November 13, 2025 | 11:35 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Cs-137 Task Force for Handling the Hazards of Radioactive Radionuclide Cesium-137 announced that U.S. retail giant Walmart has expressed its readiness to work with the Indonesian government.
The move seeks to rebuild market confidence and restore the reputation of Indonesian products after reports of radioactive contamination in shrimp and cloves.
“Food safety remains our top priority in all trade partnerships,” said Bara Krishna Hasibuan, Head of the Diplomacy and Communication Division of the Cs-137 Task Force, in a written statement on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Bara made the statement following a meeting between Task Force representatives and Walmart officials during their visit to Washington D.C., United States, from November 4 to 7, 2025.
He explained that the four-day mission aimed to strengthen coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) on Indonesia’s ongoing measures to address Cs-137 contamination.
In addition to Walmart, the delegation also held discussions with key American seafood and spice industry associations, including the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA), and McCormick, a leading spice importer from Indonesia.
According to Bara, the NFI offered technical cooperation to enhance Indonesia’s equipment capacity and training, while requesting data on decontamination progress, contamination analysis, and preventive measures, such as installing radiation detectors at scrap metal processing facilities.
Meanwhile, NFI, ASTA, and McCormick voiced support for re-exporting Indonesian shrimp and spices that had been placed under import alerts back to the United States.
The three organizations also agreed to launch a joint positive campaign to rebuild consumer confidence in American markets.
To further reinforce diplomatic engagement and outreach, the Cs-137 Task Force invited U.S. importers and industry associations in the spice and fisheries sectors to establish direct partnerships with their Indonesian counterparts.
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