The US FDA (Food and Drug Agency) announced, effective October 31, 2025, the agency will require import certification for shrimp and spices from certain regions of Indonesia, based on the risk of potential contamination of the food with Cesium-137.
This represents the first use of this Congressional authorized tool to address ongoing food safety problems while keeping trade flowing for products which meet the certification requirements. In addition to issuing Import Alert #99-52 which outlines FDA’s risk-based determination and notice of the implementation of the new requirements, the FDA published a new webpage explaining its import certification authorities.
Congress gave the FDA import certification authority under section 801(q) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act through the Food Safety Modernization Act.
This tool allows the FDA to require certification or other assurance that imported food meets U.S. requirements before the food can leave the port of export for shipment to the U.S. The FDA may use this authority to address ongoing and repeated food safety problems through additional oversight before shipment.
This approach works alongside current tools to cover larger volumes of trade while maintaining safety oversight. Import certification supports foreign firms’ abilities to bring compliant products to U.S. markets while keeping potentially contaminated products out of the U.S.
Cesium-137 contamination
The FDA is taking this action to require import certification after U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected high levels of Cesium-137 in multiple shipments of shrimp and in a sample of cloves from certain regions of Indonesia and the FDA’s laboratory confirmed contamination in food samples, in addition to other evidence and information reviewed by the FDA.
Import certification is a complementary tool that works alongside FDA’s existing import authorities in the Import Process, like Import Alerts. The FDA is using an Import Alert to communicate FDA’s import certification authority.
IMPORT ALERT #99-52, “DETENTION WITHOUT PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF CERTAIN HUMAN FOOD PRODUCTS FROM CERTAIN REGIONS IN INDONESIA SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENT OF IMPORT CERTIFICATION PER SECTION 801(Q) requires certification for:
- Shrimp from the Island of Java and Lampung Province on the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia
- Spices from the Island of Java and Lampung Province on the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
The Import Alert creates a tiered approach with different certification requirements based on contamination risk levels, ensuring that products with appropriate certifications can continue to enter U.S. commerce while preventing potentially contaminated products from reaching consumers.
Resources for Stakeholders
The new import certification webpage provides additional information about this authority, including when FDA may use it, the certification process, and how it complements existing import oversight tools.
How Import Certification Differs from Other Import Tools
Import certification is a complementary tool that works alongside the FDA’s existing import authorities in the Import Process.
- Import Alerts: Employs “detention without physical examination” (DWPE) for products that appear adulterated or violative. Products are detained until compliance is demonstrated through testing at the border or until the firm has addressed the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of a violation.
- Import Certification: Offers additional assurance to enable continued trade for products with a certification or assurance specified by the FDA, which may include audits of foreign firms or facility certification, or pre-shipment testing by designated entities, while allowing compliant products to move efficiently through the import process. (Ref:Import Certification)
- How Import Certification Works
Certifying Entities – FDA designates which entities may provide import certification, which may include:
- An agency or a representative of the government of the country from which the article of food at issue originated
- Third-party certification bodies accredited under FDA’s Accredited Third-Party Certification Program
Certification Forms – Import certification may take various forms, including:
- Shipment-specific certificates
- Listings of certified facilities
- Other forms as FDA specifies, such as testing records, audit reports, or certificates of analysis
- References: FDA Response to Imported Foods Potentially Contaminated with Cesium-137 | FDA
Update on the situation in Indonesia
Reuters reported that Indonesia’s shrimp industry suffered a 30-35% drop in processing absorption after a radioactive contamination was detected in a batch of shrimp shipped to the U.S. in August, the country’s shrimp farmers’ association said on Friday.
Indonesia is the world’s fifth largest shrimp exporter, accounting for 6% of global exports. “While the contamination finding was in just one shrimp consignment from one company, PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS), the US and other foreign buyers are now waiting to determine whether all shrimp from Indonesia is safe”, said Andi Tamsil, head of Indonesia’s shrimp farmers’ association. “Prices have fallen by up to 35% in several regions. Since BMS was added to the U.S. FDA’s red list, shrimp absorption from farmers has decreased by around 30%-35%,” Tamsil told Reuters.
In 2024, Indonesia exported about 215,000 tonnes of shrimp, valued at about $1.7 billion, according to government data. The U.S. is the main market for Indonesian shrimp, accounting for 63.7% of the total exports, followed by Japan.
“If this continues, millions of households that depend on this industry from upstream to downstream are at risk of losing their jobs,” Tamsil said. “The shrimp industry had become the victim of negligence and the incident had shaken public confidence, he added. “This fatal mistake has caused the U.S. to question the safety of our food.”
Indonesia established a task force after the US FDA issued an advisory to American consumers, distributors and sellers not to eat, sell or serve frozen shrimp imported by BMS, doing business as BMS Foods, after their products were associated with Cesium 137 contamination. So far, the U.S. FDA has listed, 10 brands associated with BMS.
