Walmart Great Value Butter Flavored Syrup may contain anchovies

TikToker Paden Ferguson (@padiano) continues his tour by pointing out ingredients people wouldn’t expect to find in their Walmart groceries. Previously, he was shocked to discover Great Value Mini Marshmallows might contain tilapia.

Now he’s posted a follow-up video about the surprising ingredient Great Value Butter Flavored Syrup may contain.

“Alright everyone, I’m back. Great Value, you have to explain something,” he says at the beginning of the clip. He shows the Great Value Butter Flavored Syrup on camera before filming the back of the bottle and pointing out the ingredients list. “There’s no butter in the butter-flavored syrup, but maybe anchovies,” he says.

The butter-flavored syrup’s label indicates that it contains ingredients like corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, cellulose gum, caramel-colored sorbic acid, and other difficult-to-pronounce words. That’s a lot more ingredients than the brand’s pure maple syrup, which unsurprisingly only contains maple syrup.

However, the bold text at the end of the ingredients list raises eyebrows from Ferguson and other TikTokers. It reads, “MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF MILK, EGGS, ANCHOVIES, WHEAT AND SOYA.”

@padiano responds to @jennifergerrity what’s going on?! #walmartfinds ♬ Original sound – Paden Ferguson

Some TikTokers who saw the post didn’t seem too concerned about the possibility of their syrup packing bits of tiny forage fish, given that other everyday foods are also made from fish.

“Wait ’til he sees how Worcestershire sauce is made lol,” wrote one TikToker.

Others explained that this does not necessarily mean that the product contains fish. Rather, it is likely processed in the same factory as the anchovies, creating a risk of cross-contamination. Thus, the information is included for anyone allergic to fish or anchovies.

“It’s just a CYA allergen statement. They need to produce something that contains anchovies in the same facility,” wrote one user.

“This means they can process these items in the same factory and guarantee no cross-contamination,” wrote another.

Though eating canned anchovies might not sound appetizing to some, Bon Appétit published an article that might surprise people about the prevalence of anchovies in some of their favorite condiments and dishes. According to the title “95% of the time, anchovies are the secret ingredient”.

The Daily Dot emailed Ferguson and Walmart for further comment.

We crawl the web so you don’t have to.

Sign up for the Daily Dot newsletter to get the best and worst of the web delivered to your inbox every day.