A social media user shared a video online of how crabsticks are made and it has gone viral. The video was taken at a factory in Thailand that creates crabsticks.

The video shows the step-by-step process of how crabsticks are made, from its raw products to the machines that prepare them and the final packaging. The process instantly disgusted people, likening it to how companies made hotdogs.

The process begins with large gray slabs of frozen fish meat coursing their way on a conveyer belt into a machine that crushes it. When it’s finally a soft slab of processed fish meat, it is transferred to another machine where other ingredients, which include salt and egg white, are mixed into the grayish blend. Ice cubes are then added along with sugar and oil.

A blue rotating disk is placed inside the machine, resulting in a thick mixture reminiscent of slime or dough. It is then pureed, blended, and rolled into a long, continuous strip where its orange coating is placed.

The orange coating is actually pigmented Surimi, a paste made from different types of meat that come in many forms, shapes, and even textures. Surimi is used to copy lobster, crab, eel, and other shellfish.

The Thailand-based company where the video was filmed makes 40,000 tons of crabsticks yearly. The finished product is then distributed to 37 countries worldwide.

People’s Reaction to the Video

The video outraged many people, with hundreds of people voicing their disbelief. Several called it disgusting, with others saying it made them want to puke.

Others took it so badly that they swore off crabsticks. “I’ll never have the courage to eat them again,” one user said.

[A doctor] explained that the frozen fish slabs crabsticks are made from are actually made of random fish flesh and leftovers.

“Watching processed food being made really puts you off,” a user wrote. “I will never eat crabsticks again!” another declared. Other than the disgust they felt toward the production of crabsticks, people also realized the harm the processed food brings to the body.

Doctors have clarified that there is no crab meat in crab sticks at all. It is an imitation of the dish made with minced meat, dyes, and starch.

Doctors have also advised not to include crabsticks in one’s diet, as they have no nutritional benefits. In fact, it can even cause harm to the body.

Other than not having any nutritional benefits, it is also infused with so much salt that it isn’t recommended for hypertensive patients. The flavor enhancers are also not allowed for cores, and the product is prone to giving people allergies, especially those with dye or fish intolerance.

One doctor called crabsticks the “hotdog of the sea.” He explained that the frozen fish slabs crabsticks are made from are actually made of random fish flesh and leftovers.

He went on to say that it was best to avoid crabsticks knowing what’s involved in the process of making it. It is in no way beneficial to one’s health and is a mixture of several ingredients with no benefit to one’s diet.

With a video readily available for people to view, it’s become a real dealbreaker for those who consume crabsticks. Many are rethinking their food choices, especially now that they are aware of where the food comes from.

In another story, people called a family’s dining setup disgusting after seeing the children eating near their dogs. Click here to read all about it.