Dear Supporters,

Current events have led me to send 2 petition updates this weekend for signers of the Change petition.  We do not as yet have an official connection between Fukushima and the shrimp recalls. The shrimp in question may all be farmed shrimp from Indonesia. The shrimp may have been fed food from the Fukushima region, as explained by marine biologist Tim Deere-Jones.

The shrimp has been designated the second-highest health hazard warning, a Class II, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The recalls have expanded to multiple brands in addition to Walmart being sold in at least 33 states. Shipping container(s) and at least one bag of frozen breaded shrimp were found to test positive for cesium 137.  You can see a list of recalled shrimp products on the FDA website. We await more information from FDA pending their investigation.

This Labor Day, it's also important to think about the workers who may have come in contact with the shipping container(s) that were thought to be contaminated with cesium 137.  Any level of exposure, no matter how small, carries some risk.

Tim also had thoughts on worker safety (or lack of). Which makes sense because he's a marine biologist who also specializes in marine radioactivity and cargo safety.

"If, as it appears to have been suggested by some sources, the containers in which the shrimp were transported were the source of the detected Cs 137 contamination, this is a matter of equal concern.  

Given the very low reported levels of Cs 137 in Indonesian marine environments, there is a strong possibility that the food fed to the shrimps is the source of elevated Caesium 137 in the batches of shrimps detained at US ports and possibly sold on the USA open market. Workers will have been involved in loading these containers, transport operatives and dockside operatives will have manoeuvered and handled the containers and may also have been contaminated.

Containers are NOT dedicated to one single cargo type and are repeatedly re-used. Other materials (foods, closing, personal utensils etc.) may have been or may be, loaded into and transported via these and similar containers.

It is strongly advised that the source of potential contamination of the suspect containers is investigated with the utmost rigour." 

~ Tim Deere-Jones, Marine Radioactivity and Hazardous Cargo Research Consultancy

Please continue to share this Change petition and also the MoveOn petition Keep Harmful Radioactive Waste Out of Our Childrens's Food, Conventionally Grown or Organic.  FDA offices will be open tomorrow so please take a few minutes to share your concerns at 1-888-SAFEFOOD. Leave a message for Commissioner Marty Makary to respond to the Citizen Petition Docket FDA-2013-P-0291-0001 (which is also linked in the MoveOn petition).

Thank you!

~Kim

Kimberly Roberson, Project Director 
Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network (FFAN)
Affiliated with the National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy