Crab sticks Vici Chilled with natural crab meat. Crab sticks

Crab sticks are a ready-to-eat product with a specific fishy taste and aroma. The name itself is a successful marketing ploy, because the true composition is different from the expected. The product is made from minced fish, but many manufacturers save money by focusing on egg white, starch and food additives. To purchase high-quality sticks, you should carefully study the composition on the package.

Composition of crab sticks

Crab meat is not used in the production of the product, as evidenced by the postscript on almost all packages - “imitation”. Real sticks are based on surimi, minced fish made from oceanic and tropical varieties of white fish. The raw material is thoroughly washed, squeezed, and due to the characteristics of the meat used, it has neither a pronounced aroma nor taste.

Other ingredients of sticks and their quantity depend on the manufacturer:

• different types of starch (a link for minced meat particles, thanks to which the sticks remain elastic even after exposure to temperature);
• water;
• egg white;
• vegetable oil;
• salt;
• flavor enhancers, sweeteners, dyes, preservatives - the ingredients of this group can be harmful to humans.

In most of the products offered in this category, the mass fraction of fish (in terms of the amount of protein included in the composition) does not exceed 30-35%. GOST for crab sticks does not exist, so the content of components from different manufacturers can vary greatly. There is no particular benefit from the product, since in the process of creating and processing minced fish, all valuable components disappear from it.

Which manufacturer is better in composition?

When buying crab sticks, the main difficulty is choosing a manufacturer, since visually they do not differ from each other. It is important to study the composition and choose a safe product:

1. Santa Bremor. The mass fraction of fish does not exceed 30%, and the presence of egg white in the composition indicates that the amount of fish protein is even less. The composition includes wheat, potato and modified starch, table salt, glutamic acid, phosphates. Preservatives are not used in production, which makes the product safe, but of little use;
2. Vici. As part of surimi, wheat starch, butter, egg white, sugar, table salt and food additives. There are no dangerous preservatives and monosodium glutamate enhancer among the components;
3. Meridian- sticks with a high protein content and a minimum amount of salt. The negative point is the presence in the composition of polyphosphate - a water-retaining component;
4. Russian sea. The fish share does not exceed 30%, the bulk of the sticks are water and starches (wheat, potato and corn). The composition includes vegetable oil, egg protein, a large amount of salt, glutamic acid;
5. water world. In the composition of these sticks, muscle fibers of fish meat are found, which is a good indicator. In addition to surimim, the ingredients include water, potato starch, egg white, butter, salt, sugar, food coloring, stabilizers, and natural snow crab flavor.

All popular brands produce products with a similar composition and a minimum of harmful additives. The advantage may be a higher protein content, and a minimum amount of salt than the Meridian and Water World sticks can boast. In general, the bulk of the product is starch and water, which cannot be harmful, but if additives E160, E420, E450 and E171 are indicated on the package, then it is better not to purchase such a product.

When buying, you should definitely pay attention to the appearance of the product - the sticks should be neat, juicy and elastic. A dry, frozen product completely loses even the small benefit that it carries, not to mention the taste.

Nutritional value of the product

Calorie sticks- 88 calories per 100 grams of product. The ratio of BJU in the vast majority of products averages 80%, 20% and 0%.

Video: making crab sticks

The production of crab sticks is a multi-stage technological process that involves multiple processing of minced fish. How exactly they make a popular product is shown in detail in this video.

Hello dear readers! New Years is soon. Each hostess is already slowly starting to select a festive menu. I love not only Olivier, but also salads with crab sticks. What are crab sticks made of? And how to distinguish an original product from a fake?

Civilization is a blessing. Thanks to her, we have blenders, mixers, toasters and other great household appliances. But not everything is so clear...

In the XII century, the Japanese invented "surimi" - minced fish, from which a variety of semi-finished products were obtained. They were smoked and baked, fried and boiled. The kamaboko fish buns were the most delicious. The Land of the Rising Sun began to export them to America. But the Americans considered these balls to be a mixture of soap and rubber, which even doggies should not be fed with! Time passed... In the seventies of the twentieth century, everything suddenly changed radically.

