{"id":40696,"date":"2026-07-20T09:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T09:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/?p=40696"},"modified":"2026-07-08T14:53:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T14:53:24","slug":"is-imitation-crab-vegan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It&#8217;s Not Even Vegetarian"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This one catches people out constantly, and you can see why. It&rsquo;s called imitation crab. Imitation means fake, fake means not-an-animal, so it should be vegan-friendly, right? Wrong, and it&rsquo;s one of the more misleading names in the supermarket. Imitation crab is real fish. The only thing being imitated is the crab, not the seafood.<\/p>\n<p>So is imitation crab vegan? No, and it&rsquo;s usually not even vegetarian. Here&rsquo;s what it actually is, and where the genuinely plant-based versions hide.<\/p>\n<style>.tiv-verdict{border-left:6px solid #e59875;background:#f8decd;padding:18px 22px;margin:28px 0;border-radius:0 14px 14px 0;color:#0a4a4a}.tiv-verdict .tiv-badge{display:inline-block;background:#c2603a;color:#fff;padding:4px 14px;border-radius:999px;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.4px;margin-bottom:8px}.tiv-verdict p{margin:8px 0 0}.tiv-check{font-size:13px;color:#0a6b6c;margin-top:10px}details.tiv-tl{border:1px solid #e5ded4;border-radius:10px;margin:10px 0;background:#fff}details.tiv-tl summary{cursor:pointer;padding:13px 16px;font-weight:600;color:#0a4a4a}details.tiv-tl[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #f0ebe2}details.tiv-tl .tiv-tlb{padding:12px 16px;color:#0a4a4a}.tivq{border:2px solid #29a579;border-radius:14px;padding:22px;margin:30px 0;background:#fff}.tivq .tivq-q{margin:16px 0;padding:14px;background:#f6f3ec;border-radius:10px}.tivq .tivq-q p{font-weight:600;margin:0 0 10px}.tivq button{display:block;width:100%;text-align:left;margin:6px 0;padding:11px 14px;border:1px solid #d9d2c5;border-radius:8px;background:#fff;cursor:pointer;font-size:16px;color:#0a4a4a}.tivq button.tiv-ok{background:#29a579;color:#fff;border-color:#29a579}.tivq button.tiv-no{background:#fbe9e4;border-color:#e59875}.tivq .tivq-res{display:none;font-weight:700;margin-top:14px;font-size:18px;color:#106050}<\/style>\n<div class=\"tiv-verdict\"><span class=\"tiv-badge\">QUICK ANSWER<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>No, imitation crab is not vegan.<\/strong> It's surimi: real white fish (usually Alaska pollock) minced into a paste, and often bound with egg white, so it's frequently not even vegetarian. The name only means it imitates the taste and shape of crab, not that it's plant-based. True vegan &#8220;crab&#8221; made from konjac, soy or other plants does exist, but it's sold as a separate specialty product.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tiv-check\">Last checked: July 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:26px 0;\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-sticks-surimi.webp\"><img data-pin-url=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/\" data-pin-description=\"Imitation crab sticks made from surimi | Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It's Not Even Vegetarian\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-sticks-surimi.jpg\" alt=\"Imitation crab sticks made from surimi\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:10px;\"\/><\/picture><figcaption style=\"font-size:14px;color:#5b6b6b;text-align:center;margin-top:8px;\">Imitation crab is surimi, made from real white fish.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What imitation crab actually is<\/h2>\n<p>Imitation crab, the pink-and-white sticks in California rolls, crab salad and seafood dips, is made from surimi. Surimi is white fish, most commonly Alaska pollock, that&rsquo;s been deboned, minced, rinsed into a bland paste, then flavoured, coloured and shaped to mimic crab leg meat. Real crab extract or crab flavouring is sometimes added on top.<\/p>\n<p>To get that springy, sliceable texture, manufacturers usually add binders, and egg white (albumen) is a common one. So the typical stick is fish plus egg. That&rsquo;s why it fails the vegan test on two counts, and often the vegetarian test as well. It&rsquo;s the opposite of what the name implies: not fake seafood, but very real seafood pretending to be a different animal.<\/p>\n<h2>The genuinely vegan versions<\/h2>\n<p>Plant-based &ldquo;crab&rdquo; is a real product, it&rsquo;s just not this product. Brands make vegan crab and surimi-style pieces from konjac, soy protein, wheat, or pea protein, seasoned to hit the same sweet-briny note. If you want the crab-stick experience without the fish, that&rsquo;s the aisle to look in. Just don&rsquo;t grab the standard &ldquo;imitation crab&rdquo; and assume the label is doing you a favour.