Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) delivered a grim warning on the Senate floor, suggesting that consuming imported frozen shrimp might transform you into an alien.
The 73-year-old was discussing a recent recall for shrimp imported from a farm in Indonesia called BMS Foods.
On Tuesday, the FDA announced a recall, revealing that a radioactive isotope named Cesium-137 (Cs-137) was detected in certain frozen shrimp brands, including Walmart’s Great Value range.
The warning clarified that none of the products had hit shelves, and the contaminated products ‘pose an acute hazard to consumers’.
Despite this, Kennedy conveyed a different perspective, asserting that individuals who accidentally consume these products might end up resembling the creature from the 1979 sci-fi/horror movie, Alien.
‘If you consume the recalled shrimp, how could you resemble the alien from Alien? Because the shrimp contained radioactivity. Seriously,’ Kennedy stated on the Senate floor, standing before an unsettling image of the fictional creature.
‘It included a radioactive isotope known as Cesium-137. It is lethal. Even if it doesn’t transform you into the Alien, I assure you consuming this could lead to growing an extra ear. That was alarming enough, prompting the FDA to issue a recall.’
Kennedy continued by arguing that other nations do not adhere to the same food safety standards as the United States, warning that eating imported frozen foods might turn you into an alien ‘or, at the very least, cause you to grow an additional ear.’
Republican Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana claimed that eating recalled shrimp could make you resemble an alien
The FDA recalled certain frozen shrimp brands after a radioactive isotope contaminated products packed at an Indonesian farm
Kennedy spoke on the Senate floor in front of an image of a creature from the 1979 sci-fi/horror film, Alien (pictured)
The Republican senator accused the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of failing to properly inspect imported seafood, claiming the department only checks one to two percent of the products.
He then claimed that countries like the United Kingdom and China are better at inspecting imported fish.
Kennedy added that he believes the shrimp in Indonesia and abroad are grown in unsanitary conditions, claiming that farmers ‘shoot the shrimp’ with a radioactive isotope.
‘Now, I am biased. I believe in homegrown Louisiana shrimp, fresh out of the Gulf, not radioactive,’ Kennedy continued.
‘But I understand that some stores prefer to buy foreign shrimp because it is cheaper. Now we know why: The damn stuff is radioactive’.
The companies that issued recalls included: Southwind Foods, Beaver Street Fisheries, and AquaStar Corp, according to the FDA.
The FDA said the shrimp that were prepared or packed in the Indonesian farm appeared to be ‘held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated with Cs-137 and may pose a safety concern’.
The farm has been placed on an import alert due to chemical contamination and won’t be shipped to the US until conditions improve.
The FDA issued an import alert for the Indonesian farm, adding that the conditions appeared to be unsanitary (file photo)
The companies that issued recalls included: Southwind Foods, Beaver Street Fisheries, Great Value, and AquaStar Corp, according to the FDA
The contaminated products never entered the US marketplace, and the level of Cs-137 detected was below the FDA’s intervention level.
The recall was placed to prevent exposure to low-level radiation that could have health impacts over a long period of time.
Exposure to radioactive isotopes could increase cancer risks, but won’t result in ‘alien deformities’ or ‘an extra ear’.
Daily Mail has reached out to the Food and Drug Administration for comment on Kennedy’s claims.
Kennedy has frequently made headlines for his outlandish comments. He was trolled on social media in 2022 for a video where he slammed calls to defund the police, declaring: ‘Look, if you hate cops just because they’re cops, the next time you’re in trouble, call a crackhead’.
