New vessel-ready snow crab steamer lowers risk for shellfish asthma

Machinery developer CT International has created the seafood industry’s first vessel-ready steam cooker for snow crab, a technology that will be on display during Seafood Expo Global / Seafood Processing Global 2017, taking place this week in Brussels, Belgium from 25 to 27 April. 

The steam cooker offers snow crabbers an alternative to traditional boilers, which can hurt crabmeat quality with harsh mechanisms, explained the Denmark-based company. 

“When steam-boiling crabs, the processing is more gentle than traditional boiling because vitamins, minerals and texture in the meat are better preserved, which gives it a richer taste,” said Mathias Hvims, a business engineer at CT International. “Furthermore, Norwegian scientists have proven that when steam boiling snow crab, shrinkage is reduced, increasing yield by 4.4 percent,” Hvims added.

The steamer technology ensures the integrity of the crabmeat, and also allows facilitates better working environments for crabbers aboard their vessels by lowering the risk for shellfish asthma, according to CT International.

“After the crabs are slaughtered the legs are lowered into the steam cooker, which is closed off during cooking. When the cooking is done, the crabs are cooled with salt water and that eliminates steam. This means that staff is not as exposed to the risk of getting shellfish asthma,” Hvims said.

CT International will display its latest developments as well as serving up steam-boiled snow crab, a delicacy in Japan and Southeast Asia, in Brussels at booth No. 4-5911.