Crab sticks occupy prime real estate in the snack food aisle. Their vibrant red and white strips beckon famished shoppers. Despite the name these ubiquitous snacks contain no real crab meat. So what exactly are crab sticks made of?
I’ve set out to uncover the truth about these imitation crab snacks. Come along as I demystify the ingredients, manufacturing process, and origins of crab sticks. You may be surprised to learn what goes into these addictive snack sticks!
Surimi: The Main Ingredient in Crab Sticks
The primary ingredient in crab sticks is surimi, a concentrated fish protein paste. To make surimi, whitefish like Alaska pollock or Pacific whiting are filleted, minced, and rinsed repeatedly to remove fat and odor. The result is a pliable fish mush that manufacturers shape into blocks.
Crab stick producers receive these frozen surimi blocks to use as their starting base. Surimi gives crab sticks their bouncy chewy mouthfeel resembling shellfish. But on its own it lacks flavor. That’s where extra ingredients come in.
Crab Seasonings Imitate the Real Thing
While surimi provides the texture, crab sticks get their taste from added flavorings designed to imitate pricy crab meat.
Common seasonings include:
- Crab extract – Concentrated crab broth for essence of crab flavor
- Bonito flakes – Dried, smoked fish flakes boost umami
- Mirin – Sweet rice wine adds fruity notes
- Yeast extract – Provides depth and savoriness via natural MSG
- Sugar and salt – Balance and enhance overall flavor
Together, these ingredients mimic the delicate flavor of real crab meat. Brands may also add corn syrup, egg whites, or shellfish extracts.
Vibrant Colors Make Crab Sticks Pop
In addition to seasonings, color agents give crab sticks their eye-catching hues.
Surimi naturally has an unappetizing gray tone. So manufacturers use dyes like:
- Paprika or annatto – For rich orangey-reds
- Carmine – Intense red dye from cochineal insects
- Turmeric – For golden yellow tones
- Carotenoids – For orange, red, and yellow shades
The vibrant colors make crab sticks stand out whether they’re on your plate or piled high at a party.
Automated Process Forms Fish Paste into Sticks
Once combined, the crab mixture passes through an automated production line to transform it into sticks.
Key steps include:
- Extruding – Pressing the mixture through metal molds into long cylinders
- Cutting – Portioning the extruded sticks into shorter lengths
- Quick-freezing – Flash freezing at -20°C to set the crab stick shapes
- Packaging – Vacuum-sealing sticks before shipment to stores
High-volume machines can crank out thousands of finished crab sticks per hour.
Imitation Crab Originated in Japan in the 1970s
Now that you know what crab sticks contain, you may wonder how they were invented. Here’s a quick look at their fascinating origins:
- 1100s – Surimi first used in Japan to preserve fish
- Early 1900s – Commercial surimi production begins
- 1974 – Japanese company Sugiyo launches the first imitation crab product
- Late 1900s – Crab sticks gain popularity around the world
So while surimi has ancient Asian roots, imitation crab as we know it today traces back to food technology innovations in 1970s Japan.
Perception Versus Reality
With their seafood name and appearance, it’s tempting to think crab sticks contain real crab. But these snacks are a marvel of food engineering, using fish paste and clever flavor science to imitate luxurious shellfish.
Understanding how they’re made takes nothing away from the nostalgic fun of biting into these inexpensive seafood snacks. Their popularity as an affordable crab alternative makes good sense in light of their manufactured origins.
Healthy in Moderation
Are crab sticks highly processed junk food? Not necessarily. In moderate amounts, they can be part of a nutritious diet.
Benefits include:
- Low fat – Made from lean whitefish
- High protein – 10-15g protein per serving
- Low mercury – Pollock and hake are low-mercury fish
- Vitamin B12 – Provides essential nutrient
- Omega-3s – Contains beneficial fatty acids
Stick to recommended serving sizes, and crab sticks offer nutritional value without too many artificial additives.
Satisfying Cravings for SeafoodFlavor
Now that you know what goes into crab sticks, you can indulge without guilt. These ingeniously engineered snacks satisfy cravings for seafood flavor in a fun, nostalgic way.
