Does canned crabmeat need to be refrigerated?

Answer 1

No, the meat is not pasteurized. Crab meat is very delicate, it will compromise the flavor and over all integrity of the meat to heat it to those temperatures for that amount of time.

The crab meat may or may not be pastuerized. Even if it is pastuerized that is not a sterile process, there could be microorganisms in the product that could be harmful to your health. Best bet is to buy another can and keep it refrigerated.

Answer 2

Some brands yes, while others no.

If it tells you on the can that you need to refrigerate it, or you find it in the refrigerated section of your supermarket, then, yes you need to refrigerate it.

Some canned products like certain brands of crab meat need to be refrigerated because the cans, while pasteurized, are not sterilized. They are pasteurized at a lower temperature so that it can be canned and last longer, but no to the point where it doesn't need to be refrigerated.

Heating to much or freezing crab meat will make it loose flavor and texture. So the cans that you buy in the supermarket that are refrigerated will taste better than the cans that don't. On the other hand, if you accidentally leave it out for a few hours, you will most-likely get very sick and could even die from the food poisoning caused by bacteria and or pathogens.

If you do leave some out, don't count on the ol' smell test to see if it's good.

Pathogens (as opposed to spoilage bacteria) most often do not change the taste/smell/appearance of food. Spoilage bacteria, which do make things smell bad and go slimy but don't necessarily make you ill, act as a warning flag that the really bad guys (salmonella, e.coli, etc.) might have moved in.

So read the labels and do as directed.

Answer 3

Yes, of course unless you happen to really love Food Poisoning!

Answer 4

yes seafood should be refrigerated