Mystery Meat-Imitation Crab

This is a great read

While it is often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, when it comes to imitation crab meat, that’s actually far from the case! But to understand why imitation crab is not the way to go, we must first understand exactly what it is…

To create imitation crab meat, manufacturers typically start with a base of Alaska Pollock (also known as Walleye Pollock, Whiting or Snow Cod). This fish is chosen primarily because it has a mild flavor that allows it to easily take on the flavor and texture of traditional crab meat, but also because it is readily available and is cheap to buy and process. To create the crab meat, manufacturers skin and de-bone the fish, mince it and then leach it of water to create a thick paste known as surimi. But we all know a fish paste isn’t going to cut it, so manufacturers add some combination of starch – usually wheat or tapioca – to stiffen up the mixture, sugars to preserve the surimi for storage and freezing, and egg whites to again stabilize the mixture and add gloss and shine. Vegetable oil can also be added to improve the texture of the mix.

To create the appropriate flavoring and coloring, manufacturers can either opt for natural flavorings – which are extracted from real crabs – or artificial flavorings. Popular artificial flavorings include carmine, caramel, paprika, and annatto extract – whi*****identally, can also help achieve the pink, orange and red hues found in real crab meat. In some cases, manufacturers will also add monosodium glutamate (MSG) to help enhance the flavor.

Finally, the mixture is steam cooked to create a flaky texture, vacuum packed to preserve the flavor and texture and shipped on out to the grocery stores.

What does a nutrition label have to say about imitation crab meat? Well, a 2 cup serving of real crab meat, for example, averages about 50 calories, 1 gram of fat, 7 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates. For imitation crab meat, calorie counts and fat grams are about the same, but because the fake stuff is mixed with sugars and starches, the carbohydrate content can go up significantly, with some varieties logging as much as 20 grams of carbohydrate – and an astronomical amount of sugar – per serving.

But is it bad for you? Well, not if you don’t care that some forms glow in the dark! According to this Food and Drug Administration (FDA) release examining the phenomenon, the glow is due to luminescent bacteria that occur naturally in seawater, fish, shellfish, and marine animals. But can it make you sick? Well, provided the manufacturer takes the steps necessary to ensure proper hygiene and appropriate food handling – and that the imitation crab has been thoroughly cooked during manufacturing – you should be ok. But to be fair, this could happen with the real deal too!

A second study in the Journal of Food Science, meanwhile, found that imitation crab meat can promote the growth of various bacterial pathogens if incorrectly stored either while leaving the plant or once in the home (although it should be noted that this is the case with many foods.).

The bottom line? Imitation crab, like almost any processed food item, is best avoided. Due to the various stabilizers, preservatives, sugar and added sodium, it’s best to save your pennies and opt for the real deal!

oh my, that's just gross.

never tried the stuff and after today, never will.

Good on ya.  It's starkly evident if you take a bit of crab meat and then a bite of imitation crab that the latter is just loaded with sugar. :(

I don't really care for it.  It's too sweet and the texture is kinda rubbery to me.

Wow I used to eat this stuff all the time. Not no more!

I can't eat it because of the sorbitol - I would think that the sugar alcohols would be a problem for some of you who have WLS. I agree, it does have a weird sweet taste and texture.

It's not any better or worse than a lot of industrial food such as hamburgers and the saline solutions added to meats you buy in the supermarket. Bacteria is found on or in all food and food by it's very definition can promote the growth of bacterial pathogens - so you can't use that argument to avoid imitation crab. I guess if you didn't know how it was made, finding out can be pretty gross.

I do agree it's best to avoid all these industrial, processed foods.

 ~ HIJACK

I read your profile and see that you're a non-op.  Congratulations on the success you've had with your program.   It's very impressive.

How long have you been keeping off your weight and what does your maintenance plan look like?

Hi Blessed, yes I'm a non-op LOL I was too scared to have surgery. Thanks for noticing. I'm close but not yet at maintenance. For maintenance I will continue to eat basically the same food I've done shedding my weight. This diet has made an incredible change in my health - stuff that weight loss or surgery wouldn't have fixed and since I'm enjoying the changes so much I'm not tempted to fall off the wagon. Instead I will slowly add in a few more higher calorie carbohydrates and maybe some nuts to slowly up my calories when it's time to maintain. I'm on a very different diet than typically seen here - mine is a starch based whole foods diet.

That's great.  I hope things continue to go well for you.  I wish I'd been able to lose weight and keep it off without surgery.  I'm happy for anybody who can do that.