Walmart, what is this?: Shopper notices something unusual about Great Value shredded hash brown bags

Photo by@mamaashg/Tiktok @mamaashg/Tiktok Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

‘Thankfully, I caught these before buying them.’ Have you ever spotted tiny holes in your frozen food packaging and wondered if it’s still safe to eat? You’re not alone. An observant Walmart shopper recently went viral on TikTok after detecting minuscule holes in the packaging of a Great Value frozen food bag.

The clip, with a total of 202,300 views, features a TikTok user named Mama Ash (@mamaashg) examining two containers of Great Value frozen shredded hash browns. She focuses on the containers, uncovering the tiny perforations in the wrappers that made her doubt their quality and intended use.

“Walmart, what is this?” she asks in the video, adding, “Thankfully, I caught these before buying them, but there are these pinholes in our hash brown bags. No idea what it was. Any ideas?”

In response to the video, commenters quickly reassured the TikToker that the holes are not only normal but serve a specific purpose.

One commenter explained, “It’s so that moisture can escape from the bag. If the bag did not have holes, moisture would accumulate and mold.”

“All frozen fries/potatoes/some veggies have pinholes in them. I think it’s to keep them from getting freezer burnt or something,” another theorized.

Some viewers had other ideas. “I don’t know about potatoes but most veggies from the freezer have them so you can toss them in the microwave so they steam,” one TikTok user suggested.

Another proposed that “it’s so air can escape and the bags won’t pop open in storage.”

Does frozen food require a sealed bag?

It's discovered that, when frozen correctly, food stays edible without the need for sealed containers. Freezing alone usually does the trick. However, the main reason for using sealed containers is to keep the food fresh and maintain its quality, while also preventing "freezer burn" for an extended duration.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) even states, “If you notice that a package has accidentally been torn or has opened while food is in the freezer, the food is still safe to use; merely overwrap or rewrap it.”