How to distinguish real crab sticks from fake ones? Health benefits and harms of crab sticks.

Crab sticks appeared on sale in many countries in the early 90s. The time was quite difficult, so tasty and inexpensive product The housewives immediately fell in love with him. Crab sticks helped diversify the menu of holiday tables, as they began to be added to various salads and appetizers.

Appearance crab sticks we owe it to the Japanese who tried to establish crab meat production. However, this turned out to be labor-intensive and economically unprofitable. It was much easier to make a variety of products from surimi - minced oceanic white fish. By adding some flavorings and food additives to the minced meat, it was possible to achieve a taste similar to the taste of crab meat.

Composition of crab sticks

The main ingredients of crab sticks are: minced fish surimi, starch, egg white, water, vegetable oil, salt and . To improve the taste, various food additives. However, to further reduce the cost of the product, some manufacturers make crab sticks from soy protein.

When purchasing crab sticks, you must carefully study the composition of the product. Minced surimi should come first. In this case, you can be sure that the product contains fish.

The chemical composition of crab sticks makes the health benefits of this product questionable. The most commonly used food additives are:

1. E160 – food coloring. There are two types: synthetic and natural. Natural dye does not pose any threat to the body.
2. E171 – dye-bleach. The vapors of this substance are toxic, but as an additive to foods it is not dangerous to the body. Although research on this supplement is still ongoing.
3. E420 – used as a sweetener and humectant. The supplement is safe in small doses, but may cause stomach upset when consumed in large quantities.
4. E450 - designed to improve the structure and color of the product, increases shelf life. When consumed in large quantities, it causes stomach upset and impairs calcium absorption.

Although these additives are approved for use in food industry, their use does not provide any benefit to the body. And consuming a large amount of crab sticks with this composition can cause the development of diseases.

Nutritional value of crab sticks

Since the main component of crab sticks is fish meat, the product is rich in easily digestible protein. The composition of the product helps you understand how much protein is in crab sticks. Most often, proteins make up 17.5% of the weight of the product, fats – 2%, and there are no carbohydrates in crab sticks. 70% of the product is water.

Crab sticks contain no large number minerals and vitamins: vitamin PP, zinc, chlorine, sulfur, chromium, fluorine, nickel, molybdenum. So small quantity useful substances due to the fact that they are washed out at the stage primary processing raw materials. Subsequently, the remaining beneficial substances are destroyed during heat treatment, which is designed to rid the product of pathogenic microorganisms.

However, this composition of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in crab sticks is typical only for a product made from. Therefore, you can find out exactly how many carbohydrates are in crab sticks and other ingredients by reading the composition on the package. For this reason, you should not buy crab sticks by weight. A higher quality product is sold in packages that indicate not only the composition, but also the date of manufacture and expiration date. It is worth paying attention that the product must be hermetically packaged in multilayer film.

Crab sticks have long taken their place on store shelves, going from a rare delicacy to an ordinary food product. Nevertheless, they are still very popular and are included in many dishes. But are they useful? To do this, you need to find out what crab sticks are made of, and based on this, identify useful and harmful qualities.

This product is an imitation of crab meat; the crabs themselves are not included in its composition. The main component is surimi, minced meat from various types sea ​​fish. Of course, to reduce the cost of production, they use not the most expensive raw materials, as a rule, this is the meat of blue whiting, haddock, hake, pollock, cod, etc. However, it is worth noting that this semi-finished product requires natural fresh fish, therefore, the popular belief that fish waste is used for production is still incorrect.

However, this is not the only thing crab sticks are made from.. Their composition also includes soy protein, egg powder, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, starch, stabilizers, flavor enhancers and preservatives. Many unscrupulous manufacturers try to save money on minced fish, which is why their semi-finished products may not contain it at all, making do with soy substitutes. In this regard, it is necessary to be very careful when choosing and take sticks only from trusted manufacturers who have already proven themselves well.

How to choose a quality product among the many appearing on the shelves? Nice sticks, as a rule, have a dense, “rubber” structure, layered, and the layers do not break at the folds and are easily separated from each other. The taste is juicy and slightly salty, the color is even and resembles crab meat: white on one side, and colored in tones from pink to orange-red on the other.

