Being Overcharged for Frozen Seafood?
A recent report on ABC news motivated me to dash out, buy a one-pound bag of frozen shrimp, and then weigh it. Investigators had found evidence in 17 states that some frozen seafood companies count the weight of the ice as part of the total weight of the package. How do you know if you’re being ripped off? The report said your frozen seafood should weigh about 10% more than the weight stated on the package.
In my test at home, I not only weighed the frozen shrimp on a kitchen scale, I also counted the shrimp because the label claims a count of 26-30 in each package. I was happy to find 29 shrimp inside AND the total weight came in well over 10% to account for ice on the shrimp. That gave me a lot of confidence not only in the brand, but in the retailer (Trader Joe’s) as well.
Savvy Consumer Tips
Consumer Advocate
Known as The Savvy Consumer, Chris Bjorklund has been a Consumer Advocate for over 35 years. She has worked with KPIX-TV, KGO, The Better Business Bureau, Consumer Reports, and as an Investigator for the Consumer Fraud Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. Chris puts her incredible consumer experience to work for you!
