By Karim Hammam
A class action lawsuit filed in Cook County, Illinois, accuses Walmart of deceiving customers by including excessive ice glaze in its Great Value frozen shrimp packages, resulting in less shrimp than advertised.
Lawsuit Alleges Underweight Shrimp
Plaintiff Elijah Baptist filed the suit on October 8, claiming he frequently purchased the product and discovered some bags contained up to 11 percent less shrimp than the labeled net weight. The lawsuit argues that the ice coating, intended to prevent freezer burn, is being counted toward the net weight in violation of U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines.
FDA Rules on Glaze Weight
According to FDA regulations, the weight of the glaze cannot be included in the product's net weight, and manufacturers can face criminal liability for doing so. Baptist asserts that had he known the actual shrimp content was lower, he would not have bought the product.
Walmart Responds
A Walmart spokesperson stated the company has policies to ensure suppliers provide correctly labeled products and said it is reviewing the complaint and will respond in court. The suit seeks to represent all Illinois consumers who purchased Great Value shrimp products, with damages yet to be determined.
Previous Contamination Recall
Great Value frozen shrimp previously made headlines in August 2025 when certain products were recalled due to possible contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope that can cause serious health effects at high exposure levels.
