Iowa Woman Goes Shopping at Hy-Vee. Then She Finds ‘Unknown Meat’ With a Claw Sticking Out for Sale: ‘What Is That?’
It allegedly tastes like chicken.
When grocery shopping, you usually expect to find discounts and bargains, like Aldi’s $65 Grill Master Collection. What you don’t usually expect, however, is alligator meat with claws packed in the frozen meat section at Hy-Vee in Iowa.
TikTok content creator @tyleahtrotter940 shared a video, which has since gained over 6.4 million views, in which she showed off one of the frozen meat items sold at the supermarket chain Hy-Vee. The item, labeled as “Unknown – New Scale Item,” appeared to be the foot of a large scaled animal, with pink flesh and its claws still attached.
“Ya’ll, they’re selling unknown meat. Unknown, […] what is that?” tyleahtrotter940 questioned, seemingly concerned by the unexpected item priced at just $11.15. She panned the camera to show the freezer, which displayed several more packs of the unknown meat beside frozen seafood, before urging viewers to “be careful in America.”
Hy-Vee sells frozen alligator
The mystery item not only shocked tyleahtrotter940, but several viewers seemed to be just as caught off guard. “They don’t know wtf it is, but they know it’s 11$/lb,” one viewer said. “THE NAIL OUT THE PLASTIC,” another viewer said. Some joked that Hy-Vee was “serving Godzilla” to its customers.
While viewers poked fun at the unknown meat, some suggested a potential answer. “You in Louisiana or Florida? Because that looks like gator feet,” a viewer asked. The guess isn’t far off, considering that Hy-Vee does sell frozen alligator in-store and through their website.
Regarding the mislabeling of the product, a viewer who claimed to be a former Hy-Vee employee shared that the alligator meat likely hadn’t been added to their labeling system yet. “Nah, I used to work at hyvee, when we print labels for anything we are only able to select from the names that are already in the system. The only option that would really work for this is this one, unknown – new scale item. Which also lets you pick anything from the list as the price per pound,” they said.
Hy-Vee also confirmed that the item in tyleahtrotter940’s video was an alligator. “We are aware that alligator being sold at one store was not labeled appropriately, and we have addressed the situation,” the company said in a statement to BroBible.
Alligator meat has health benefits
While the idea of eating alligator meat can leave one feeling bewildered, it is a popular choice of meat in southern states like Florida and Louisiana. It is known for its mild taste and is used as a substitute for seafood, chicken, or veal. Some even claim that the taste is similar to chicken.
Alligators offer several health benefits for those brave enough to try the exotic meat. According to Wholey, alligator meat is high in protein, providing around 46g of protein and 232 calories per 3.5-ounce serving.
It also has zero cholesterol and is low in saturated fat, with only 4g per serving as compared to beef’s 14g of fat, making it an ideal meat alternative for those conscious of macronutrients. Alligator meat is also rich in vitamins and minerals, supplying the body with a dose of potassium, B-12, B-3, phosphorus, and iron.
Those interested in trying alligator meat should also take note that wild-caught alligator may contain traces of mercury that can damage the lungs and brain due to its polluted environment, so it is best to avoid such alligators. However, farm-raised alligator, which is what is sold at restaurants and grocery stores, is safe to consume as it is regulated and raised in freshwater.
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