A proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Illinois alleges that some bags of Walmart’s Great Value frozen shrimp contained less shrimp than the package weight stated. The complaint, identified as Baptist v. Walmart Inc., was filed October 8 in Cook County Circuit Court, according to inkl.com. It alleges shortfalls of up to 11% and says attorneys tested 10 bags, each of which weighed less than its label amount. These are allegations in a proposed case, not a court finding.
The dispute turns on what counts as shrimp weight
The complaint focuses on ice glaze—the protective ice coating on frozen seafood—and alleges it was included in the declared weight, leaving buyers with less shrimp than the package indicated. FDA guidance says frozen seafood net weight may not include ice glaze and cites federal requirements for accurate net-quantity statements, as well as a prohibition on adding glaze to increase food’s bulk or weight. The agency also says its guidance documents do not themselves establish legally enforceable responsibilities.
The lawsuit follows a May investigation by Georgia’s WSB-TV: the station reported that two two-pound bags of Great Value shrimp bought at separate Walmart locations each came up about a quarter-pound short after the ice was removed. The complaint cites that reporting, WSB-TV reported. Walmart told the station it was reviewing the complaint and would respond in court; it also said audits of several lots after the earlier investigation found no problems.
Separate FDA testing offers context, not a verdict
In a separate assignment covering imported frozen seafood from 2022 to 2024, the FDA found 10 of 28 samples were short-weighted, with measured shortfalls ranging from 2.3% to 9.9%, the agency reported. Those samples were not a test of Walmart’s shrimp, and the results do not establish whether the products in the lawsuit were short-weighted. The Illinois case remains a set of claims to be addressed in court.
