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Crabs waiting to be sorted.

Seafood Poisoning

A dead crab is a bad crab, throw it out period. End of story. But read on anyways.

When a crab dies, they waste no time degenerating their body. A dead crab will immediately release toxins into all parts of the crab to start the decaying process. Not only are the toxins released into the one dead crab if the crab is in a tank with other crabs those toxins will kill the other crabs as well if the dead crab is not immediately removed.

When you eat a toxic crab (dead crab) you are eating spoiled meat infected with these toxins. Nine times out of ten you will become very sick with an illness commonly know as food poisoning or seafood poisoning.

Some of the symptoms that are usually noticeable after you’ve eaten contaminated crabs are:

  • an endless stream of diarrhea
  • nasea
  • constant barfing
  • headache
  • weak muscles
  • sore joints

If you have any fear that you may have eaten infected crab meat go and see a health care practitioner. You may need to have your stomach contents pumped or go on antibiotics.

How to Avoid Being Poisoned From Crabs

  • When you purchase a fresh crab make sure that it is lively. Slow sluggish crabs should be avoided as they may not make the car ride home.
  • If you are traveling for long periods of time with your crabs read this page How to Keep your Crabs Alive.
  • Either cook your crab immediately when you get home or kill, clean it and put it in the fridge to be cooked within a day. (The toxins come from the mustard, parts of the guts, of the crab. Once the crabs are cleaned you remove the risk of these harmful toxins.)

What you don’t need to be concerned with:

Red tide is not a factor with crabs. Red tide only affects bi-valves such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.

PSP are also unique to bi-valves as well and therefor do not affect crabs.

Seafood Poisoning and Why You Never Want to Eat a Dead Crab
 
 
Serious consequences for eating dead crabs.
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: Main
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Ingredients
  • Dead crab

 

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