Does anyone know what the contents are of imitation crab meat?

Answer 1

The flaky, red-edged faux crab in your seafood salad or California roll is most likely made of Alaska Pollock. Also called Walleye Pollock, Snow Cod, or Whiting, this fish is abundant in the Bering Sea near Alaska and can also be found along the central California coast and in the Sea of Japan. Pollock has a very mild flavor, making it ideal for the processing and artificial flavoring of imitation crab. While Pollock is the most common fish used to make fake crab, New Zealand Hoki is also used, and some Asian manufacturers use Southeast Asian fish like Golden Treadfin Bream and White Croaker.
The processing of imitation crabmeat begins with the skinning and boning of the fish. Then the meat is minced and rinsed, and the water is leached out. This creates a thick paste called surimi. The word means "minced fish" in Japanese, and the essential techniques for making it were developed in Japan over 800 years ago. Surimi is commonly used in Japan to make a type of fish ball or cake called kamaboko. In 1975, a method for processing imitation crabmeat from surimi was invented in Japan, and in 1983, American companies started production.

Many ingredients are added to the surimi to give it a stable form, appealing texture, and crab-like flavor. Sugar, sorbitol, wheat or tapioca starch, egg whites, and vegetable or soybean oil can all help improve the form of the surimi. Natural and artificial crab flavorings are added, and some of these flavorings are made from real crab or from boiled shells. Carmine, caramel, paprika, and annatto extract are often used to make the crab's red, orange, or pink coloring. Imitation crab is cooked, which helps set the surimi and give it the final texture and appearance. Nutritionally speaking, surimi is not that different from real crab, although it is lower in cholesterol.

Answer 2

Pollock or other cheap fish that is white and they use a little red dye to make it look like crab. I just read a newspaper article about it over Christmas.

Answer 3

Various ingredients are mixed together to make a product which has the color, taste, and texture of crab meat. The surimi used in the manufacture of imitation crab meat is most commonly processed from the Alaska pollock or walleye pollock. To a lesser extent, the New Zealand hoki is also used. These fish are particularly useful because they are abundant, have little flavor, and are inexpensive to process. Other fish that have been used include the blue whiting, croaker, lizardfish, and Pike-conger. However, these fish currently present some problems during surimi manufacture, which limits their use. During the manufacture of surimi, various processing ingredients are added. Cryoprotectant materials such as sugar and sorbitol are added prior to freezing to prevent the degradation of the gel-forming properties of surimi. These ingredients also have an impact on the taste of the final product and help extend its shelf life. While surimi gels provide structure, other ingredients are needed to help stabilize and modify its texture. One important ingredient is starch. It improves the texture and stabilizes the gel matrix. This is particularly important for the stability of the product when it is frozen. The amount of starch is usually about 6% of the recipe. Egg white is also added to the surimi to improve the gel structure. It has the ability to increase the gel strength and improve its appearance by making the surimi more glossy and whiter. Vegetable oil is also been used to improve the appearance of surimi and modify its texture. Flavoring is added to surimi to make it taste like crab meat. These flavorants can be natural or artificial, but typically a mixture of both is used. Natural flavoring compounds include amino acids, proteins, and organic acids, which are obtained through aqueous extraction of edible crabs. Artificial flavors can be made to closely match crab meat flavor and are typically superior to naturally derived flavorants. Artificial flavoring compounds include esters, ketones, amino acids, and other organic compounds. Additionally, seasonings and secondary flavorants are added to the meat to improve the overall flavor. Common ingredients include nucleotides, monosodium glutamate, vegetable proteins, and mirin. The coloring for imitation crab meat is typically made using water insoluble compounds like carmine, caramel, paprika, and annato extract. By combining these and other ingredients, various shades of red, orange, and pink can be obtained. Before using the colorants, they are mixed in a surimi paste. This allows them to be easily applied to the imitation crab meat bundles.
http://www.gale-edit.com/products/volumes/crab_meat.htm
(This website also gives background, history, and manufacturing process, preparing, formation, packaging information - it's an excellent resource)


SOME RECIPES
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,imitation_crab,FF.html

Answer 4

The chunk or stick version I got for my son at the grocery store for my son said mackeral, cod and or various other white fish,they have no shell fish in them if that's what your asking cuz I am extremely allergic to shell fish. that is why I know.

Answer 5

I asked that once at the seafood counter at a Wal-Mart super center and the lady working there had it all written down and read it off to me. I don't remember what all was in there but you could check it out at your favorite store.

Answer 6

It's a mild white fish called pollock.

Answer 7

Usually cod and/or white fish.

Answer 8

I think it is some kind of cheap fish ( cod) mushed together.

Answer 9

cat food

Answer 10

cod and red dye