The continental shelves are large reservoirs of organic matter, reflecting the high rates of primary production and continental input into these ocean provinces. The bottom sediment is a natural repository for organic matter and for different types of pollutants. The biochemical composition of sedimentary organic matter allows us to identify its origin and quality as food for benthic heterotrophic organisms. Thus, this research aimed to evaluate the nutritional quality of the superficial sedimentary organic matter of the Santos Basin, located between Cabo Frio (RJ) and Cabo de Santa Marta (SC) through the biopolymer carbon content, which represents the sum of carbohydrates, proteins and total lipids. For this, sampling was carried out in 87 collection stations, in triplicate. The organic biopolymers (proteins, carbohydrates and total lipids) were analyzed separately after extraction/digestion and measurement by molecular absorption spectrophotometry. For carbohydrates (CHO) an average of 1.23 ± 0.36 mgC g-1 of dry sediment was obtained, for proteins (PRT) this value was 1.06 ± 0.31 mgC g-1 of dry sediment and for lipids (LIP) the average was 0.32 ± 0.11 mgC g-1. The biopolymer carbon (CBP) is the result of the transformation of the values obtained for the biopolymers in carbon equivalents through conversion factors. For this parameter an average of 2.63 ± 0.53 mgC g-1 was obtained. The food index (AI) calculated for organic matter in sediment showed values ranging from 28.7 to 65.7 percent, indicating a large contribution of CBP in relation to total organic carbon. High spatial variability of CBP was also observed as a function of primary productivity, biogeochemical and hydrodynamic processes in the area. Finally, the evaluation of the quality of organic material present in the sediment, through CBP and AI, indicated high bioavailability of food for benthic organisms, mainly in the platform and medium slope.