On the islands, they thought of disguising the fish passed through a meat grinder as crab meat, flavoring it with flavorings and coloring it. This is how a product was born that deceived and conquered the whole world. And only wise islanders prefer pure surimi, and only 10% of the population prefer imitations.

The Soviet public, inexperienced with delicacies, immediately took the name of the product at face value. We have "crab" sticks and were considered crab in the original sense of the word. The credulity of Russians knows no bounds! When the truth became obvious, there was no limit to indignation and disappointment ...

But! They did not stop loving the sticks. They did not refuse salads based on them. Therefore, especially for their fans, I advise you to look at the composition every time you buy. All in order to get the optimal product without buying into the appeal of soy imitation.

How are crab sticks made? Without any frills and frills. The most affordable fish is taken. The main thing is that her meat should be white. The fillet is ground and squeezed out of excess water. Spices and starch are added to the resulting mass to taste and get real surimi. This stuffing is bought by our entrepreneurs abroad. And in the country they form a “crab imitator” in various forms.

The necessary additives are introduced into surimi, which guarantee the safety of the product. The taste of crab is given by glutamate and flavorings. Hue is the task of natural dyes. But they are often allergic. Not everyone can eat crab substitutes. Allergy sufferers should be careful. Especially with carrageenan, which causes indigestion.

So crab sticks can be useful, and! Reading on the label what exactly is included in the crab sticks is a must.

First of all, the fish

One way or another, no more than 25% of minced fish remains in the product. This is fine. But the trouble is that the manufacturer never indicates the percentage of pure minced fish on a pack, so it’s simply impossible to find out how much pollock or hake is in crab sticks. But there is one subtlety. On the labels of any goods, be it a cosmetic cream, fabric, food, in the recipe, they first write the very substance or product that is most in the proposed product.
If the prescription of the composition begins with the word surimi, then it contains the most fish. In any other variant, even if surimi is in second place, there may be a minimum of fish. And if surimi is not mentioned, you have a fake! Is it possible to expect something good from a fake? For me it doesn't!

External attractiveness

Crab sticks that you want to eat should be beautiful, neat, appetizing. They value juiciness and elasticity, it's almost like crabs! If they are dry, insipid, semi-sluggish, then in front of you is a victim of storage, not otherwise! The product loses moisture or juiciness with repeated defrosting and freezing. It will tell you what product is in front of you - an abundance of frost on the package and ice - inside.

Avoid crab substitutes that have the inscription "Chilled product". Normal crab sticks are stored in the mode from 0 to +6ºС. The cold freezes all the flavor out of minced meat. And if surimi is sold by weight, run away from such a "gift of fate." You will never get reliable information about this “miracle”: where, when, from what and why it was made.

Wordplay

Inexperienced housewives, trying to surprise guests, buy crab meat instead of the well-known sticks. They are sure that before them is a real delicacy of crustaceans. Ah, how far from the truth! Please read the composition of the product on the label. There, at best, all the same minced fish. That is, the essence is the same as that of the sticks, but the shape is different. A real delicacy is labeled "crab meat". This is a frozen product that is sold in separate parts of crustaceans. And the cost is completely different.

What do the experts think? Here, for example, is the opinion of gastroenterologists: crab substitutes cannot be classified as seafood. During their production, vitamins and minerals, iodine, and other useful components are lost. The protein remains pure. This is good for those who want to lose weight. But a full-fledged marine fauna will never replace.

Ideally

So, what to put in the New Year's dish? Ideally, a crab substitute product:

• juicy, elastic, with the taste of a delicacy;
• natural additives in it in moderation, one barrel is painted;
• in the recipe comes first - surimi, it's good if its percentage is indicated;
• no soy;
• a pack is common for all sticks, it indicates the expiration date, there are exact and clear coordinates of the manufacturer, the rules for the safety of the product.

