1.2. Proximate composition

Unit 1- Principles of Fish Preservation
1.2. Proximate composition
What is proximate composition?
  • Relationship of the major chemical constituents in terms of proportion to the whole weight expressed in percentage
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What are all the parameters affecting the proximate composition of fish?
  • Body part
  • Species
  • Age
  • Sex
  • Size
  • Sexual maturity
  • Habitat
  • Fishing season
  • Note: Protein content shows less difference in different fishes, whereas lipid content shows wide variations.
  • Fat content decreases from tail towards head and from ventral towards dorsal portion.
  • Fin fishes differ from terrestrial animals by the presence of dark muscle. Dark muscle contains more fat than white meat in some fatty fishes
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Figure: Average proximate composition of fish
Last modified: Monday, 9 July 2012, 10:18 AM