<\/p>\n<h2>How to tell, tap to expand<\/h2>\n<details class=\"tiv-tl\">\n<summary>The pack says &#8220;imitation crab,&#8221; &#8220;crab sticks,&#8221; or &#8220;surimi&#8221;<\/summary>\n<div class=\"tiv-tlb\">Real fish, usually with egg white. Not vegan, often not vegetarian.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"tiv-tl\">\n<summary>Ingredients list fish, pollock, or egg white\/albumen<\/summary>\n<div class=\"tiv-tlb\">Confirms it. Not vegan.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"tiv-tl\">\n<summary>The pack says &#8220;plant-based crab,&#8221; &#8220;vegan crab,&#8221; or &#8220;vegan surimi&#8221;<\/summary>\n<div class=\"tiv-tlb\">A dedicated meat-free product from konjac, soy or wheat. Vegan.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"tiv-tl\">\n<summary>You're ordering sushi and unsure<\/summary>\n<div class=\"tiv-tlb\">Crab stick, kani, and &#8220;California roll&#8221; (unless marked vegan) contain surimi. Ask, or choose avocado\/cucumber rolls.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:26px 0;\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/california-roll-surimi.webp\"><img data-pin-url=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/\" data-pin-description=\"California roll sushi with sesame | Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It's Not Even Vegetarian\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/california-roll-surimi.jpg\" alt=\"California roll sushi with sesame\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:10px;\"\/><\/picture><figcaption style=\"font-size:14px;color:#5b6b6b;text-align:center;margin-top:8px;\">California rolls usually contain surimi crab sticks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Fact or fiction?<\/h2>\n<details class=\"tiv-tl\">\n<summary>Imitation crab is made of real fish. Fact or fiction?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"tiv-tlb\"><strong>Fact.<\/strong> It's surimi, usually Alaska pollock. The &#8220;imitation&#8221; refers only to the crab, not the seafood.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"tiv-tl\">\n<summary>It's suitable for vegetarians. Fact or fiction?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"tiv-tlb\"><strong>Fiction.<\/strong> It's fish, and often has egg white too. Not vegetarian.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details class=\"tiv-tl\">\n<summary>Vegan crab sticks exist. Fact or fiction?<\/summary>\n<div class=\"tiv-tlb\"><strong>Fact.<\/strong> Made from konjac, soy or wheat, sold as a separate plant-based product.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<h2>Quiz: how well do you know imitation crab?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"tivq\">\n<h3>Five questions, no cheating<\/h3>\n<div class=\"tivq-q\">\n<p>1. What is imitation crab actually made of?<\/p>\n<p><button data-ok>Real white fish (surimi)<\/button><button>Soy protein<\/button><button>Nothing, it's synthetic<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"tivq-q\">\n<p>2. Which fish is most commonly used?<\/p>\n<p><button data-ok>Alaska pollock<\/button><button>Salmon<\/button><button>Tuna<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"tivq-q\">\n<p>3. What common binder makes it non-vegetarian too?<\/p>\n<p><button data-ok>Egg white<\/button><button>Gelatin<\/button><button>Cheese<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"tivq-q\">\n<p>4. In sushi, which usually contains surimi?<\/p>\n<p><button data-ok>California rolls \/ crab sticks<\/button><button>Avocado rolls<\/button><button>Cucumber rolls<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"tivq-q\">\n<p>5. Do vegan crab alternatives exist?<\/p>\n<p><button data-ok>Yes, from konjac, soy or wheat<\/button><button>No<\/button><button>Only in Japan<\/button><\/div>\n<div class=\"tivq-res\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>document.addEventListener(\"click\",function(e){var b=e.target.closest(\".tivq button\");if(!b||b.disabled)return;var q=b.closest(\".tivq-q\"),z=b.closest(\".tivq\"),ok=b.hasAttribute(\"data-ok\");q.querySelectorAll(\"button\").forEach(function(x){x.disabled=!0;if(x.hasAttribute(\"data-ok\"))x.classList.add(\"tiv-ok\")});if(!ok)b.classList.add(\"tiv-no\");z.dataset.d=(+z.dataset.d||0)+1;z.dataset.s=(+z.dataset.s||0)+(ok?1:0);if(+z.dataset.d===z.querySelectorAll(\".tivq-q\").length){var r=z.querySelector(\".tivq-res\");r.style.display=\"block\";r.textContent=\"Your score: \"+z.dataset.s+\" of \"+z.dataset.d+\". \"+(+z.dataset.s>=4?\"Not fooled by the name.\":+z.dataset.s>=2?\"Solid. Scroll back up for the rest.\":\"Worth another read.\")}});<\/script><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:26px 0;\"><picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/white-fish-fillet-surimi.webp\"><img data-pin-url=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/\" data-pin-description=\"A raw white fish fillet on a wooden board | Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It's Not Even Vegetarian\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/white-fish-fillet-surimi.jpg\" alt=\"A raw white fish fillet on a wooden board\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:10px;\"\/><\/picture><figcaption style=\"font-size:14px;color:#5b6b6b;text-align:center;margin-top:8px;\">Surimi is usually made from white fish like Alaska pollock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>So, is imitation crab vegan in 2026?