FOOD NEWS
What To Look For When Searching For The Best Canned Crab
By Matthew Wilson
Canned crab meat is the most economical way to satisfy your crab cravings, but here's what you need to look for when shopping for it at a grocery store.
You should check the ingredients list for additives to avoid ones like sodium tripolyphosphate, which can affect the overall quality of your seafood products.
Buying sustainable crab meat is also important because you will be doing your part in preventing overfishing and sustaining the future health of the world's oceans.
Avoid canned crab meat from Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and instead buy sustainably sourced crab meat from Mexico, Sri Lanka, or Australia.
The last thing to consider is crab meat grades, classified by desirability. Lump meat is the highest quality, followed by backfin meat, special meat, and claw meat.
Canned lump meat comes from crab muscles, which is a delicacy since crabs have so few. Backfin meat is the less expensive, shredded, lower-grade lump meat.
Special meat is taken from the body of the crab and is great for soups and dips. Claw meat packs the most seafood flavor but is generally less quality.