Summary
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found radioactive cesium-137 in a sample of cloves imported from Indonesia. This has led to import restrictions on the Indonesian companies involved. The contamination was detected during routine checks, and no contaminated products have reached U.S. consumers.
Key Facts
- The FDA found cesium-137 contamination in cloves from PT Natural Java Spice, an Indonesian company.
- Import restrictions have been placed on PT Natural Java Spice and another company, PT. Bahari Makmur Sejati.
- Cesium-137 is radioactive and can pose health risks if internal exposure occurs.
- The contaminated cloves were detected at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port and were not allowed into U.S. markets.
- No illnesses have been reported from this contamination incident.
- Routine inspections at several major U.S. ports led to the discovery of this contamination.
- These findings raise concerns about international food safety and the effectiveness of current screening methods.
