Composición proximal de la carne de cangrejo (callinectes sapidus) pasteurizada en el estado Zulia, Venezuela

in order to evaluate the nutritional composition (g/100g) of the pasteurized crab meat (callinectes sapidus), samples were taken at random from two processors plants of the zulia state, evaluating 20 tins/tips of cut (jumbo lump, lump, special, claw and cocktail claw). the determinations protein, humidity, ashes, they were realized following methodologies proposed by the a.o.a.c., the content of fat by the method randall, the minerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper and iron) for atomic absorption espectroscopy and phosphorus for colorimetry according to the method proposed by fiske and subbarow. a design was used completely at random, being the types of cut the only source of variation. the average of proteins was similar for special and lump cuts (21.24 and 20.83%) showing both types major content of proteins when comparing with the type jumbo lump (19.99%), claw (16.38%) and cocktail claw (18.42%). the content of fat in the cuts claw and special (1.85 and 1.74 g/100 g) were superiors to the rest of the cuts. the jumbo lump, lump and special types presented similar contents of humidity percentage, but they difiered (p <0.001) of the types claw and cocktail claw, whom showed the minors contents. there were no differences between the cuts of pasteurized crab for the content of ashes. in conclusion, the variation of the nutritional composition of the pasteurized crab meat is attributed to the different types of cuts. to this respect, the crab meat can be considered to be an alternate source of proteins and minerals, accompanied of low contents of fat.