You also need to pay attention to the packaging: in the list of ingredients, surimi should be first, if it is in second or third place, or even further - the percentage of fish here is significantly lower than normal.

Benefits and harms

There is a lot of debate about whether they are beneficial or harmful, and there is no clear answer. There are many arguments for and against, and each cook will have to draw his own conclusions.

Useful properties

Crab sticks cannot bring any particular benefit due to the many additives in their composition, but some valuable properties they still have it. It should be taken into account that we are talking about high-quality sticks that contain at least 40% surimi.

Harmful qualities and contraindications

There is a considerable amount harmful qualities, which fans of this product need to consider. Of course, most of them can cause serious harm only if certain diseases are present, however, misusing false crab meat not worth it.

As with other foods, the benefits and harms largely depend on what the crab sticks are made of. It is advisable to choose the highest quality product, but even in this situation you should not abuse it.

Simple cooking recipes

Most often this product is used to make various salads or cold appetizers. It often replaces other protein components to reduce the cost of the final dish, but such experiments can hardly be called widespread.

Crab salad

Most widely famous dish, loved by many. It is distinguished by ease of manufacture and availability of all components.

To make this salad you will need the following ingredients:

This salad does not require special preparation: the only thing you need to do in advance is boil the eggs and rice and peel the onion. After which you can immediately start cooking.

The sticks, eggs and onion are finely chopped and mixed, after which rice and corn are added to them. If desired, you can also add fresh cucumber- it will give the salad a touch of freshness and pleasant smell. After that all that remains is to add salt, add herbs and season with mayonnaise.

Sticks “under a fur coat”

Another type of salad that can be prepared for a holiday table. Eating it often, however, is not recommended due to its calorie content. To prepare it, you will need:

• packaging of crab sticks;
• 5−6 chicken eggs;
• 50 g butter;
• small onion;
• package of processed cheese (can be replaced with regular cheese);
• green apple (sour or sweet and sour),
• salt and mayonnaise - to taste.

The first thing you should do is prepare. The eggs need to be boiled and the yolks separated from the whites. Peel the onion, cut it randomly and scald with boiling water to remove the bitterness. Peel the apple and grate it on a fine grater. If used processed cheese, it must first be frozen. Do the same with butter.

After preparation is complete, you can begin assembling the salad. Place a layer of grated whites on the bottom of the salad bowl. coarse grater, and smeared with mayonnaise on top. Next, onions and grated cheese are laid out, on top of which grated butter is placed. A new layer is placed on the sticks, which are again greased with mayonnaise, and apples, also covered with sauce.

The last layer, and at the same time the decoration, are grated yolks, which must be laid out immediately before serving the salad.

Lavash roll

Simple and hearty snack, perfect for both festive and everyday table. To prepare it you need the following ingredients:

• 200 g crab meat or sticks;
• 2 Armenian lavash;
• 4 eggs;
• 300 g hard cheese;
• spices, fresh dill and mayonnaise - to taste.

To prepare, you need to hard boil the eggs and grate them. Do the same with cheese and sticks. Wash the dill thoroughly, remove thick stems and finely chop.

The pita bread must be carefully unrolled and greased with mayonnaise on half the sheet, then sprinkled evenly with dill. Then the greased half needs to be covered with the second, untouched one. Apply another layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle evenly over the chopsticks, cheese and eggs, then coat with more sauce.

After this, the pita bread is rolled into a roll and sent to the refrigerator to soak.

The minimum time required for this is 1 hour, but it will be better if the roll lies in the refrigerator overnight. After this, it can be cut into portions and served..

Attention, TODAY only!

When in the 90s of the twentieth century the domestic market was simply attacked by various foreign goods, almost every citizen singled out for himself a separate and refined (at that time) product - crab sticks. Their composition, of course, does not contain crabs at all, but at that time such an imitation elite meat became the basis for many holiday dishes. Let's talk in more detail about this product, its composition, history and production process further.

