Contaminated Shrimp Product Cesium-137 Allegedly From Steel Disbursement Factory, Deputy Minister Diaz Says This

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Control Agency (LH) Diaz Hendropriyono also responded to the findings of frozen shrimp products processed by a company from Indonesia, PT Bahari Makmur Sejati or BMS Food contaminated with Cs-137 when entering the United States (US).

The reason is, the frozen shrimp product is suspected of being contaminated with Cs-137 while at its factory, Serang Regency, Banten.

Meanwhile, around the factory, there is a steel smelter factory that is suspected to be the cause of frozen shrimp products contaminated with Cs-137, aka a radioactive isotope cesium.

Diaz admitted that he had reported the matter to Minister LH Hanif Faisol and was being investigated by the Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement.

"Yes, that's right, yesterday I reported with the Minister and I have also coordinated with the Deputy of Gakkum. We received information from Mr. Trenggono during our coordination meeting (Rakor) at the Coordinating Ministry for Food," Diaz said when met by reporters at JCC, Friday, August 22.

According to Diaz, his party did not know for sure where the Cs-137 exposure came from.

However, he claimed, his party always monitors air pollution so far.

"But, so far, KLH has always monitored the air, air pollution and factories that are quoted as not following naughty (akas) rules," he said.

According to him, the Ministry of Environment has also closed a number of metal smelting factories in the area a few months ago. The closed factories allegedly did not follow the applicable rules.

"We have closed three metal smelting factories that do not meet or do not comply with applicable standards. There is one factory that has a furnace of seven, but only three pipes. There is a metal smelting factory that does not manage the lag. There is even a metal smelting factory in the area that also has a furnace, but at all it doesn't have aET," explained Diaz.

"So, things like that, right, cause air pollution. Because of the furnace, the burning is not going through the process. It just goes into the air," he continued.

Even so, Diaz said, his party has a work unit that can monitor this development.

"And fortunately we have a Gakkum team that is monitoring it using drones. Apparently, we saw a type of smoke coming out without going through the sink. From there, we immediately sealed it," he explained.

When asked further whether frozen shrimp products were contaminated with Cs-137 due to this, Diaz could not confirm yet.

"Well, we don't know yet. But what I know is that this morning the Minister and Deputy Gakkum have gone to the location and I haven't met him again," explained Diaz.

"But, we have immediately gone to the field, because we consider this contamination to be very serious," he concluded.

Previously, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers not to consume the Great Value frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart.

The warning came after US customs authorities detected contamination of the Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive isotopic in containers of shrimp shipments originating from Indonesia.

The FDA said contamination was detected by Customs and US Border Protection (CBP) at four main ports, namely Los Angeles, Houston, airway and Miami. The container, which tested positive for Cs-137, was immediately rejected entry into the United States.

Although the FDA confirmed that there has been no confirmation of direct contamination of commercial shrimp products in the US market, the agency said it is likely that the product has been prepared, packaged or stored in an unhygienic condition that opens up opportunities for exposure to radioactive isotopes.

"If you have just bought a raw frozen shrimp from Walmart according to this description, throw it away. Don't eat or serve this product," the FDA wrote in a statement, quoted from the official fda.gov website, Wednesday, August 20.

Menurut FDA, meskipun paparan Cs-137 terbatas, dapat meningkatkan risiko kanker akibat kerusakan DNA dalam sel-sel tubuh. FDA menilai, meski kadar isotop terdeteksi masih berada di bawah tingkat kekhawatiran, penarikan produk dilakukan untuk menghindari paparan dosis rendah yang bisa terakumulasi dalam jangka panjang.

- https://voi.id/ekonomi/506965/udang-beku-ri-ditemukan-tercemar-cesium-mendag-pastikan-ekspor-produk-perikanan-ke-as-tetap-jalan

- https://voi.id/ekonomi/506957/ada-laporkan-udang-beku-ri-tercemar-cesium-mendag-setop-sementara-ekspor-pt-bms-ke-as

- https://voi.id/ekonomi/506952/as-laporkan-udang-beku-ri-tercemar-cesium-mendag-bakal-lakukan-inspeksi

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According to the FDA, although exposure to Cs-137 is limited, it can increase the risk of cancer due to DNA damage in body cells. The FDA assesses that although isotopic levels are detected to be still below the level of concern, product withdrawals are carried out to avoid exposure to low doses that can be accumulated in the long term.