While not a fresh shellfish substitute, crab sticks have their place as an affordable, ubiquitous snack food. Their global popularity proves food technology can transform humble ingredients into globally beloved eats.
So next time a crab stick craving strikes, dig in to these fabulously fake seafood snacks! Their sensationally synthetic tastes offer the perfect pick-me-up.
Comparison to Crab Meat
Real crab meat is much richer in protein compared to crab sticks. It also tends to have fewer calories since it contains no carbohydrates, unlike crab sticks, which are high in sugars and starch.
Real crab meat is low in fats but still contains more than crab sticks; therefore, it has a higher cholesterol level. However, the predominant fats found in crab meat are polyunsaturated fats with a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids.
Compared to crab sticks, crab meat contains vitamins A, C, and B5. It is also higher in vitamins B12, B2, B3, B6, and E. However, crab sticks contain higher levels of vitamin B1 and vitamin K.
Real crab meat is richer in iron, calcium, potassium, copper, and zinc, whereas crab sticks are higher in magnesium and phosphorus. The sodium concentration is lower in imitation crabs.
Many seafood products cause significant environmental damage as some sea creatures are overfished and endangered due to high demand.
While Alaska pollock is not at risk of endangerment, surimi made from Alaska pollock has been researched to have a high carbon footprint due to the energy used to produce products such as crab sticks (20).
Other environmental issues that arise during surimi processing include the high use of water. The minced meat used to make surimi is washed multiple times. This requires much freshwater while creating more wastewater (21).
However, surimi production can also have a beneficial impact on the environment. As surimi is made from minced meat, it provides an opportunity to use various ingredients as its source of protein, including the underutilized species with little or no commercial value. This could be a way of using abundant resources that would otherwise have been neglected (21).
Storing, Keeping & Conservation
Freezing imitation crab meat is not recommended. It is supposed to be refrigerated at a temperature between 32°F (0°C) and 38°F (3°C). Imitation crab meat should be discarded if kept at room temperature for 2 hours (19).
Vacuum-sealed, pasteurized crab sticks can be kept in the refrigerator for two months if the packaging is unopened. It should be used within three days after opening.
Imitation crab sold in loose forms in trays in fish cases should be kept for three to five days. If frozen, it can be kept for up to six months.
It is not recommended to refreeze imitation crab.
Originating in Japan in the seventies, imitation crab quickly spread to the West and became a trendy food in the United States.
Imitation crab meat is the most common product in the world made from surimi. Crab sticks usually contain about 35 to 40 percent fish meat. However, some crab sticks’ fish content can be up to 85 percent (22).
Countries that produce a significant percentage of the world’s surimi-based products are Japan, the Republic of Korea, France, Spain, Italy, and the USA. Thailand, China, Lithuania, and India produce surimi-based products mainly for export. The Russian Federation is also becoming a significant market for surimi-based products (22).
Eighty percent of the surimi-based products in France are imitation crab sticks.
From 2000 to 2004, the export of imitation crab meat from South Korea decreased by double; however, seafood consumption in the Republic of Korea is increasing. This may be due to the depletion of near and deep-sea resources (22).
Amazing! How Imitation crab is made – Food Factory
FAQ
Are crab sticks healthy for you?
They have a firm and flaky texture that holds up in different cooking methods, eat as they come, sautee, grill or fry to add to your favourite pasta or dipping sauce. The crab sticks also pass a nutritional punch as a source of protein and omega-3; they contribute to a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Is crab stick processed meat?
Imitation crab is made from surimi, which is deboned fish minced into a paste with other ingredients. It’s an affordable alternative, but highly processed and low in certain nutrients. Chances are, you’ve eaten imitation crab, even if you didn’t realize it.
What percentage of crab is in a crab stick?
Typically, imitation crab consists of 25% water, 55% surimi, 8% egg white, 5% starch, 2.5% crab essence, 2.3% seasoning, and 1.5% salt (1).Oct 12, 2023
Is crab stick made of real crab?
Crab sticks, krab sticks, snow legs, imitation crab meat, or seafood sticks are a Japanese seafood product made of surimi (pulverized white fish) and starch, then shaped and cured to resemble the leg meat of snow crab or Japanese spider crab.