Over time, sticks began to be produced in our country, which significantly reduced their cost. The popularity has subsided after various reports about the dangers of crab sticks, and many have simply become bored with them. So what is the product actually, are crab sticks so harmful?

The first written mention of surimi was noted in the 12th century in Japan. That's what the first works were called there culinary arts, familiar and familiar to us today like crab sticks.

“Surimi” translates as “ground washed fish,” which describes the entire manufacturing process. In those days, the composition of crab sticks was exclusively natural and was based on minced meat ocean fish(necessarily with white meat). After thoroughly grinding it, it was washed so that the smell and taste practically disappeared, and then squeezed out. Products of various shapes were formed from the resulting mass. The sticks familiar to us were then called “kamaboko” and over time (to give them a new taste) herbs and dyes began to be added to the composition. Industrial production Surimi began only 50 years ago.

Composition of surimi

What are crab sticks made from today? Their composition has changed greatly thanks to modern technologies and many chemical additives. A natural product should not contain carbohydrates at all, but due to additional components modern crab sticks contain about 15 g. They also contain fish protein, the amount of which may vary depending on the product production technology and brand recipe. The calorie content of surimi is only 80-100 Kcal per 100 g of product.

In order to purchase a quality product and not fall for a counterfeit, you should remember that the basis for imitation crab meat should be minced fish - surimi. Various manufacturers use starch, egg white, salt, sugar, vegetable oil, possibly water and food additives as additional components. Many of them are prohibited in EU countries, and in our country they are widely used by unscrupulous manufacturers, so you should pay attention to them special attention. By the way, the composition does not contain such additives, since the brand’s products are imported to various countries world and meets their quality standards.

What are chopsticks made of?

Despite the popularity of the product, many on domestic tables still do not understand what surimi is. It is a concentrated product that does not have enzymes, fats or cholesterol, has high elasticity and gelling properties. Such minced meat simply has no color or smell, and fish for its production is suitable only with white meat. Most often, crab sticks contain cod fish - hake, pollock or blue whiting, but tropical species can also be used.

Sardines, giant squid, mackerel and other species are also considered suitable, but the minced meat from them is dark, so this product is classified as second-rate.

Production technology

Now it’s clear what crab sticks are made of. By the way, their composition always contains only raw fish, which allows you to save in the final product maximum quantity vitamins and other nutrients.

The production itself is carried out directly on board fishing vessels, where freshly caught fish are immediately processed into fillets, from which minced meat is immediately made. The crushed fish meat is thoroughly washed, squeezed and pressed into blocks of chilled surimi.

Fish waste here is processed into feed meal or simply thrown into the sea, but this is prohibited, so many are silent about this procedure.

On the shore, the already familiar crab sticks are made from minced meat, adding flavorings, dyes and other additional components to surimi.

Production is actually not very complicated, but is based on the processing of fresh and whole fish, and not its waste (as many believe).

Product benefits

Different composition crab sticks cause benefits and harm to the body in different ways, so it is difficult to generalize the indicators for all products. The benefit of surimi lies in the high content of fish protein, which is quickly absorbed and does not “load” the body, but this is only if it contains real minced fish.

Additionally, vegetable oils, starch and water should be highlighted, which are also easily digestible and have their own beneficial substances. Many manufacturers additionally enrich their products with amino acids, vitamins and minerals, which have a positive effect on the body.

Harm of crab sticks

Surimi is harmful solely in the form of its chemical additives, many of which are hazardous to health and are prohibited in a number of countries. The composition of Vichi crab sticks does not have them, but the price of this product is appropriate, since you always have to pay for quality. To get good product, you should not buy the cheapest crab sticks, sold by weight and distributed under the supermarket brand. You should also beware of surimi, which after defrosting and unfolding breaks or the paint on them bleeds through several layers of the roll.

Harm to the body is also based on the habit of adding crab sticks to salads with mayonnaise.

High calorie content Such dishes completely cover all the benefits of surimi itself, even the highest quality. Just look at the composition of the salad with crab sticks and corn, of which there are already huge amount. You can choose a set of ingredients for every taste, but all of them must be seasoned with mayonnaise, and some even contain red caviar and butter, so oh low calorie dish out of the question.

