Is Crab Butter Safe to Eat? A Complete Guide to Enjoying This Delicacy Safely

Eat the recommended number of servings of fish, shellfish, and crab each week. If you do, don’t eat any more that week from Puget Sound or the store.

Example: If you eat one serving of Chinook Salmon, no other seafood should be eaten that week.

Crab butter, also known as crab fat, is a highly prized delicacy in many cuisines around the world This rich, creamy fat from crabs has an incredible depth of flavor that makes it a luxurious addition to seafood dishes. However, some people wonder – is crab butter actually safe to eat?

Here is a comprehensive guide to understanding what crab butter is, its health benefits and risks, and how to safely enjoy this unique ingredient.

What is Crab Butter?

Crab butter refers to the yellow or orange fat extracted from the bodies of crabs. It is harvested from the crab’s hepatopancreas, reproductive organs, and other parts where fat accumulates.

This fat has an intense seafood flavor and velvety texture. It contains omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients. Crab butter is used to add richness and umami flavor to dishes like sauces, soups, stir fries, and more.

Potential Health Benefits of Crab Butter

When consumed in moderation, crab butter can provide certain health benefits:

Omega-3 fatty acids – Crab butter contains anti-inflammatory omega-3s that are good for heart health.
Vitamin A – This vitamin is important for immune function and eye health. Crab butter provides 100g of vitamin A per 3 oz serving.
Selenium – This mineral has antioxidant properties and supports thyroid function. Crab butter is high in selenium.
Vitamin E – This fat-soluble vitamin is an antioxidant that protects cells from damage. Crab butter provides vitamin E.

So in small amounts, crab butter can be part of a nutritious diet. But there are some potential downsides to consider.

Understanding the Health Risks of Crab Butter

Crab butter is extremely high in cholesterol. A 3 oz serving contains about 195 mg of cholesterol, well above the recommended 300 mg daily limit.

High cholesterol has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. So crab butter should be eaten in moderation.

Additionally, crab butter can contain environmental pollutants like PCBs, dioxins, and heavy metals. These toxins accumulate in the crab’s fat over its lifespan. The contamination level depends on where the crab is harvested.

Tips for Safely Enjoying Crab Butter

Here are some tips to enjoy crab butter safely:

Consume in small servings of 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
Avoid eating crab butter multiple times per week to limit cholesterol and toxin exposure.
Source crab butter from reputable sellers and ask where the crabs were harvested. Some regions are less contaminated than others.
Buy fresh crab butter and use within a week for food safety. Discard if you see any discoloration or smell a bad odor.
Cook crab butter to at least 145°F internal temperature to destroy any potential bacteria or viruses. Do not eat raw.
Avoid crab butter if you are pregnant or have a medical condition that requires limiting seafood or cholesterol. Consult your doctor.

Recommended Safe Servings of Crab Butter

Based on health authority guidelines for safe seafood consumption, here are the recommended weekly servings of crab butter for healthy adults:

Women who are not pregnant/nursing: Up to 2 tablespoons
Men: Up to 4 tablespoons
Children: Up to 2 teaspoons

Spread out consumption over the course of a week and avoid having crab butter more than once in a 3-4 day period. Listen to your body and discontinue use if you experience any numbness, tingling or allergy symptoms.

Delicious Ways to Cook with Crab Butter

When enjoyed in moderation, crab butter can be a delightful addition to seafood recipes. Here are some delicious ideas:

Fold into rice or pasta
Top grilled fish or shellfish
Flavor crab cakes or seafood stew
Make crab butter dipping sauce
Sauté with veggies like bok choy
Use in crab fat noodles or fried rice
Spread on bread or stir into risotto

A little crab butter goes a long way, so use small amounts to add a flavor punch.

Crab Butter Substitutes

If you are avoiding crab butter due to health reasons or lack of availability, some substitutes to consider include:

Butter or ghee
Olive oil or avocado oil
Mayonnaise or aioli
Fish oil or omega-3 supplements

While they won’t mimic the unique flavor of crab butter, these substitutes can still add richness and creaminess to seafood recipes.

Is Crab Butter Worth the Hype?

Crab butter deserves its reputation as a luxurious culinary treat. When sourced and consumed responsibly, it can be enjoyed as an occasional indulgence by healthy individuals. Just be mindful of portion size, cholesterol content, and where the crab originated from.

Use common sense and moderation to make the most of crab butter’s delicious umami flavor and velvety mouthfeel. By following basic food safety practices, you can experience this seafood delicacy in a healthy way.

is crab butter safe to eat

Marine Area 6 Advice

Coho, chum, pink, and sockeye salmon
Flatfish

Resident Chinook (Blackmouth) Salmon

All species of rockfish can’t be caught for fun or for money in Marine Areas 6–13 because of environmental concerns. For more information, see the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fishing rules.

Dungeness Crab Butter Humboldt

FAQ

Should I eat the crab butter?

This warning is due to high levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring marine toxin that can lead to illness or death. CDPH believes that rock crab meat is safe to consume, however, as a precaution, consumers are advised not to eat the viscera (internal organs, also known as “butter” or “guts”) of crabs.

What is crab butter made of?

The “crab butter” you refer to is the yellow-white-greenish substance that is revealed after the large shell has been removed. This is actually a digestive gland known as the hepatopancreas, an equivalent to our liver and pancreas.

Is it okay to eat the yellow stuff in crabs?

Contrary to popular belief, the “mustard” is not fat, rather it’s the crab’s hepatopancreas, the organ responsible for filtering impurities from the crab’s blood. Although many find its flavor distinct and delicious, it is recommended that you do not eat this since many chemical contaminants concentrate in the organ.

What not to eat from a crab?

Thankfully, nearly every part of a crab is edible, with one exception: The lungs, also known as the gills. These feathery, cone-shaped parts line the outer edges of the crab’s shell.

Can you eat crab butter?

Still yet, ensure to consume crab butter only in moderation and make sure the crabs themselves are collected from areas that do not have a long standing record of algae bloom or pollution. If you are tickled by the idea of eating crab butter, below are some of the interesting ways you can incorporate it into your diet.

What is Dungeness crab butter?

DEAR R.T.: Dungeness crab is one of my favorites, and I look forward to many feasts whenever the season comes around. The “crab butter” you refer to is the yellow-white-greenish substance that is revealed after the large shell has been removed. This is actually a digestive gland known as the hepatopancreas, an equivalent to our liver and pancreas.

What is crab butter?

Crab butter is a rich greenish-yellow substance found in the central part of a crab’s body cavity, although it can still be found in other arthropods like lobsters and shrimps but in a much different location. It is a popular delicacy among seafood lovers, packed with flavor and nutrient and is incorporated into a wide variety of uses.

Is it OK to eat cow milk instead of “crab butter”?

For this reason it is best to bypass the “crab butter” and eat only the meat. DEAR DR. BLONZ: My daughter, a vegetarian and raising her 6-year-old that way, also was (is) quite sure of the dangers of cow milk and its “unabsorbable” calcium.