Shoppers are avoiding Great Value vegetables at Walmart — here's why you should watch out too
Walmart customers are aware that generic or store-brand products can be a wise choice if you're not strictly sticking to name brands to save money. Many frozen vegetables from Great Value can be found in the frozen food department. However, a few consumers have recently voiced their displeasure with the store's products' quality. Let's look at the customers' dissatisfaction with Walmart's Great Value vegetables.
The broccoli incident
It started with broccoli that was frozen. In a TikTok video from March 26, user @teiseq shows herself opening a bag of Great Value Broccoli Florets. Instead of just finding small florets, she discovers a large frozen stalk. "Why would they give me this big [expletive] beanstalk?" she jokes while filming the frozen stem without florets. In the comments, other TikTok users mentioned that the stalk probably took up most of the bag and @teiseq confirmed this, saying, "It did!! I thought I had at least half a bag left and it's this big branch."
Other customers also reported having this issue, proving @teiseq wasn't the only one. A customer said, "Never buy that brand of broccoli." "Once I got a bag filled with just stems, no florets at all." Another commenter said they had stopped purchasing Great Value Broccoli Florets because of the same problem. "It's always just stems," they said. Another irate customer commented, "Great Value's broccoli packets are always this way! It really irritates me."
Onions, cauliflower, and mixed vegetables
Other TikTok users also shared their opinions on the quality of Great Value frozen vegetables. One customer complained that onions and cauliflower frequently still had their skins on. "Walmart has to improve their vegetable offerings! After watching @teiseq's video, someone commented, "They handle cauliflower the same way." Another person claimed that there are quality problems with both the Great Value Frozen Mixed Vegetables and the Great Value Frozen Carrots. They said that one bag of mixed veggies contained only one carrot and primarily green beans and maize while the other bag labeled "carrots" contained peas. The customer concluded, "This is why I had to stop buying Great Value."
Yet another Walmart customer stated that they've completely stopped purchasing any frozen Great Value vegetables. "Walmart has been shortchanging people with their frozen veggies for years now. I switched to another brand; it's not worth dealing with stuff like this anymore," they expressed. This isn't the first time Great Value has faced criticism for its products. Some consumers generally appear to be wary of the Great Value name. On @teiseq's video, a commenter wrote, "That's what you get with Great Value!!! Steer clear of Walmart's own-brand items because their quality is typically poorer."
Great Value under scrutiny
Customers voiced concerns over other Great Value products like cold cuts and bacon earlier this year. Heather Lynne Foster (@heatherlynnefoster) weighs a package of Great Value Hickory Smoked Bacon, which is marked as 12 ounces, in a TikTok video from February 13. But the bacon weighs only 7.90 ounces when she weighs it on her food scale. When taken out of the packaging, its weight is only 7.16 ounces.
Another user, @traveler_bex, posted a TikTok on February 5th that shows rotten Great Value turkey breast packs for sale. "Look, it's on sale. Do you know why? This is why," Bex remarks in the video while holding up a two-pound Great Value Turkey Breast pack, revealing white, black, and blue spots on the side. "Mold. Mold in your turkey breast—on sale."
@teiseq Cooking chronicles gone wrong #bigahhbrocolli #beanstalk #blowed ♬ original sound - quinteise.douglas
You can follow user @teiseq on TikTok for similar content.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 3, 2024. It has since been updated.