Attention! The product must not be thawed with boiling water! Only room temperature. Otherwise, instead of surimi, you will get porridge.

I often buy crab sticks or meat. For me, this is a satisfying snack. And of course, I could not pass by crab meat with real crab.

These sticks are not cheap - 169 rubles. However, I got curious. Is there really crab or just surimi? But the only thing I can say right away: when I took the Vichy company, I already knew that it would be very tasty! This company has never let me down!

On the reverse side, the packaging is rather nondescript - pure white. What surprised me was the grams. Indeed, in standard packages of all possible sticks, there are always 200 grams. And here is 50 grams more. Maybe that's why the price is higher?

In the composition you can see really crab meat. This is very pleasing.

The sticks themselves smell delicious. It makes me want to eat them as soon as possible!

It turned out that this is not just a crab stick, but a snow crab. If someone does not understand this, I will explain. A crab stick can be turned in a circle, but a snow crab cannot be done this way, since it consists of fibers that resemble real meat fibers.

As part of the rolling study of Roskachestvo, crab sticks of the 30 most popular brands on the Russian market were studied according to 36 quality and safety indicators. The products were produced in Russia (Kaliningrad Region, Primorsky Territory, Moscow and St. Petersburg) and Belarus (Brest). The cost of one package of crab sticks ranged from 24.7 to 241 rubles at the time of purchase (the study presented products in packages from 100 g to 1 kg).

RUSSIAN QUALITY SYSTEM STANDARD

The standard of the Russian Quality System established increased requirements for the nutritional value of crab sticks (content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates), as well as for the amount of table salt in them. In addition, they should not contain foreign impurities. The required level of localization of production to be awarded the Russian Quality Mark is at least 30% of the cost of goods.

STO “Russian quality system. Imitated fish food products. Products structured from minced fish. Special quality requirements"

Appearance of the product: sticks of the same length, whole, with a clean surface, painted on one side from pink to red, in a sheath made of polymeric materials. There may be a deviation in the length of the sticks in the package by no more than 0.5 cm.

• Mass fraction of protein: not less than 8.0%.
• Mass fraction of carbohydrates (starch): no more than 14%.
• Mass fraction of fat: no more than 3%.
• Mass fraction of table salt: no more than 2.5%.
• The presence of foreign matter: not allowed.
• Localization level: 30%.

ATTENTION! CLOSTRIDIA DISCOVERED

Safety is the first point. According to the results of the study, there is much more good news than bad. So, none of the samples found:

• heavy metals;
• radionuclides;
• pesticides;
• excess of the total number of microorganisms;
• bacteria of the group of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria, Salmonella, Enterococci;
• toxic organic compounds - polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs);
• GMOs (soy and corn);
• the phosphorus content in crab sticks meets the established standards. This means that they do not contain hazardous amounts of phosphates.

However, clostridia were found in crab sticks of four brands. These are "Red Price", "First of all", Aro and Horeca Select. It was “thanks” to this that four violators were revealed in the study of crab sticks. Curiously, the listed products are their own brands Dixy (First Business), Pyaterochka (Red Price) and Metro (Aro, Horeca Select).

THERE ARE NO CRAB IN THE CRAB STICKS...

Yes Yes. If someone doubted - do not doubt. Crab sticks are not a crab meat appetizer at all. This product belongs to simulated fish food products. For the production of crab sticks minced fish is used - surimi. It is made from hake, pollock, blue whiting and other white fish.

– Crabs have always been expensive, and analog products didn't aim to replace crabs., - says the adviser to the director of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Lyubov Abramova. - Rather, these products provided the population with a complete protein.

