Walmart accused of skimping on frozen shrimp and selling customers overpriced ice in a new class-action lawsuit

Walmart shoppers may want to take a closer look at what is really lurking inside their bags of frozen shrimp. 

The retail giant is facing a new proposed class-action lawsuit accusing it of selling Great Value frozen shrimp that contains less seafood than promised on the label.

Illinois shopper Elijah Baptist claims some bags contain up to 11 percent less shrimp than advertised once their protective icy coating is removed.

Baptist says he regularly bought the Walmart shrimp for around three years before discovering the alleged discrepancy.

His disappointment reportedly reached boiling point after he bought the seafood for a party he hosted in June.

The lawsuit claims the jumbo bags of raw, tail-on shrimp cost around $16 for two pounds and are advertised as containing between 21 and 25 shrimp per pound.

According to the complaint, however, approximately one-tenth of the weight allegedly comes from an ice glaze coating the shrimp.

That glaze is not exactly a new seafood trick, as manufacturers commonly use a thin layer of frozen water to protect shrimp from freezer burn.

The problem, according to Baptist, is that shoppers should not be paying for that protective layer as though it were actual seafood.

The lawsuit alleges that some of Walmart’s bags contain as much as 11 percent less shrimp than the stated net weight once the shrimp is thawed and drained.

For a hungry host buying six pounds for a 10-person seafood feast, the complaint claims that could amount to roughly 15 missing shrimp and about $5 worth of product.

Baptist says he would not have bought the shrimp or paid as much for it had he known how much seafood he was actually getting.

The allegations center on the deceptively simple practice known as ‘glazing.’

While an ice coating is perfectly legitimate when used properly, the Food and Drug Administration says the weight of the glaze should not be included in the net weight of the seafood.

That means a bag can emerge from the freezer looking satisfyingly hefty, only for some of that heft to disappear down the kitchen sink once the ice melts.

The lawsuit claims Walmart’s Great Value shrimp does not meet those requirements and accuses the company of unfair and deceptive business practices.

Walmart, however, has pushed back against the suggestion that it is deliberately short-changing seafood lovers.

‘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.