<\/h2>\n<p>No. It&rsquo;s one of the most misleading names in the chiller: imitation crab is real fish, usually with egg white, so it&rsquo;s neither vegan nor reliably vegetarian. If you want the crab-stick experience, skip the standard product and look for a dedicated plant-based version made from konjac or soy. And in a sushi place, assume &ldquo;crab&rdquo; means surimi unless someone tells you otherwise.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More vegan food checks:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/does-hummus-have-dairy\/\">Does hummus have dairy in it?<\/a> A food that looks creamy but usually isn&rsquo;t<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-glucosamine-vegan\/\">Is glucosamine vegan?<\/a> Another shellfish surprise<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-chapati-vegan\/\">Is chapati vegan?<\/a> The flatbread that usually passes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-excerpt\">The name says imitation, so it must be fake, right? Imitation crab is real fish, usually with egg white too. Why it isn&#8217;t vegan, and the plant-based versions that are.<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/\" class=\"button button-primary button-effect\"><span>View Post<\/span><span><i class=\"cs-icon cs-icon-arrow-right\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":40695,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-adv":"","_yoast_wpseo_bctitle":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? It's Real Fish","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"Despite the name, imitation crab is made of real fish (surimi) and often egg white. Not vegan, not vegetarian. Here's what actually is.","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":0,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_outro_podcast_url":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":null,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3635],"tags":[],"ernaehrungsform":[],"schwierigkeit":[],"schaerfe":[],"class_list":["post-40696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-food-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.9 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No (It&#039;s Real Fish)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Imitation crab isn&#039;t vegan or even vegetarian. It&#039;s surimi, real white fish, usually bound with egg white. Why the name misleads, plus true vegan options.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? It&#039;s Real Fish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Despite the name, imitation crab is made of real fish (surimi) and often egg white. Not vegan, not vegetarian. Here&#039;s what actually is.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"This Is Vegan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thisisvegan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-20T09:07:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Yannick Haldenwanger\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"This Is Vegan - Plantbased Lifestyle Magazin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"This Is Vegan ist Dein veganes Lifestyle Magazin, in dem es Rezepte, News aus der Veggie-Community und Interviews mit veganen Promis zu lesen gibt. Zudem gibt es die besten Tipps rund um das Thema vegane Ern\u00e4hrung, Tierschutz, Artenschutz und Umwelt.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Yannick Haldenwanger\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Yannick Haldenwanger\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7e67d44aaffc027dcbfd51485bde4cf4\"},\"headline\":\"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It&#8217;s Not Even Vegetarian\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-20T09:07:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":746,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Food\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/\",\"name\":\"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No (It's Real Fish)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-20T09:07:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Imitation crab isn't vegan or even vegetarian. It's surimi, real white fish, usually bound with egg white. Why the name misleads, plus true vegan options.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"Imitation crab is surimi, real white fish, not a plant-based product.