Nutrient composition of green crab (Carcinus maenus) leg meat and claw meat

Research is underway in New England to examine the potential for initiating a commercial fishery for the invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenus). Information on the nutrient composition is needed to facilitate the processing, utilization, and marketing of value-added green crab products. Green crabs were harvested and individually weighed and measured for carapace width. Claw meat and leg meat samples were picked from steamed crabs, and raw crabs were sampled for claw meat only. Samples were subjected to proximate, mineral (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, aluminium, iron, zinc, copper), cholesterol, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) analyses. Moisture, protein, and total mineral contents of the crab meat averaged 78.7, 17.1, and 2.2 g/100 g, respectively. Leg meat had higher lipid concentrations (1.16 g/100 g) than either steamed (0.62 g/100 g) or raw (0.54 g/100 g) claw meat. Average n-3 fatty acid concentrations ranged from 115 to 336 mg/100 g and 154 to 344 mg/100 g for DHA and EPA, respectively, and were significantly higher in leg meat than in claw meat.