Sensory and Nutritional Profiling of Commercial Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis and Mytilus edulis) Across Different European Marine Origins

Mussels are a nutritionally valuable and environmentally sustainable seafood, yet how geographical origin and farming environment shape their sensory and nutritional quality remains insufficiently characterized across European production contexts. This study compared mussels from three contrasting European farming areas, Ireland (Mytilus edulis), Norway (Mytilus edulis) and Italy (Mytilus galloprovincialis), integrating Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA®) with proximate composition, fatty acid, amino acid and mineral analyses. Italian mussels showed higher protein, lipid, carbohydrate and amino acid content together with the most intense and persistent umami taste, correlated with glutamic and aspartic acid content. Irish mussels were characterized by the highest moisture and iron content, associated with greater exudate release and salty/briny notes, while Norwegian mussels showed the lowest ash and amino acid content alongside greater bitterness, linked to omega-3 fatty acid content. These findings indicate that local environmental conditions shape origin-associated tendencies in the nutritional and sensory profile of farmed mussels, supporting the concept of a bivalve ‘marine terroir’ with potential applications for origin-based quality valorization.