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Food\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/category\\\/food-en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It&#8217;s Not Even Vegetarian\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"This is vegan\",\"description\":\"Vegane Rezepte, ehrliche Interviews und News aus der Plantbased-Welt seit 2010\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"This Is Vegan | Plantbased Lifestyle Magazin\",\"alternateName\":\"This Is Vegan\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/08\\\/logo.green_-e1597938774132.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/08\\\/logo.green_-e1597938774132.png\",\"width\":200,\"height\":114,\"caption\":\"This Is Vegan | Plantbased Lifestyle Magazin\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/thisisvegan\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/thisisvegan.magazin\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/this-is-vegan\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.de\\\/this_is_vegan_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@thisisvegan\",\"https:\\\/\\\/tiktok.com\\\/@this_is_vegan\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/thisisvegan.magazin.us\"],\"description\":\"This Is Vegan ist das f\u00fchrende Plantbased Lifestyle-Magazin in Deutschland. Neben Rezepten, News und Interviews, gibt es hier den Plantbased Podcast mit Inspiration rund um Tierschutz, vegane Ern\u00e4hrung und Umweltschutz zu finden.\",\"email\":\"info@this-is-vegan.com\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"1\",\"maxValue\":\"10\"},\"diversityStaffingReport\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/team\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7e67d44aaffc027dcbfd51485bde4cf4\",\"name\":\"Yannick Haldenwanger\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Yannick-Haldenwanger-Plantbased-Podcast-Vegan-150x150.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Yannick-Haldenwanger-Plantbased-Podcast-Vegan-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Yannick-Haldenwanger-Plantbased-Podcast-Vegan-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Yannick Haldenwanger\"},\"description\":\"Hi, ich bin Yannick. Aus S\u00fcddeutschland, besser gesagt aus dem Schwarzwald, seit 2019 Gr\u00fcnder von This Is Vegan, mittlerweile in Bali zuhause. Von hier aus treibe ich Tierschutzprojekte voran und reise um die Welt. Vegetarier bin ich seit dem 6. Lebensjahr, vegan seit \u00fcber 20 Jahren. Mein Ansatz war nie, Leuten ein schlechtes Gewissen zu machen. Sondern zu zeigen, wie einfach, lecker und entspannt vegan im Alltag funktioniert. Anziehung statt Ablehnung. Genau daf\u00fcr gibt's dieses Online-Magazin und den Plantbased Podcast: Menschen inspirieren, sich f\u00fcr Tiere und Umwelt stark zu machen und vegan zu leben.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.this-is-vegan.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/yannick.haldenwanger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/yannickhaldenwanger\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.de\\\/thisisvegan_magazin\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@thisisvegan\"],\"knowsAbout\":[\"vegane Ern\u00e4hrung\",\"holistische Gesundheit\",\"Ern\u00e4hrung\",\"vegane Rezepte\",\"Kampfsport\",\"Kraftsport\",\"Proteine\"],\"knowsLanguage\":[\"deutsch\",\"englisch\",\"franz\u00f6sisch\",\"indonesisch\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Gr\u00fcnder\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/this-is-vegan.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/yannick\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No (It's Real Fish)","description":"Imitation crab isn't vegan or even vegetarian. It's surimi, real white fish, usually bound with egg white. Why the name misleads, plus true vegan options.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? It's Real Fish","og_description":"Despite the name, imitation crab is made of real fish (surimi) and often egg white. Not vegan, not vegetarian. Here's what actually is.","og_url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/","og_site_name":"This Is Vegan","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thisisvegan","article_published_time":"2026-07-20T09:07:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Yannick Haldenwanger","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"This Is Vegan - Plantbased Lifestyle Magazin","twitter_description":"This Is Vegan ist Dein veganes Lifestyle Magazin, in dem es Rezepte, News aus der Veggie-Community und Interviews mit veganen Promis zu lesen gibt. Zudem gibt es die besten Tipps rund um das Thema vegane Ern\u00e4hrung, Tierschutz, Artenschutz und Umwelt.","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Yannick Haldenwanger","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/"},"author":{"name":"Yannick Haldenwanger","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7e67d44aaffc027dcbfd51485bde4cf4"},"headline":"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It&#8217;s Not Even Vegetarian","datePublished":"2026-07-20T09:07:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/"},"wordCount":746,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg","articleSection":["Food"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/","url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/","name":"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No (It's Real Fish)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg","datePublished":"2026-07-20T09:07:00+00:00","description":"Imitation crab isn't vegan or even vegetarian. It's surimi, real white fish, usually bound with egg white. Why the name misleads, plus true vegan options.