Oregon Woman Buys Salmon From A Popular Grocery Store. Then She Realizes How She Was Deceived. Is This A New Tactic?

Most people expect the products they purchase to be just as appealing at home as they are in store. But that wasn’t the case for one Oregon woman, who says she was duped by a package of Acme Nova Smoked Salmon. 

​In a video that received more than 218,000 views, Roberta Ashman (@ms.burda) says she purchased a package of Acme Nova Smoked Salmon she purchased at Safeway. She says the smoked product wasn’t the color she expected when she opened the package at home.

What Was Wrong With The Salmon?

In her video, Ashman claims there’s something off with Acme’s Nova Smoked Salmon. Namely, she claims Acme deliberately tinted the packaging to make the fish look more orange than it actually is.

​“So look at the color of this salmon,” she says, while filming the product. The plastic-packaged salmon appears to have a normal, orange hue.

Then she peels a layer of plastic off. “Look at the color of it,” she repeats, while showing her audience a product she says looks markedly different.

Is This A New Way To Deceive Customers?

Ashman says Acme packaged the product deceptively. So is there any merit to fishmongers “glamming” up their products for consumers?

​Technically, yes. Some companies use specific tactics to make salmon appear more vibrant.

​Some businesses, for instance, lay fish products such as salmon on a golden board “to showcase the [product’s] rich color and quality … while also protecting [it] during storage and handling.”

​Acme’s Nova Smoked Salmon product doesn’t have a golden board. So does the company use tinted plastic instead?

​There’s not enough evidence to say. Online, there’s little information about Acme’s plastic packaging. There isn’t any proof the company is using specific tactics to make its fish look more “fresh.” There are also a variety of other reasons why the salmon might appear different underneath its plastic packaging outside of “tinting.”

Is Discolored Smoked Salmon Normal?

Ashman’s video laid out a specific problem—the freshness of her Nova Smoked Salmon. But it’s unclear if her salmon was even rancid based on her post.

For the most part, slight discoloration is not a sign that salmon is rancid or past its expiration date. There are a variety of factors, such as storage time, which can change how smoked salmon looks. Oxidation during storage, for instance, can lead to natural discoloration over time. The actual smoking process can also dull some natural colors.

​Consumers should still evaluate salmon’s freshness based on color. Graying salmon that has a sour smell and a “slimy” coating is most likely rancid. However, slight browning or discoloration, which is often seen at a fish’s lateral line, isn’t necessarily unsafe.

Viewers Slam The Company

The short video still incensed commenters. Multiple viewers said the difference between the plastic-wrapped product and the salmon, sans packaging, was genuinely deceptive.

​“They [would] rather spend extra money to [deceive] us than to spend it on the quality of the actual food,” one viewer said.

​Another commenter added, “Even if it is safe to eat, why do they feel they need to lie? Just be F’ing honest with customers and transparency will become the new normal.”

​A few viewers even mentioned suing Acme.

​“Class action lawsuit immediately,” one viewer said.

​A second added, “False advertising.”

​BroBible reached out to Ashman via TikTok direct message and to Albertsons and Acme via email.