Benefits for weight loss

According to nutritionists, it is advisable to use such low calorie product in diets. The reason is the high content of easily digestible protein, which allows you to quickly restore strength without consuming many calories. Calculating the latter is very simple, because their content is always indicated on the packaging. As perfect dish can be prepared for diet light salad from fresh tomatoes, tofu cheese and crab sticks. You can season it with any vegetable oil, but it is better to use olive oil.

You can also cook boiled rice, sprinkling it with herbs on top, boiled eggs and chopped crab sticks. Melted butter is suitable as a dressing.

How to buy the best product

To get only benefits from crab sticks and minimize harm to the body, you should not purchase the cheapest options, especially those sold in bulk. A quality product should be stored in vacuum packaging, refrigerated or frozen. There should be no excess liquid or ice inside the package to indicate refrozen.

Surimi packaging must contain all the necessary information about the manufacturer, the composition of the product, the period and conditions of its storage. The first ingredient listed should be minced fish - surimi. The color of the sticks should be white, and only one side should be painted.

After opening the package, good crab sticks can be easily unrolled into a ribbon; they do not crumble or break. Their color is uniform and their consistency is elastic.

This product should be stored in the refrigerator and never re-frozen. This significantly degrades the taste and quality of the sticks, so if you need to use not all of the packaging, the leftovers should be immediately placed in the freezer.

Crab sticks are a product that appeared on the shelves of our stores in the early 90s. Since then, a lot of recipes using them have been invented. On festive table there is certainly a famous one present crab salad, and among the admirers of the delicious seafood there are both adults and children. Despite the fact that the product does not contain crab meat, it does not lose its popularity. The article discusses the benefits and harms of crab sticks and answers the questions: can they be consumed by children, how to select and store them.

What are crab sticks made from?

The main component of seafood is surimi, as it was called in Japan healthy minced meat from ocean fish. Among the ingredients of surimi are mackerel, hake, blue whiting and other fish with white meat. The procedure for its preparation consists of washing the pieces of fish fillet, chopping it and mixing it in homogeneous mass. The mixture is then placed in a centrifuge to remove excess liquid. The result is a soft mass with pleasant taste and the aroma of fish. Due to its unique beneficial properties, surimi is used in the preparation of many dishes that imitate seafood, including crab sticks.

Such stuffing is recognized useful ingredient, containing many minerals and vitamins and not harmful to health. But after its processing, their quantity and, as a result, their benefits are significantly reduced. In addition, there are manufacturers who add by-products to surimi, which reduces the quality of the minced meat and changes its smell, taste, color, and numerous flavorings cause significant harm to the body.

In order to save money, soy protein is added to seafood. As you know, soy is the result of genetic modification; its harm and benefits are ambiguous. Therefore, products labeled “non-GMO” are preferred. In addition, egg powder, vegetable oil, starch, salt and sugar are added. To obtain the necessary taste, they do not spare a lot of chemical additives, which are not beneficial, but harmful to humans.

Chemical composition and calorie content of crab sticks

The calorie content of seafood is only 88 kcal per 100 grams. Therefore, they can be usefully used by people who watch their weight.

In addition, the semi-finished product contains healthy vitamins PP, H, E.

Macronutrients:

• sulfur;
• chlorine.

Microelements:

• molybdenum;
• nickel;
• fluorine;
• chromium;
• zinc.

Useful properties of crab sticks

It makes sense to talk about the benefits of crab sticks for the body only when they are made from surimi, which has a mass useful properties. Only in such a situation will they be able to reveal their beneficial properties and transfer valuable components to the body: proteins, minerals and vitamins - and bring benefits.

Important! To obtain benefits and not harm, you should purchase a product made from surimi.

If the semi-finished product is contained as an ingredient in salads, then it is necessary to analyze the properties of the remaining components.

It is better to give them to the child in minimal quantities and the most high quality. Only in this case there will be no harm from their use. In addition, they may contain microelements that have beneficial properties for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Are crab sticks good for you on a diet?

