Illinois

Potentially radioactive shrimp shipped to IL grocery store. Check for these codes

In this stock image, a person reaches into a grocery store’s freezer to pull out a bag of shrimp.
Tens of thousands of bags of frozen shrimp are being recalled over possible contamination with a radioisotope. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Tens of thousands of bags of shrimp are being recalled over possible contamination with a radioactive material that can increase cancer risk with prolonged exposure.

In a company announcement Sept. 19, Aquastar of Seattle said it was recalling some 85,000 bags of raw and cooked shrimp products shipped to Kroger and other stores in Illinois and 30 other states.

The risk? They may have been prepared, packed or held in unsanitary conditions where they were contaminated with cesium-137, a man-made radioisotope of cesium.

It’s the latest in a string of frozen shrimp recalls due to contamination with cesium-137, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating an Indonesian supplier for the issues.

Which shrimp products are included in the Illinois recall?

The recall applies to the following products:

  • Approximately 49,920 bags of Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel shrimp
  • Approximately 18,000 bags of Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-off shrimp
  • Approximately 17,264 bags of Aquastar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers

The products were shipped to stores in 31 states, including Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky.

For each product, look for the following lot codes.

Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp, packaged in transparent, printed bag with a blue band at the top with yellow and red details:

  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5085 10, Best If Used By: 03 26 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5097 11, Best If Used By: 04 07 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5106 11, Best If Used By: 04 16 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5107 10, Best If Used By: 04 17 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5111 11, Best If Used By: 04 21 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5112 10, Best If Used By: 04 22 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5113 10, Best If Used By: 04 23 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5113 11, Best If Used By: 04 23 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5114 10, Best If Used By: 04 24 27
  • UPC 20011110643906, lot code 10662 5114 11, Best If Used By: 04 24 27
Aquastar of Seattle has issued a recall on this product, Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp, shipped to Illinois Kroger locations for possible contamination with cesium-137.
Aquastar of Seattle has issued a recall on this product, Kroger Raw Colossal EZ Peel Shrimp, shipped to Illinois Kroger locations for possible contamination with cesium-137. Provided photo

Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, packaged in a clear plastic bag. It has a white label with green stripes on top of each bag:

  • UPC 011110626196, lot code 10662 5112 11, Best Before: 10 22 2027
  • UPC 011110626196, lot code 10662 5113 10, Best Before: 10 23 2027
Aquastar of Seattle issued a recall Sept. 19 for this product, Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, shipped to Illinois Kroger locations for possible contamination with cesium-137.
Aquastar of Seattle issued a recall Sept. 19 for this product, Kroger Mercado Cooked Medium Peeled Tail-Off Shrimp, shipped to Illinois Kroger locations for possible contamination with cesium-137. Provided photo

AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers, packaged in a printed bag with a black top and blue bottom. There are printed pictures of the shrimp skewers inside:

  • UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5127 10, Best If Used By: 11 07 2027
  • UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5128 11, Best If Used By: 11 08 2027
  • UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5133 11, Best If Used By: 11 13 2027
  • UPC 731149390010, lot code 10662 5135 10, Best If Used By: 11 15 2027
Aquastar of Seattle issued a recall Sept. 19 for this product, AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers, shipped to Illinois Kroger locations for possible contamination with cesium-137.
Aquastar of Seattle issued a recall Sept. 19 for this product, AquaStar Raw Peeled Tail-on Shrimp Skewers, shipped to Illinois Kroger locations for possible contamination with cesium-137. Provided photo

According to the notice, consumers who purchased one of the affected shrimp products should toss it out or return it to the place it was purchased for a refund.

Consumers with questions can contact the company at 1-800-331-3440 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST Monday through Friday.

Do you have an Illinois business or consumer question for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.

Aaron Mudd
Lexington Herald-Leader
Aaron Mudd was a service journalism reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader, Centre Daily Times and Belleville News-Democrat. He was based at the Herald-Leader in Lexington, and left the paper in February 2026. Support my work with a digital subscription
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