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/imitation-crab-vegan.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Imitation crab is surimi, real white fish, not a plant-based product."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/is-imitation-crab-vegan\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Food","item":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/category\/food-en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Is Imitation Crab Vegan? No, and It&#8217;s Not Even Vegetarian"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/","name":"This is vegan","description":"Vegane Rezepte, ehrliche Interviews und News aus der Plantbased-Welt seit 2010","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#organization","name":"This Is Vegan | Plantbased Lifestyle Magazin","alternateName":"This Is Vegan","url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/logo.green_-e1597938774132.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/logo.green_-e1597938774132.png","width":200,"height":114,"caption":"This Is Vegan | Plantbased Lifestyle Magazin"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thisisvegan","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thisisvegan.magazin","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/this-is-vegan","https:\/\/www.pinterest.de\/this_is_vegan_official\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@thisisvegan","https:\/\/tiktok.com\/@this_is_vegan","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thisisvegan.magazin.us"],"description":"This Is Vegan ist das f\u00fchrende Plantbased Lifestyle-Magazin in Deutschland. Neben Rezepten, News und Interviews, gibt es hier den Plantbased Podcast mit Inspiration rund um Tierschutz, vegane Ern\u00e4hrung und Umweltschutz zu finden.","email":"info@this-is-vegan.com","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"1","maxValue":"10"},"diversityStaffingReport":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/team\/"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7e67d44aaffc027dcbfd51485bde4cf4","name":"Yannick Haldenwanger","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Yannick-Haldenwanger-Plantbased-Podcast-Vegan-150x150.jpg","url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Yannick-Haldenwanger-Plantbased-Podcast-Vegan-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Yannick-Haldenwanger-Plantbased-Podcast-Vegan-150x150.jpg","caption":"Yannick Haldenwanger"},"description":"Hi, ich bin Yannick. Aus S\u00fcddeutschland, besser gesagt aus dem Schwarzwald, seit 2019 Gr\u00fcnder von This Is Vegan, mittlerweile in Bali zuhause. Von hier aus treibe ich Tierschutzprojekte voran und reise um die Welt. Vegetarier bin ich seit dem 6. Lebensjahr, vegan seit \u00fcber 20 Jahren. Mein Ansatz war nie, Leuten ein schlechtes Gewissen zu machen. Sondern zu zeigen, wie einfach, lecker und entspannt vegan im Alltag funktioniert. Anziehung statt Ablehnung. Genau daf\u00fcr gibt's dieses Online-Magazin und den Plantbased Podcast: Menschen inspirieren, sich f\u00fcr Tiere und Umwelt stark zu machen und vegan zu leben.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.this-is-vegan.com","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yannick.haldenwanger\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/yannickhaldenwanger\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.de\/thisisvegan_magazin\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@thisisvegan"],"knowsAbout":["vegane Ern\u00e4hrung","holistische Gesundheit","Ern\u00e4hrung","vegane Rezepte","Kampfsport","Kraftsport","Proteine"],"knowsLanguage":["deutsch","englisch","franz\u00f6sisch","indonesisch"],"jobTitle":"Gr\u00fcnder","url":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/author\/yannick\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40696"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40738,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40696\/revisions\/40738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40696"},{"taxonomy":"ernaehrungsform","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ernaehrungsform?post=40696"},{"taxonomy":"schwierigkeit","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/schwierigkeit?post=40696"},{"taxonomy":"schaerfe","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/this-is-vegan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/schaerfe?post=40696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}