EARTHWORM FLOUR: NUTRITIONAL POTENTIAL AND APPLICATION AS AN ALTERNATIVE PROTEIN

The search for alternative protein sources has grown due to the need for food diversification and sustainability. Unconventional ingredients, such as worm flour, have shown promise in this context. This study evaluated the viability of earthworm meal (Eisenia fetida) as a protein ingredient through centesimal, microbiological, and essential and toxic mineral analyses. The centesimal composition included moisture, crude protein (Kjeldahl method, factor 6.25), lipids (Soxhlet with petroleum ether), mineral matter (incineration in muffle furnace at 550 °C) and total carbohydrates, calculated by the difference between 100 g and the sum of the other constituents. The available energy was estimated from protein, lipids and carbohydrates. The minerals were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), including B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Pb and Zn. For the detection of Salmonella spp., the samples were enriched in tetrathion broth, seeded in CHROMagar Salmonella and incubated at 37 °C for 48 hours, confirming the presence or absence of the microorganism. All procedures were performed in triplicate, and the results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The E. fetida flour presented an average moisture content of 10.72 ± 2.50%, ensuring stability and conservation. Mineral matter was 4.80 ± 0.35%, and crude protein reached 53.17 ± 4.33%, indicating high protein value. The lipid content was 14.19 ± 0.82%, and carbohydrates corresponded to 17.12 ± 4.80%, resulting in an energy value of 1720.05 ± 42.69 kJ