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Abstract
Shellfish were easily collected and consumed by the primitive who
had no developed tools or weapons, and were staple food supply for the
ancients, who lived at coastal areas for many thousands years (Stansby and
Dassow, 1963). Mussels contain adequate amounts of easily digested high
quality protein, which could be used without supplementation in feeding
the undernourished population. For example, El-Sherif (1981) found that
gandofli (butter fish; Tapes decussatus) contained 14.818 protein.
According to Salama (1983) Om El-kholool (wedge shell, donax
trunculus) showed higher protein content than either ritsa (paracentrotus
lividus) or the gandofli. This protein is more easily and completely
digested as well as assimilated when compared with that of beef (Tressler
and Evers, 1957; Leu et al., 1981; and Domah et al., 1984). Fresh and
processed Egyptian mussel (El-Gandoli El-Mesalab, Tapes decussata)
found to be rich in different essential amino acids (EAA) include lysine,
methionine+ cystine, threonine, phenylalanine + tyrosine, tryptophane and
arginine when compared either with beef protein or with the FOA reference
protein (Hujita et al., 1972; Domah et al., 1984). Nevertheless, although
mussels are of high nutritional value, they are not common in Egypt except
for about 28 of the population who live at coastal areas, which limit the
amount of mussels landing and restrict their contribution in solving the
animal protein shortage in developing countries. This, however, might
overcomed by processing.