A survey of imported frozen shrimp, squid and tilapia products found 36% (n = 28) were affected by short-weighting, which is when the package contains less weight than declared and, for frozen seafood, when the product or package contains too much water glaze or ice (“overstating the net weight of frozen seafood by including the weight of glazing (ice) is not permitted”).
The survey was conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during 2022-2024. The sampling included both targeted and general surveillance samples of both raw and cooked products, covering 12 businesses from 4 countries. The samples were collected during import, prior to release into U.S. commerce. Each sample consisted of 48 units from the same production lot.
Most of the samples (25 of 28) were shrimp, with 2 squid and 1 tilapia sample included. Both squid samples were found to violate short-weight rules (100%, n = 2). Eight shrimp samples were violative (32%, n = 25). The tilapia sample was compliant – United States 02/09/2025.
This article was originally published at The Rotten Apple – a weekly newsletter for food professionals