Crabsticks

In our country crabsticks appeared relatively recently – in the nineties last century. In those days the given product was considered as exotic as many people of crab meat also did not try at all. Thus, the feeling was created that you eat tasty, unusual and useful seafood.

But time goes, and nothing does not stand still. Today crabsticks can be seen on counters of each shop, and hostesses fell in love with them for convenience of storage, the low price and speed of preparation from them various dishes (generally salads and various rolls). If earlier from crabsticks dishes preferential only for a holiday table prepared, then today nobody will be surprised if they are served for breakfast, dinner or a dinner. Often because of low caloric content crabsticks serve as excellent having a snack, especially, if there is not enough time for preparation of dishes. Therefore also becomes clear that when they became something ordinary, people began to ask questions: what structure of crabsticks and whether they are harmful to our organism?

So, let's understand these questions.

Structure of crabsticks

As it is regrettable, but by production of crabsticks of natural crab meat do not use. Make them preferential of fish forcemeat, and also starch and soy protein. And in general, before their purchase it is recommended to read attentively a reverse side of packaging and to check existence of natural components as today there is a huge number of fakes.

So, crabsticks consist of fish forcemeat (sury), drinking water, ovalbumin, starch, the deodorized vegetable oil, salt and sugar. At their production add also stabilizers, amplifiers of taste and dyes which in insignificant quantities cannot do harm to health.

Surimi is made from ocean fresh-caught fish with light meat which has the high density and low content of fats. Generally it is fishes of cod breeds (to a putass, a hake, a pollock). By production of forcemeat fish fillet does not undergo heat treatment therefore in it microelements and vitamins, but in insignificant quantity remain.

Some assure that they sury make of fish waste, but it not so. From the fish heads, bones, skins and interiors produce fish meal. And for production of fish forcemeat use only fillet which is repeatedly crushed and washed out by clear water. After such processing in forcemeat preferential there are only insoluble proteins.

Later, to remove excessive moisture, the received product is passed via the centrifuge. As a result the plastic white weight which does not have a smell and color turns out. Add salt, starch, sugar, vegetable oil, ovalbumin and stabilizers to this weight. By means of amplifiers of taste and fragrances impact to forcemeat crab relish, and for obtaining color add a paprika, a carmine and other dyes. Upon purchase of sticks you watch that on packaging natural dyestuffs were specified. Qualitative crabsticks are painted very accurately and only from outer side.

The weight of one crabstick makes about 25 g. On 100 g of a product nutrition value makes: 17,5 g of proteins, 2 g of fats. Caloric content of crabsticks is low, about 85-90 kcal on 100 g of a product.

As a part of crabsticks there is also water, RR vitamin and mineral substances: chlorine, zinc, chrome, fluorine, molybdenum, nickel.

Advantage and harm

The advantage at crabsticks is small as they are not a natural product. Preferential all minerals, vitamins and useful fats which are a part of a basis, that is fish fillet when processing disappear, and there is only a fish protein.

And they after all can do harm, especially, if to get a low-quality product. It is only enough to see on packaging the following nutritional supplements: E420, E450, E171, E160 which can often become the reason of an exacerbation of some chronic diseases and emergence of allergic reactions.

Also microbiological infectiousness can render Besides, not the last role here, this product before the use is not exposed to heat treatment, and, therefore, presence of harmful microorganisms is not excluded.

Therefore it is better to buy crabsticks in packaging at which there shall be information on the producer and structure, storage conditions and a period of validity. It is recommended to defreeze them at the room temperature, otherwise meat can lose juiciness.

Undoubtedly, crabsticks are not the most useful product for our health, but also if not to abuse them, they will not do harm too.