The semi-finished product contains relatively few calories and practically no fat, this property makes it convenient to eat as a light snack. However, if we take into account the small amount of useful substances, the content of dyes and preservatives and a fairly large number of artificial additives, we can conclude that the product is more likely to cause harm than benefit.

Thus, despite low calorie content, you should not overuse them, yet their beneficial properties are small. You can occasionally include them in your diet as an addition to some dishes.

Can crab sticks be consumed by pregnant and lactating women?

The chemical components of this semi-finished product will be in breast milk, which may adversely affect the health of the newborn. Possible allergic reactions, adverse events from the digestive organs, or the development of the disease will be provoked.

Because women during the period breastfeeding It is not recommended to eat them in the same quantities as they were consumed before pregnancy. It is allowed to add them only occasionally, for example, to salads, provided there are no allergies.

Important! You can use crab sticks during breastfeeding with your doctor's permission.

It is important not to forget that the first time you consume seafood during lactation, only a minimal amount of this product is allowed. This way the mother will be able to assess the child’s body’s reaction to new food. If the child does not have allergic reactions, the amount of the product can be increased. However, they cannot be abused: the daily presence of semi-finished products in the diet of a nursing woman is not allowed. Thus, there is no benefit from crab sticks for women during lactation.

Crab sticks for children

Crab sticks are an unnatural product that contains a large amount various additives. The semi-finished product contains a minimal amount of beneficial properties, but can cause harm in the form of an allergic reaction or even poisoning. Therefore, it is better not to give this product to children under 3–4 years of age. At such a tender age digestive system The child is very sensitive to additives.

Moderate consumption of such products will reduce the risk of harm to health to a minimum. Experts recommend eating no more than 2 pieces at a time. Permitted for use in pure form, and as an ingredient in various salads.

Crab sticks for gastritis and pancreatitis

Experts confidently state that crab sticks should not be present in the diet of patients with gastritis and pancreatitis. This is explained by the fact that in their production a huge number of different food coloring, flavorings, preservatives. For persons with diseases of the digestive system, this is strictly prohibited.

For example, in people with gastritis and increased acidity the use of such products can cause severe irritation of the stomach walls, which can result in an exacerbation and worsening of the condition. Therefore, additives and preservatives make sticks a product that should not be present in the diet of people with digestive problems.

Advice! Better to buy low-fat varieties fish, it will be useful and safe.

Crab sticks for diabetes

Almost everything useful elements, vitamins and minerals are destroyed during the manufacture of the semi-finished product, only vegetable protein remains in the composition, therefore there is no question of benefits for diabetics. This is a low-calorie product, so it can be consumed, but only occasionally.
It is important to understand that products are harmful to patients diabetes mellitus and is not useful for another reason high content preservatives, stabilizers and flavor enhancers. Such components tend to provoke allergies, exacerbation of chronic diseases and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Important! For diseases of the pancreas, crab sticks are contraindicated and will not bring any benefit.

Use of crab sticks in cooking

Imitation crab meat is used in many preparations different dishes, they have the property of fitting quite harmoniously into culinary masterpieces. Among them are salads, snacks, and it happens that they are even used in hot dishes. Most of all, sticks are used in combination with canned corn, this is a holiday table classic.

Harm of crab sticks and contraindications

The semi-finished product contains additives such as E-450, E-420 and E-160, which tend to provoke allergic reactions. People prone to allergies should be careful when consuming them so as not to harm their health. It is recommended to consume no more than 100 grams at a time.

Since the semi-finished product is not subjected to heat treatment, there is a risk of contamination by microorganisms. It is better to purchase the product in vacuum packaging, it will protect the product from the penetration of dirt and germs.

The composition may contain soy protein, which can provoke an exacerbation of chronic kidney and liver diseases. It is better for people with such diseases not to include these products in their diet.

How to select and store crab sticks

In order to get beneficial properties from crab sticks and not harm, it is extremely important to choose the right product.

