What Crab Sticks Are Made From

Crab sticks are a pretty popular ingredient in dishes like California rolls, seafood salads, and other types of salad. Maybe you’ve heard the widespread saying that no crabs were injured while cooking crab sticks. So, what is this product made from?

5-Minute Crafts wants to tell you how crab sticks are made.

The main ingredient of crab sticks

The main ingredient of crab sticks is surimi. It makes up from 35 to 50% of crab sticks’ mass.

Surimi is a paste made from fish that has had its bones removed, that has been rinsed to remove the fat, and that has been ground up. For cooking this paste, they use Atlantic cod, blue whiting, tilapia, and pollock. Today pollock is most often used for producing crab sticks.

Other ingredients

• Water. This component is added to the product to get the right texture. Water takes the largest percentage of all additional ingredients.
• Starch. Manufacturers use potato, wheat, and corn starch to make the fish paste firm enough to freeze.
• Protein. Egg whites or soy are added to crab sticks too. It increases the protein content and improves the texture, color, and glossiness.
• Sugar and sorbitol are added to help the product withstand freezing and thawing, as well as give it a sweet taste.
• Vegetable oil. In order to improve the texture of the product and prolong its expiration date, manufacturers add sunflower, soya, and other vegetable oils.
• Salt.
• Preservatives to improve its shelf life.
• Colorants to give it a red color.
• Taste enhancers.