brands.
The notice stated that the products “may have been prepared, packaged, or stored in unhygienic conditions” and could be contaminated with Cesium-137.
The withdrawn products included small quantities, two bags weighing 2 pounds (0.91 kg) and 1 pound (0.45 kg), which were distributed to retailers including Price Chopper, Jewel-Osco, Albertsons, Safeway, and Lucky Supermarket.
Read: Indonesian Minister Responds to US Request on Critical Mineral Access
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Indonesia Resumes Spice Exports to US After Radiation Scare
10 hari lalu
BPOM released 174 tons of spice products for export to the United States on Monday, 15 December 2025. The products were declared free from cesium-137 contamination.
Chinese National in Cikande Radioactive Contamination Case Barred from Leaving Indonesia
19 hari lalu
Lin Jingzhang was prevented from leaving the country after being named as a suspect in an environmental pollution case in Cikande, Banten.
Chinese Steel Director Named Suspect in Indonesia's Cesium-137 Contamination Scandal
21 hari lalu
The suspect is Lin Jingzhang, a Chinese national who serves as the director of the steel smelting company PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT).
Indonesia: Radioactive-Contaminated Scrap Metals in Cikande Comes from Domestic Suppliers
21 hari lalu
The radioactive particles contaminated the factory, including the shrimp producer PT Bahari Makmur Sejahtera (BMS).
Environment Ministry Seeks Additional Rp28bn for Cesium-137 Remediation
22 hari lalu
Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq stressed that managing the area contaminated with Cesium-137 requires substantial financial resources.
Smelting Plant PT PMT Named Suspect in Cikande Cesium-137 Contamination
22 hari lalu
The Indonesian Police has named the metal smelting plant PT PMT as a suspect in the Cesium-137 radioactive contamination case in Cikande.
Minister Claims US Trust Restored in Indonesian Shrimp Exports
23 hari lalu
The United States remains Indonesia's largest market for shrimp, with the export value reaching around US$1 billion per year.
Indonesia Exports Cesium-137-Free, Certified Shrimp to the US
23 hari lalu
The Indonesian government has allowed the shipment of 182 tons of shrimp to the United States, worth Rp25 billion.
Indonesia Resumes Shrimp Exports to US After Contamination Case
31 hari lalu
The Indonesian government confirmed that the U.S. requires a radioactive-free certificate for shrimp and cloves imported from Indonesian regions.
Indonesia to Destroy Two Containers of Cesium-137-Tainted Footwear Returned by the US
31 hari lalu
Indonesia's Cesium-137 task force says contaminated footwear shipments will be disposed of in agreement with the manufacturer.
:strip_icc():format(jpeg)/kly-media-production/medias/5316291/original/015050100_1755231247-5.jpg)
