Crab Meat Histamine Information

Crab meat, like other shellfish and seafood, has the potential to contribute to histamine building up in the body. It is essential to understand that histamine levels can be inconsistent in seafood, and are often affected by factors like the level of freshness and how the seafood is stored or cooked. The Minnesota Department of Health advises that seafood stored at room temperature, especially shellfish, can rapidly accumulate high levels of histamine (Minnesota Department of Health, 2020). While crab meat itself may not liberate histamine, ingredients often used in preparing crab-based dishes or products could potentially do so. Foods such as tomatoes (in crab-based sauces) and vinegar (used in pickling or dipping sauces) contain high histamine content. Additionally, additives, gelatine, and some preservatives present in canned or preserved crab meat products may also be potential histamine liberators, promoting histamine release within the body. Importantly, several foods may help to lower histamine levels or alleviate the symptoms of histamine intolerance. Ingredients such as fresh meat, eggs, gluten-free grains, and fresh fruits (except for strawberries, citrus fruits and pineapples, which are histamine liberators) are examples of such foods (Erdogan & Kose, 2018). If combined wisely with crab meat while cooking, these ingredients might impact the total histamine level in a meal positively. Finally, note that fresh crab meat on its own, if consumed promptly after purchase or caught, might not significantly affect histamine levels as much as dishes prepared with additional high-histamine ingredients, or preserved products. References: - Minnesota Department of Health. (2020). Histamine (Scombroid) Fish Poisoning: Minnesota Department of Health. https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/foodborne/diseases/histamine.html - Erdogan, A., & Kose, S. (2018). What do we know about histamine?: exploration of the literature on physiological and pathophysiological roles of histamine. Turk J Med Sci, 48(3), 489-501. https://doi.org/10.3906/sag-1710-109