Surimi manufacturing technology is very laborious:

1. Minced fish is washed several times.
2. Carry out refining (free from inclusions of small bones, black film).
3. Centrifuge (thereby "squeezing out" excess moisture).
4. Sorbates, phosphates and salt are added to minced meat to increase shelf life.
5. The protein consistency remains odorless and bright fishy taste. For the appearance of taste and smell, flavor enhancers and flavorings are added to minced meat. According to Lyubov Abramova, artificial flavors may be a mixture of synthetic compounds, or may contain natural ingredients. Now there is a large selection of natural and natural-identical dyes that are approved for use.

Surimi differs from ordinary minced fish in its high structuring ability, and also has a balanced amino acid composition of proteins, close to the standard.

However, despite this, the opinion that there is no crab meat in all crab sticks is also a myth.

Lyubov Abramova explained:

Recently, crab sticks containing natural crab meat have been made to attract the attention of the consumer.

This allows you to give products more interesting taste and aroma. But making sticks entirely from crab meat by giving a secondary structure is not entirely advisable, since natural meat in any form will still look more attractive.

In order to understand whether manufacturers used crab meat to make crab sticks, experts examined the products for the presence of crustacean protein in them.

Reference:

Why were crab sticks specifically tested for the presence of crustacean protein, and not for the presence of crab DNA? The presence of crab DNA can indicate the content of any parts of the crab in the composition of the product: shell (chitin), extracts. In turn, the protein of crustaceans will indicate that it was used for the production of crab sticks. crab meat. It remains only to calculate how much it is.

According to the results of the study, crab meat was found in crab sticks of five brands (more than 20 mg/kg). By the way, they are all produced by Vichyunai-Rus LLC. These are Lenta, Columbus, Horeca Select, Vici Priority and Vici Natural Crab Meat. And if in two of them the amount of protein is not very high (“Tape” - 80.75 ± 4.3 mg / kg, Horeca Select - 21.81 ± 4.3 mg / kg), then in crab sticks Columbus, Vici " Priority” and Vici “With natural crab meat”, the amount of crab meat exceeds 160 mg/kg. Moreover, in the labeling of the Vici product “With natural crab meat”, crab meat is listed in the composition in second place (after surimi).

The amount of crustacean protein less than 20 mg/kg indicates its trace amounts in crab sticks. Most likely, such an introduction was inappropriate. By the way, you can read about where “foreign” DNA comes from, for example, in processed meat products.

How legal is it to call a product crab sticks when most of the time it doesn't contain crab meat?

Responsible Love Abramova:

The 1994 industry standard for the manufacture of crab sticks defines: "Crab sticks are a ready-to-eat product that imitates crab meat."

Today's regulatory documents provide for a mandatory condition for labeling imitated fish food products. So, in the name (or through a dash from the name) in the same font (including size) information about the imitation should be indicated. However, if a manufacturer produces a surimi-based product called "crab meat" by simply cutting the dyed surimi into pieces, in my opinion, he is misleading the consumer.

CRAB STICKS: STARCH OR FISH?

One of the most important indicators of the quality of crab sticks is the amount of protein in them. Protein can tell you how much minced fish is in the product.

As a rule, the less protein in crab sticks, the more starch and, accordingly, the less fish.

– Surimi is a complete fish protein, says Lyubov Abramova. – As a result of minced meat washing, extractive substances, water-soluble proteins, amines, which have an unpleasant odor, are removed from it, and some of them cause an allergic reaction. Pollack-based surimi is of higher quality and more valuable for making crab sticks. The product based on pollock mince contains about 16% protein.

It is by the amount of protein that crab sticks are divided into products economy and premium class.

• In crab sticks economy class less protein and more carbohydrates (due to starch).
• For making sticks premium class using natural crab extract. It is prepared by concentrating the decoction obtained by boiling crabs. This product is as close to the original as possible with a high protein content.

comments Lyubov Abramova

In the manufacture of products for different price segments of the market, the manufacturer also uses different approaches. For example, it reduces the cost of raw materials, replaces part of the minced meat with a variety of starches, uses soy proteins, etc.

