Screenshots showing the pack of marshmallows at Walmart (Cover image source: TikTok | @pairswellwithwhine)

For decades, consumers have trusted major retail chains to deliver products at affordable prices without compromising on quality. But recent videos on social media have revealed that products that Walmart markets under the label 'Great Value' aren't so great after all. It's always advisable to look at the ingredients while buying food products, and Walmart shopper Cleantok Cary (@pairswellwithwhine) realized this when she read the label of Great Value Marshmallows.

Representative image of marshmallows (Photo by Leon Contreras on Unsplash) — Representative image of marshmallows (Imag source: Leon Contreras on Unsplash)

In her now-viral video on TikTok, the creator showed the reality of one of America's favorite retail chains. As she walked up to a shelf at the store, the creator explained how everything people eat today is bio-engineered to a large extent. She told her viewers to take a seat since she was about to reveal something mind-blowing.

Screenshots showing the pack of marshmallows and ingrediens (Image source: TikTok/@pairswellwithwhine)

The creator then reached out for a pack of Great Value Marshmallows and flipped it around to show the viewers that its ingredients included "Traces of Tilapia," a freshwater fish that is popular in many cuisines. The creator was baffled by the discovery and couldn't understand why there would be traces of fish in marshmallows. "What if someone is allergic to fish?" she asked.

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Viewers were equally shocked to learn that there could be something as strange as fish in the confectionery. "Thanks for the info 😧 one of my kids is allergic to seafood and I had never thought of checking marshmallows," @rurrus.yg commented.

Meanwhile, some tried to explain why there could be traces of fish in marshmallows. "Well marshmallows do contain gelatin which is made of animal bones etc usually pig or cow never heard of fish gelatin tho," @aria_trust5 suggested.

Screenshot of a comment offering an explanation (Image source: TikTok/@moonriri_)

"It’s because they use the same processing facilities… so technically it could be contaminated… hence the warning. There’s no fish in your mallows," @gab_icorn added further.

Cary isn't the only creator who has highlighted the issue on social media. Previously, a TikToker named Paden Ferguson (@padiano) was also stunned to see the ingredients of Great Value's marshmallows.

“Why, what?!” Paden said in disbelief after he found out that his marshmallows may have remnants of fish in them. “Now listen I know we don’t expect a lot from Walmart but like why are fish in my marshmallows? I just. I don’t get it," he said in the end.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, companies are required to disclose information related to any major allergen in their products by federal law. The nine major allergens in the list include fish and shellfish. Thus, some manufacturers choose to optionally disclose information if a food was manufactured in the presence of one of the major allergens, as per the FDA.

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“A manufacturer might use the same equipment to make different products. Even after cleaning this equipment, a small amount of an allergen (such as peanuts) that was used to make one product (such as cookies) may become part of another product (such as crackers)," the FDA says.

Hence out of caution to safeguard those with severe allergies, companies may mention traces of fish as a warning.