Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a report summarizing findings from its May 2026 in-country assessment of Indonesia’s Cesium-137 (Cs-137) import certification program for certain shrimp and spice products.
In August 2025, the FDA detected Cs-137 in certain shrimp and clove products imported from Indonesia. In response, the FDA issued Import Alert 99-52 and began requiring import certification for certain shrimp and spice products from Indonesia under section 801(q) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The primary health effect of concern following longer term, repeated low dose exposure to Cs-137 (e.g., through consumption of contaminated food or water over time) is an elevated risk of cancer, resulting from damage to DNA within living cells of the body.
The FDA designated Indonesia’s Marine and Fisheries Quality Assurance Agency (MFQAA) as the Certifying Entity (CE) for shrimp and Indonesia’s Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) as the CE for spice products. Import certification under Import Alert 99-52 marked the FDA’s first use of this authority, which Congress provided through the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, to address a known food safety risk while allowing products that meet U.S. requirements to continue entering the U.S. market. Import certification provides additional oversight before shipment and helps keep potentially contaminated products out of the United States while facilitating trade in products that meet the FDA’s certification requirements.
In May 2026, the FDA conducted an in-country assessment to evaluate how the two CEs implemented the certification program. The FDA’s assessment included visits to the CE offices, shrimp and spice processing establishments, and three laboratories that perform analysis in support of the certification program.
The FDA found that both CEs substantially met the responsibilities outlined in the FDA certification designation letters and corresponding appendices. The FDA identified one item for each CE requiring a correction and a few program improvement opportunities. Both agencies responded promptly with revisions, and the FDA determined that their responses satisfactorily addressed the findings. The FDA also found that all three laboratories met applicable testing requirements.
Based on these findings, the FDA will maintain MFQAA and BPOM as the CE for shrimp and spice products, respectively, and will continue to monitor implementation of the certification program. These results demonstrate that the certification program continues to function effectively, with the FDA’s oversight ensuring that both CEs meet their responsibilities in a manner that supports the safety of imported products and protects U.S. consumers.