Walmart customers may want to inspect the contents of their frozen shrimp bags more closely after a proposed class-action lawsuit raised questions about how much seafood they are actually receiving.
The lawsuit accuses the retail giant of selling Great Value frozen shrimp that allegedly contains less actual seafood than the amount stated on the package label.
Elijah Baptist, an Illinois shopper, claims some bags contain up to 11 percent less shrimp after the protective layer of ice is removed.
According to the complaint, Baptist purchased Walmart’s frozen shrimp regularly for about three years before noticing the alleged shortfall.
His frustration reportedly peaked in June, when he purchased the seafood for a party he was hosting.
The lawsuit focuses on jumbo packages of raw, tail-on shrimp. The bags reportedly cost about $16 for two pounds and are marketed as containing between 21 and 25 shrimp per pound.
The complaint alleges that roughly one-tenth of the package’s weight may instead consist of an icy glaze covering the shrimp.
Applying a thin layer of frozen water is a common seafood industry practice. Manufacturers use the coating to help protect shrimp from freezer burn.
Walmart is facing a new class-action lawsuit accusing it of selling Great Value frozen shrimp that contains less seafood than promised on the label
Baptist’s objection is not necessarily to the ice coating itself. Rather, he argues that shoppers should not be charged for the glaze as if it were part of the seafood they purchased.
The lawsuit claims some Walmart shrimp packages contain up to 11 percent less seafood than the listed net weight once the shrimp has been thawed and drained.
For someone buying six pounds of shrimp for a 10-person seafood meal, the complaint estimates that the difference could equal about 15 shrimp and approximately $5 in product.
Baptist says he would not have purchased the shrimp—or paid the same price for it—if he had known how much actual seafood the bags contained.
At the heart of the allegations is a seafood-processing practice known as “glazing.”
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The Food and Drug Administration permits an ice coating when it is used appropriately, but says the glaze’s weight should not be included in a seafood product’s net weight.
In other words, a frozen shrimp bag may look substantial on the way home, only for part of that apparent weight to disappear into the sink as the ice melts.
The complaint alleges that Walmart’s Great Value shrimp fails to comply with those requirements and accuses the company of engaging in unfair and deceptive business practices.
The allegations center on the deceptively simple practice known as ‘glazing.’ While an ice coating is perfectly legitimate when used properly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says the weight of the glaze should not be included in the net weight of the seafood (stock image)
The lawsuit claims Walmart’s Great Value shrimp does not meet requirements around ‘glazing’ and accuses the company of unfair and deceptive business practices
Walmart, for its part, has rejected the suggestion that it is intentionally giving seafood customers less than they paid for.
‘We have policies in place to help ensure suppliers provide correctly labeled products,’ a Walmart spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
‘We are reviewing the complaint and will respond in court.’
The allegations are particularly notable because Walmart has previously faced a class-action case over the weight of certain food products.
In that case, the retailer agreed to pay $45 million to settle claims involving allegedly inaccurate weights on meat, poultry and seafood products, without admitting wrongdoing.
The latest lawsuit seeks to represent Illinois consumers who purchased the Great Value shrimp and is asking for damages, restitution and an order requiring Walmart to change its practices.
Baptist is also requesting a jury trial.
For now, there is no finding that Walmart intentionally included excess ice in the advertised weight, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
But the case could leave shoppers wondering whether their next frozen seafood bargain is actually a bargain – or just an expensive bag of very cold water.