According to the labeling requirements, he must necessarily indicate all these components in the composition of the product. When replacing minced fish with corn, tapioca or other starch, the protein content in the finished product decreases. So, crab sticks appear on the shelves, containing from 5 to 14% of protein and, accordingly, from 14 to 4% of carbohydrates. Initially, when developing a new type of product, the issue of bringing it closer to natural products was decided not only in appearance, but also in nutritional value. Crab meat contains an average of 17% protein, canned "Crab Meat" - about 19%. Thus, crab sticks with a 5% protein content, which have appeared in recent years, no longer meet the previously set goal in terms of nutritional value, but, perhaps, are more affordable from an economic point of view.

However, neither the amount of protein nor the amount of starch in crab sticks is regulated by Russian law. That is why Roskachestvo has set standards for these indicators. According to them, products with a mass fraction of protein of at least 8% and a mass fraction of starch of no more than 14% can be considered high-quality.

According to the results of tests in crab sticks of 18 brands, the mass fraction of protein was less than 8%. This suggests that there is not enough minced fish in the products. This is not a violation, however, these products are deprived of the opportunity to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark.

And here the three richest in protein were:

1. Fish House - 16.3% protein.
2. Tokimo. Snow crab "- 13.24% protein.
3. "New Ocean" - 10.32 ± 0.14% protein. (However, the bronze medalist does have soy in its formula. More on that later.)

In turn, the amount of starch is more than 14% in the products of 15 brands. These goods are also deprived of the opportunity to apply for the Russian Quality Mark. Details are in the product cards.

AND AGAIN SOY

Minced fish is a kind of protein mass. However, some manufacturers may replace fish protein with vegetable protein. Particularly soy.

Even in Soviet times, from the moment of its appearance, crab sticks, which were made from white fish meat, were considered one of the delicacies of that era. They were even equated with black caviar in terms of their value. Now this affordable and popular product is an ingredient in many salads. Let's try to understand in more detail what crab sticks are, the composition of which continues to be a mystery to many admirers of the product.

general information

Real crab sticks are prepared from processed minced meat of oceanic fish - surimi. Despite the name, you will not find crab meat in their composition. In Europe, this product began to be used in the middle of the last century, it came to Russia in the 80s. For some reason, many people believe that fish waste is used for its preparation, but they are wrong. Only fresh fish fillets are used, caught 6-10 hours before processing. For this reason, stick factories are located on the shores of the seas and oceans.

Consumers are right about only one thing. For the production of surimi, not the best types of fish are used: cod, hake, haddock, pollock, horse mackerel, blue whiting. Due to the fact that the resulting product has neither a smell nor a special taste, a number of ingredients are usually added to it: sugar, starch, egg and vegetable proteins, salt, stabilizers, vegetable oil, various flavors and flavor enhancers. As a result, the final product contains 45% minced fish. The norm is 25%. A little further we will describe in more detail what crab sticks are made of.

What should be crab sticks

Now let's figure out what they should be, let's talk about texture and appearance. Usually they are rectangular oblong and have a yellow-red or red tint. They are puff, it is not difficult to separate these layers, as well as unwind them. The taste is slightly salty, the texture is similar to rubber. The color and shape of the sticks vaguely resemble the claws of a crab, its meat.

A quality product is easy to distinguish from a poor quality one. So when buying, you will always understand whether you made a mistake or not with a choice. After all, if you buy crab sticks, the composition of which does not meet the standard, then they can be dry and crumbly due to a lack of fish and oversaturation with starch and soy. This will also affect the appearance and taste. The product should not break when folded, but should be easy to unfold, juicy and have an even color. Always pay attention to the ingredients. In the case when surimi is not in the first place, in front of you are sticks, minced fish in which is less than the norm.

Crab sticks: composition, benefits and harms

In principle, there is no particular benefit from this food. But this is not surprising. What can be the benefit of a not quite natural product? In addition, during heat treatment, even what was lost: fats, vitamins and minerals. There will be one fish protein left. It promotes wound healing, prevents fatty liver and normalizes fat metabolism, helps to synthesize nucleic acids and some hormones. But since surimi makes up only about 25% of the total composition, there is little protein in the product.

