Seafood in general, and shrimp in particular, have been getting a lot of time in the news lately, and not always for good reasons. First, a large number of shrimp have been recalled due to radiation exposure across multiple different states. Next, there are many reports of people finding that the shrimp and other seafoods in their freezer are actually glowing.

Shockingly, these two things are not at all related.

The glowing shrimp aren’t radioactive at all, and while most people will choose not to eat them once they learn the cause, it likely isn’t harmful to consume.

The US Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that they have gotten an increasing number of reports from people who discovered that their seafood was glowing in the dark. After analyzing the glowing seafood, it was discovered that there were two specific types of bacteria present: Photobacterium phosphoreum and Vibro logei.

Both of these are common in marine environments. The P. phosphoreum is a bacterium that has been well-d0cumented for being bioluminescent. This bacteria is responsible for the glowing that takes place on many animals, including the iconic anglerfish. Of all the glowing seafood, this is believed to be the most common cause.

The other bacterium, Vibro logei, however, can also be a cause. This bacterium is found in the light organ of squid that have the ability to generate their own light.

Neither of these bacterial strains are known to cause any harm when consumed by humans. They are, however, a type of bacteria, so if they are living on the seafood, it is also possible that other, potentially harmful, bacteria is there too. With that in mind, some experts may recommend discarding the seafood if you find that it is glowing.

It is important to note that both of these strains of bacteria are resistant to cold, which is why they seem to survive just fine while in the freezer. Cooking them, however, should kill them off, if you are still planning on eating the glow in the dark seafood.

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