Some Walmart shoppers may have received less seafood than they paid for, according to a lawsuit alleging that bags of Great Value frozen shrimp contained as much as 11% less shrimp than their labels indicated.
Here's what to know
Elijah Baptist, who described himself as a frequent buyer of the shrimp, filed the proposed class action on October 8 in Illinois's Cook County.
According to The Independent, citing Top Class Actions, the complaint accuses Walmart of deceptive packaging and violations of state consumer laws.
Baptist said he would have passed on the product if he had known how much shrimp the bags contained. He alleged that some bags were substantially underweight, and his purchases included shrimp he served at a seafood party in June.
At issue is whether the advertised quantity included the weight of an ice coating rather than shrimp alone. Known as an ice glaze, that coating is routinely used on frozen seafood to protect it from freezer burn.
More background
A 2-pound bag of Great Value frozen raw, tail-on jumbo shrimp sells for about $16 and lists a count of 21–25 shrimp per pound, The New York Post noted, per The Independent.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
The shrimp were previously another source of upset when possible contamination with cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, prompted an August 2025 recall of some Great Value shrimp varieties sold at Walmart.
What's being done?
The proposed class action has not specified a dollar amount in damages. According to The Independent, Baptist wanted to bring the case on behalf of Illinois buyers of Walmart's Great Value shrimp products.
Manufacturers can face criminal liability if they count a seafood product's ice glaze toward its advertised net weight. U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules require excluding that coating from the net-weight calculation.
The rule alone does not establish that Walmart or a supplier violated it. The claims about underfilled bags remain allegations, not findings established by the lawsuit.
"We have policies in place to help ensure suppliers provide correctly labeled products," a Walmart spokesperson told The Independent. "We are reviewing the complaint and will respond in court."
Where can I learn more?
The shrimp lawsuit questions whether shoppers got as much seafood as the labels promised, one instance in a growing product transparency problem.
• A Walmart shopper spotted corn chips shrinking from 10 ounces to 9.25 ounces without a price drop.
• A Walmart shopper found digital shelf tag discrepancies between displayed unit prices and totals.
• A shopper found a mostly empty box of ribs, prompting accusations of deceptive packaging.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
