Walmart can be hard to avoid. Stores pop up in big cities and small rural towns, offering
low prices on large quantities of everyday products that families want and need. However,
Consumer Reports found that Walmart was, quote, "by far the most complained-about purveyor
of groceries" when it surveyed 50,000 customers about their food shopping habits and preferences
in 2017. A top complaint: The quality of the meat and poultry.
As is true with most big box stores, though, there are many products for sale that are
best avoided - and one of these items is fish.
A bit of clarification here. We aren't talking about the pet fish that used to be at the
back of the store. Sales of those were discontinued in 2019. We're referring to the fresh seafood
that's usually found near the meat, and the frozen seafood found in the freezer aisle.
Whichever one you might be considering, take a moment to reconsider. What do you know about
the seafood in your shopping cart? And what don't you know?
While prices can be lower on many items at Walmart, this isn't true for all products,
including seafood. The Kitchn found that wild Alaskan salmon was nearly $1 cheaper per pound
at Costco than at Walmart. And if sustainability is important to you, Greenpeace says that
Walmart still has some work to do when it comes to its seafood sustainability measures,
noting that customers are not given enough information to make sustainable choices. According
to them,
"Walmart ranks among the mediocre stores in the industry."
Plus, if you're in the mood for shrimp scampi or grilled shrimp skewers, you should steer
clear of the bags of imported shrimp. Not only can they be harmful to your health, but
many countries have a record of treating seafood facility workers poorly. Even Walmart's canned
tuna isn't a good choice, according to Greenpeace, who says,
"[...] progress on sustainable canned tuna has stalled and [Walmart] is one of several
companies mentioned in reports concerning slavery in its supply chain."
Instead, buy shrimp from an ethical fishmonger - it may not be as cheap, but it will be worth it.
"This is a good fish. That's a bad fish. Good fish, bad fish."
Even if value and sustainability aren't big factors for you, taste likely is. Who wants
subpar salmon? Based on reviews of Walmart's Great Value wild caught pink salmon, that
might be what you're getting. The frozen offering is rated at just 2.1 stars out of five, and
reviewers don't hold back about what makes this fish so bad.
One review notes,
"Disgusting. Is this even salmon? Small individual frozen portions that thaw to a very soft and
mushy consistency but will firm up once cooked. It is very pale and has very little oil that
other salmon has. There is a very unpleasant metal, fishy after taste. Again, disgusting."
Another suspects you're not really getting the salmon you think you are, noting,
"This NOT 'Wild Caught.' Upon closer inspection, on the back of the package it states: 'This
product comes from a fishery that has been independently certified to the MSC's standard
for a well-managed and sustainable fishery.' Typical scam and mislabeling of a salmon product."
While a nice white fish seems like it might be a safe alternative, Walmart's Great Value
frozen wild caught Pacific cod fares similarly to its salmon when it comes to reviews. Coming
in at 2.6 stars, shoppers don't have great things to say about this product either. According
to one reviewer,
"Disgusting, smells and tastes dirty. All of Walmarts frozen farmed fish seems to have
the same issue, I hoped the cod would have been ok after trying the tilapia and flounder
with the same issues. I will never buy their frozen fish again."
Another reviewer added,
"It is terribly salty — I even tried soaking it in water. Package says almost 400 mg of
sodium per serving! It tastes more like 2000 mg."
If you must shop for your seafood at a large retail grocer and you don't live in a coastal
town, look for seafood that's native to your region, buy frozen fish caught in America,
and avoid shellfish if you live inland.
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