Ever since meat alternatives hit the market—and stories of lab-grown meat entered the news cycle—there’s been a persistent conspiracy theory on social media. That theory? “Stores are selling fake meat.”
While these conspiracy theorists rarely say what composes this so-called “fake meat,” they’ll show plenty of evidence. For example, reveal that something is amiss with their food. For instance, one shopper accused Trader Joe’s of selling lab-grown chicken after claiming that her meat had a butter-like consistency. Another claimed that McDonald’s gave them a sandwich with lab-grown chicken after the meat was stringy.
In cases like these, there’s usually an understandable explanation. In the above examples, those explanations are over-marination and a phenomenon called “spaghetti meat.” However, these explanations don’t stop people from theorizing that an artificial alternative has replaced their meat. TikTok user Jenny (@jennynomini) did this in a video with over 11,000 views.
What’s wrong with this salmon?
In her video, Jenny says she purchased two pounds of Great Value frozen salmon from Walmart and let it thaw in the refrigerator. The salmon is not yet past its expiration date.
However, when she took the salmon out of the package, something felt amiss.
“I never remembered salmon looking like that,” she says, showing off the silvery skin of the salmon. “But then, I turned it over and it looked just as weird.”
As she turns the fish over, Jenny reveals that the fish has a mushy texture.
“This is the [expletive] they feeding us y’all,” she states. “Raw salmon is not supposed to be like smush.”
She further speculates that what she’s holding is not “wild-caught salmon,” as the package claims, but something that “was man-made in a machine.”
Is this really fake salmon?
As of February 2025, there are very few lab-grown salmon products. Even then, one is unlikely to find them on supermarket shelves; for example, WildType, which is a company creating lab-grown salmon, is still working with the FDA to receive regulatory approval. Once they do, they plan to launch in restaurants, not in supermarkets.
Furthermore, in general, lab-grown meat is still substantially more expensive than other meat. A 2021 analysis found that lab-grown meat will likely cost $17 to $23 per pound to produce, whereas traditionally-grown meat can be sold for around $5 per pound.
In short, it simply doesn’t make sense for Walmart to be selling a fake product when the real version is cheaper.
Plus, there’s a simple explanation for why Jenny’s fish looks the way it does, and it has to do with the thawing process.
To summarize the advice given by Mashed, one’s salmon can become mushy if it’s thawed improperly. To avoid this, one should thaw their salmon in the refrigerator rather than on a counter or in a bowl of water.
Although Jenny claims to have done this, it’s possible that the fish had already thawed and been refrozen before she put it in her fridge, which can lead to issues like the one shown in the video.
@jennynomini ♬ original sound – JennyNoMini
Viewers are skeptical of Walmart
In the comments section, users said that, no matter why this happened, they aren’t too sure about buying products like salmon from Walmart.
“I dont buy produce or meat frm walmart, only non perishable food,” explained a user.
Another added, “I learned my lesson getting any meat or fish from Walmart.”
“I don’t buy anything from Walmart unless it’s household items,” echoed a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Walmart via media relations contact form and Jenny via TikTok direct message and comment.
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