23-04-2025
Crab stick fans left disgusted after learning how seafood snack is really made
Footage from a factory in Thailand has revealed the process behind the frozen fishy treats - and vieweres weren't impressed.
Although they might not be as popular as they were in their '80s heyday, crab sticks are still a tasty treat that many people enjoy. Whether having them as part of a salad or sushi - or even just eating them as a snack - lots of us enjoy tucking into a humble crab stick.
However, a revelation about how they are made has put some former fans off for life. After seeing the process behind the fishy food, someone even branded them "the hot dogs of the sea".
They are available in most supermarkets and big stores throughout Scotland, the UK, and the rest of the world. But their journey to Scotland's shelves has put some people off.
The Mirror reported in 2023 that a crab stick factory in Thailand shared how they made the frozen food with a video on YouTube.
The sticks start off life as huge, grey, concrete-like slabs - a far cry from the tasty-looking red-and-white stick you see in packets in your local store.
The frozen fish meat blocks go through a range of processes before they are ready to eat, starting with being fed through a machine that crushes them up into a sludgy substance.
This fishy concoction travels along a conveyor belt where salt and other seasonings are added. It is then mixed with ice, vegetable oil, and sugars.
In the clip, factory workers are seen feeding this through a tube, which whips it into a dull, grey paste. It is then moulded into the right shape and dyed red and white for the classic crab stick look.
The Thai factory claims to be the world's largest, with 40,000 tons of fish sticks produced every year - which is four times heavier than the Eiffel Tower.
The factory is said to sell to more than 37 countries worldwide - but some customers may be reconsidering after seeing the footage.
After it was posted on Reddit, one person branded the food "hot dogs of the sea". While another added: "The only ingredient I could identify was the ice".
Joking about tucking into the crab sticks, someone said: "Everything ok hun? You've hardly touched your grey." A fourth person said: "Bet that place smells wonderful"
Someone else commented: "If the title hadn't specified they were making crab sticks, or in fact any type of food, I would've gotten to 1:38 before I realised that they weren't making some sort of industrial building material."
However, one person pointed out: "It's just chopped meat run through a chopper with ice and spice to bind it like a sausage. Nothing new humans have been doing this to meat a a long time."
Crab sticks aren't the only food whose origins have left fans feeling queasy. Marmite lovers said they "can't eat it anymore" after discovering what goes into the love-it-or-hate-it spread.
One episode of Channel 4's Food Unwrapped changed some long-held opinions after a clip from an older episode resurfaced in 2023, with presenter Kate Quilton visiting a factory in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. She was looking into how Marmite, and other yeast products, were made.
The Channel 4 programme then showed how yeast cells produce alcohol as they multiply. This means breweries can be left with seven times more yeast than they originally had, and much of it is not needed.
The breweries often sell the excess to factories that make yeast extract. And many viewers were left stunned to discover that their favourite breakfast product was actually made using an alcohol by-product.
