Exploring the nutrient composition of various shellfish available in Norway and their role in providing key nutrients

Abstract

Shellfish constitute a diverse group of aquatic animals, encompassing numerous species of molluscs and crustaceans able to supply important nutrients beneficial to human health. However, information regarding their nutritional properties remain scarce. In this paper, we explore the nutrient composition of shellfish, including shrimps, mussels, scallops, crabs, crayfish, and lobsters, collected from supermarkets, local fishermen, and the North Atlantic Ocean. By analysing over 800 samples collected between 2011 and 2021, we show that shellfish are able to provide high quantities of protein (8.1–21 g/100 g), essential amino acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) [sum of 0.061–4.3 g/100 g], vitamin B12 (0.82–65 µg/100 g), vitamin E (0.75–28 mg/100 g), zinc (0.61–7.9 mg/100 g), iodine (3.1–2100 µg/100 g), and selenium (7.2–590 µg/100 g). The hepatopancreas of crustaceans was found to be substantially more nutrient-dense than the white meat. Furthermore, the shellfish included in this study cannot be considered good sources of riboflavin, niacin, folate, and vitamin D3. We conclude that shellfish can substantially contribute to recommended nutrient intakes by providing high quantities of key nutrients. The data presented in this paper are an important contribution to the understanding of shellfish as a source of nutrients and to existing food composition databases.