ANALYSIS OF POWDER OBTAINED FROM THE OYSTER SHELL Crassostrea gasar: CENTESIMAL COMPOSITION AND MINERAL PROFILE

The inedible portion of mollusks, such as oysters, accounts for about 70% of the total weight of the animal, which inappropriate disposal adversely affects the environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze the centesimal composition and the mineral profile of the powder obtained from the oyster shell Crassostrea gasar. Two batches of oyster shell powder (1 mm), supplied by Primar Organica ®, were analyzed. The samples were submitted to the analysis of centesimal composition and mineral profile, the latter by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). As for the centesimal composition, the samples had on average 0.6% of moisture; 1.2% lipids; 1.8% protein; 94.9% ash and 1.5% of carbohydrates. It was observed, as expected, that the major element was calcium with 496 mg / g of the sample, followed by Mg (3.9 mg/g), Na (3.4 mg/g), P (0.6 mg/g), K (0.5 mg/g), Fe (0,2 mg /g) and Mn (0.1 mg/g). The oyster shell is composed of organic matrix proteins (OMP) and a significant mineral layer composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which justifies the high calcium content found in the samples. Thus, it is feasible to use small amounts of oyster shell powder in order to fortify foods with this mineral, considering a bioavailability between 30% and 40%. From results yielded, it is possible to contribute to sustainable production and consumption patterns, main goal of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development of the UN, since a potential for the efficient use of this natural resource has been identified, reducing the generation of residues from the use of oyster shell powder in the food industry.