Safe Ways to Eat Crab

Fresh crab is a favorite for many holiday feasts, but someconsumers are wondering about the safety of the shellfish. The recent discovery of marine toxins, such as domoic acid, in the viscera or internal organs of the rock crab and Dungeness crab from Alaska has generated concern in the seafood industry. However, cooked crab is probably as safe as any type of cooked animal protein, according to Robert Price, a UC Davis seafood technology specialist. The nerve toxins, which can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, have probably been in the crabs all along, but had escaped detection because they weren't being monitored, Price says. The toxins occur naturally in shellfish viscera, parts of the animal that are usually discarded. Price advises that the viscera, located under the back of the crab, should not be eaten and that whole crabs should not be used in soups or other dishes.