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View all search resultsGovt flags irradiated scrap from Philippines amid contaminated shrimp exports to US
Following the FDA’s advisory over contaminated frozen shrimp from Indonesia, the government revealed it had detected the same radioactive isotop in scrap metal imports from the Philippines, though it has not confirmed a link between the two.
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A freight truck drives past stacks of containers on Aug. 18, 2023, at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
C
oordinating Food Minister Zulkifli Hasan disclosed on Friday that nine containers of scrap metal imported from the Philippines were found to be contaminated with cesium-137 (Cs-137), a radioactive by-product of nuclear fission.
The discovery comes just weeks after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of radioactive contamination in some exports of raw frozen shrimp from Indonesia.
As a precaution, the government will return 14 containers to the Philippines, including the nine contaminated ones from the same shipment, which also lacked an import permit from the Trade Ministry.
“Indonesia is actually the victim here,” Zulkifli said, pointing out that the irradiated shipment was discovered around the same time as the US warning over contaminated shrimp exports.
He added that the incident underscored the urgency of tightening controls on imported scrap metal.
“A special task force has been formed to handle this case. We are also reviewing and strengthening regulations, especially for [waste materials] like scrap,” the senior minister said.
Read also: US recalls shrimp imported from Indonesia over potential radioactivity scare
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