Boiling crabs alive exposes them to extreme heat around 250°F (121°C) for 8-15 minutes, rapidly cooking their flesh while killing bacteria on the shell to make the meat safe for consumption. Recent studies show crabs exhibit increased brain activity in response to painful stimuli like heat, chemicals, or pressure, indicating they experience pain during this process, with responses stronger and shorter for physical stress than chemical.
Crabs often thrash, shed limbs due to stress, and may remain alive for up to 3-5 minutes in boiling water, longer than in steaming which distributes heat more evenly. This practice persists because dead crabs spoil quickly from pathogens, but alternatives like chilling in ice water first desensitize them before dispatch.
Ethical concerns have grown, with calls for humane methods like electrical stunning, as evidence mounts that crabs feel pain similar to lobsters.
