Proximate Analysis and Vitamin Content of Canned Puerto Rican Native Dishes

The proximate analysis, as well as the niacin, thiamine, riboflavin and folic acid content of 14 different kinds of cooked canned Puerto Rican dishes were determined by chemical or microbiological procedures. Some of the more important findings follow: Turtle meat stew and pork liver and heart with vegetable stew exhibited the highest values for protein, niacin and riboflavin; on the other hand, sancocho, white beans, chicken asopao and beef tripe stew showed the lowest values. Pink and red kidney beans were high in thiamine, while crabmeat asopao and beef tripe stew were low. Pork liver and heart with vegetable stew showed the highest folic acid content, while crabmeat asopao exhibited the lowest. In general, pasteles had the highest fat content, while red kidney and pink beans had the lowest. Cassava pasteles and pink beans had the highest content of carbohydrates, and turtle meat stew, beef tripe stew and pork liver and heart with vegetable stew the lowest. The variations observed are discussed and recommendations are made.