PROXIMATE COMPOSITION AND CALORIC VALUE OF CULTIVATED MUSSELS Perna perna FROM NORTH COAST OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Due to the demand for information about the nutritional characteristics of mussel as raw material to obtain food manufactured products, our study has investigated the proximate composition of Perna perna mussels cultivated in three different areas of Ubatuba - SP, and its seasonal variations (spring, summer and autumn). The determination of macro components (moisture, protein, carbohydrates, lipids and ash) and caloric value were conducted monthly, from November 2002 to March 2003, when the ambient temperature varied between 24 to 34 degrees C. It was concluded that there is variation in chemical constituents of mussels according to the season and area of cultivation. The sazonal influence is bigger than the area of cultivation, since the protein and carbohydrates have not presented variations between the areas for the same period. The mussels cultivated in Ubatuba have presented 9.1% of protein, low fat content (1.1%) and caloric value (62.8 Kcal 100 g(-1)). The mussel can be characterized as a food of high nutritional quality, meeting the needs of consumers looking for healthy diets and with low caloric content.