• Package . It is better to prefer seafood in a vacuum; it tends to protect the contents from the penetration of bacteria and microorganisms.
• Composition and expiration date. Useful product must contain at least 40% minced fish. Surimi should be in first place in the lineup.
• Food additives, stabilizers and flavor enhancers. The amount of such ingredients should be kept to a minimum. You should not purchase products containing E-450 pyrophosphates, E-420 sorbitols, E-171 dyes and E-160 carotenes. Such components provoke allergic reactions.

In addition, they must:

• have a neat appearance;
• be evenly colored, without smudges or stains;
• be elastic and not fall apart when touched.

Conclusion

The conclusion about the benefits and harms of crab sticks is obvious. Such a product has almost no beneficial properties, but, on the contrary, can be harmful to health, and it is better to minimize its use. This is especially true for people with gastrointestinal problems and children. The health benefits and harms of crab sticks should be taken into account when compiling family menu. No matter how attractive this delicacy may be, it is better to replace it with natural fish dishes.

Crab sticks were introduced to Japan in 1973 due to a shortage of crab meat - required ingredient for Japanese cuisine.

Despite the name of the sticks, they do not contain crab meat. The sticks are called crab sticks because they look like crab claw meat.

Energy value of the product per 100 g. from 80 to 95 kcal.

Crab sticks are made from minced meat fish meat– surimi. The meat of oceanic fish species: horse mackerel and herring is processed into minced meat.

• processed fish meat;
• purified water;
• natural egg white;
• corn or potato starch;
• vegetable fats;
• sugar and salt.

During production, minced fish is driven through a centrifuge and a purified product is obtained.

Crab sticks contain enhancers, flavor stabilizers and natural dyes. These ingredients are needed to make it “similar” to crab meat in color, taste and smell. They are added in small quantities - from 3 to 8% of the total mass of the product, so they do not harm the human body.

Useful properties of crab sticks

The benefits of crab sticks explained a large number protein and low fat. As a percentage per 100 g:

• proteins – 80%;
• fats – 20%;
• carbohydrates – 0%.

For weight loss

Crab sticks are good for people losing weight. They can be used as dietary dish. The crab diet lasts four days. There are only two products in the diet: 200 gr. crab sticks and 1 l. low-fat kefir. Divide the food into five servings and eat throughout the day. It is recommended to consult your doctor before following the diet.

For the heart and blood vessels

In 100 gr. product contains:

• 13 mg. calcium;
• 43 mg. magnesium

Calcium and magnesium are needed to maintain normal blood vessels, nervous system and hearts.

The norm of crab sticks per day is 200 g. But if consumed in excess of the norm, allergic reactions are possible.

Thus, the benefits and harms of crab sticks depend on the amount of the product consumed.

Harm and contraindications of crab sticks

Food additives E-450, E-420, E-171 and E-160 in the product cause allergies. Allergy sufferers should exercise caution when consuming crab sticks. You should not eat more than 100 grams. at a time.

Since the product is not heat treated, contamination by microorganisms is possible. Buy the product in vacuum packaging, which protects against germs and dirt.

This product may contain soy protein, which may cause chronic diseases. Therefore, it is not recommended to use crab sticks for liver and kidney diseases.

When consumed in moderation quality product, crab sticks will not harm the body.

Contraindications for crab sticks:

• allergy;
• liver and kidney diseases;
• individual intolerance.

How to choose the right crab sticks

To avoid a low-quality product, you need to choose the right crab sticks. When choosing crab sticks, pay attention to:

1. Packaging. Vacuum packaging protects the product from bacteria and microorganisms.
2. Composition and expiration date. Natural product contains more than 40% minced fish. Surimi should be at the beginning of the list of ingredients. If there is no surimi, then the crab sticks are unnatural and contain soy and starch.
3. Food additives and flavor stabilizers. Their number should be minimal. In the composition of sticks, avoid pyrophosphates E-450, sorbitol E-420, dye E-171 and carotene E-160. They cause allergies.

Signs of quality crab sticks

1. Neat appearance.
2. Uniform color, without smudges or stains.
3. Elastic and do not fall apart when touched.

Crab sticks – finished product, which is suitable for a quick snack.