Crabs Smell Like Ammonia: What Should You Do?

I regularly buy crabs from my local fishmonger without any problems. However, to my alarm, my most recent purchase of a dozen crabs had a suffocating smell ammonia after cooking. Needless to say, that bunch was thrown in the garbage uneaten.

I had so many questions. What was the smell? Could I have eaten it? And should I have? So, I did some research and found my answers.

So, what should you do if your crabs smell like Ammonia? The smell of ammonia is a byproduct of the decomposition of seafood. Your fishmonger probably sold you a crab that has gone bad. To avoid getting sick, do not eat crabs, or any type of seafood, that smell like ammonia.

I was still curious so I did a little more research. I wanted to know exactly.y why my crabs smelled so bad, if I should have eaten it, and what would’ve happened if I did.

Why Does it Smell?

As mentioned before, the smell is a result of decomposing or rotting seafood, but some hypothesize that it could be because of a few more reasons:

Reason #1: The crab may just be old.

Older crabs have worse meat and give off a pungent smell. Living longer means being exposed to pollutants and other wastes for a longer period of time, giving the crab an ammonia scent.

It may not mean the crab has exactly gone bad, but it isn’t the best quality meat out there.

Reason #2: The crab may have died before cooking.

Every crabber knows not to cook dead crabs for just this reason. Crabs that die after being caught have a habit of going bad very quickly due to bacteria quickly spreading through the already dirty crab.

This would cause the crab to “go bad” and result in the decomposing ammonia smell that’ll ruin a good crab dinner.

Reason #3: The crab was kept in a dirty tank.

A dirty tank or had poor means of storage. It’s no secret that crabs are unclean animals.

Storing crabs for a long period of time in their own filth will not lead to tasty crabs.

Crabs urinate mainly ammonia and other wastes through their attenal gland system (source), so a bunch of crabs stored in a dirty tank over a long period of time is bound to smell like ammonia… It’s a surprise we eat these things.

Reason #4: The crab was caught in waters with increased ammonia levels.

It’s not as unlikely as you think. According to the Water Research Center (click here to see their study), runoff from ammonia-based fertilizers from fields and pastures can transport ammonia to waterways.

Also, ammonia-containing cleaning products and septic systems can release ammonia into drains and sewers which inevitably lead to the waterways where we catch Blue Crabs and Dungeness Crabs.

So it’s not completely unlikely for a large storm to expose rivers and bays to ammonia-rich runoff.

Should You Eat it?

Each reason listed above makes me more and more confident in saying you should NOT eat crabs that reek of ammonia. It’s no different than eating foul meat from the supermarket.

Speaking of the supermarket, I urge you to go to whomever sold you the crabs and demand a refund. You have the evidence in smelly, rotten crabs.

It’s the fishmonger’s responsibility to ensure their crabs are fresh and safe to eat, which leads me to my next point.

Effects of Eating Ammonia-Smelling Crabs

Let’s say you unknowingly ate some crabs that smell like ammonia.

Looking through the internet, I found very little cases of people getting seriously sick from crabs. Some have a small stomach ache, and most lose their taste for crabs for a good amount of time.

Worst case scenario are symptoms of nausea vomiting, diarrhea, etc. These are most likely effects of food poisoning. I highly recommend that you contact your doctor if you feel ill after eating crabs.

Small amounts of ammonia-tasting crabs have very little chance of doing harm, but you shouldn’t eat it.

Related Questions

How can you tell if crab meat is spoiled?

The best way to tell if crab meat has gone bad is by smell. If the crab smells fishy, like ammonia, or anything other than crab, don’t eat it. If the meat has a slimy texture, is discolored, or has any noticeable spots or bacteria growth it has gone bad.

What should a crab smell like?

It’s important to know the smell of a good crab versus a bad one.

A fresh, raw crab will not smell like anything at all or have a faintly sweet odor. If it smells sour, fishy, or rancid could mean that the crab has gone bad and should not be consumed.

Why is my crab black inside?

Black spots on the inside and outside of the crab are most likely the “Pepper Spot” disease. This is when the crab becomes infected with a parasite. Even though it does not physically harm the crab, it can ruin it by making it look unappetizing.

However, the cooking process kills the parasites and renders the crab meat completely safe to eat (Source).