It turns out that if you buy only a quality product and not every day, then there will be no harm. On the contrary, there will be only benefit (if necessary, an urgent bite to eat). By the way, everything harmful in sticks is described on their packaging. We are talking about all sorts of stabilizers, dyes, flavor enhancers, flavors and thickeners. They will not have the best effect on your health, as they can, among other things, provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases or cause allergies. In many European countries, these harmful substances are prohibited. In conclusion, it should be noted that it is recommended to buy vacuum-packed sticks, bulk ones can be infected through a microbiological line.

Detailed composition of crab sticks

This issue has been covered a little above. Now let's dwell on it in more detail. The main requirement for the components is to maintain the original structure and quality even during heat treatment and deep freezing. Let's talk a little about the purpose of the various ingredients from which crab sticks are formed. The composition, which has always been a secret, will be slightly revealed. Starch is a link for elements of fish protein. Thanks to him, the sticks retain their elasticity after processing.

Vegetable oil and water are essential components. The first must be highly purified and contain vitamins E and A. The second must be mechanically cleaned, softened, treated with ultraviolet light and ozonized. The purpose of the dye E160 is to give the product an appetizing color of crab meat. Monosodium glutamate (E621) - flavor enhancer. E410 and E407 carrageenans are useful natural seaweed thickeners that remove heavy metals from the body and have anti-ulcer and anti-viral biological activity.

Calorie crab sticks

For what reason can you snack, hungry, with this dish? The answer is very simple - it is low in calories, so there is no need to worry about your weight after eating one package. There are only 100 kcal per 100 grams of this product. And the nutritional value is as follows: proteins - approximately 6 grams, carbohydrates - approximately 10 grams. So, when considering crab sticks for nutrition, composition, calorie content, pay more attention to the composition. The last characteristic is not an important element. Unless for those who often go on a diet, and this product is indicated for use.

crab sticks for diet

If you are preparing any festive dish, for example, Olivier, conduct an experiment: replace the sausage with chopsticks. It will immediately become more useful and less caloric. Many people who have tried our product as part of various dishes have seen that crab sticks are a real diet food.

Why? They are very high in selenium, phosphorus, magnesium and low in saturated fat. When dieting, you need to remember a couple of minuses. It is high in sugar and sodium. But useful minerals such as zinc, chlorine, fluorine, chromium, nickel and molybdenum, vitamin PP outweigh everything. And most importantly, when studying crab sticks, composition, carbohydrates in them, notice that the last component is almost absent, that is, they are quite suitable for dietary use.

The best manufacturers of crab sticks

Now on the shelves of stores you can find a lot of different frozen seafood, which are in great demand. Nevertheless, the product we are considering continues to be in demand. This is also due to its low cost. This market has long been divided between manufacturers, no changes in the alignment of forces are expected in the near future. So, we wanted to buy crab sticks. Manufacturers of only three companies are the main players in the Russian market. About 40% of our market is occupied by SE "Viciunai" - a company from Lithuania, which is represented by the well-known trade mark VICI. Its main facilities are located in Kaliningrad.

The second company is (with a 20% share) the Karelian Combine, and the third is ROK-1, also with a 20% share. There are three more manufacturers who share the remaining 20%. These are Albatross, Meridian and Santa Bremor. So if you want to be sure about the composition of the product, to know what crab sticks are made of, buy them from one of these companies. Although, of course, it's up to you.

conclusions

Despite the fact that crab sticks (composition) are far from the same as they were at the beginning of production, they are still in great demand among housewives and remain a frequent guest on our table. In the event that you want to get the maximum benefit from them, it is not recommended to perform any heat treatment. And then they will add their taste and aroma to all the dishes to which they are added. Not to mention the use as a separate food. Bon appetit.