Proximate, microbiological analysis and digestibility of pepsin in atta sexdens flour, from the region of Rioja, Perú

The consumption of insects, also known as entomophagy, is not a new eating habit; on the contrary, the insects are eaten in many countries worldwide, where insects are served as the main dish in many of them. In Peru, insect consumption is limited to regions of the central jungle where locals consume ants of the "Atta sexdens" variety in the form of toasted snacks with salt. Analysis of insects has shown a wide variation in macronutrient content relative to most wild vertebrate meats, encompassing a wide range of protein, fat and carbohydrate concentrations. In that sense, in terms of their proportional macronutrient composition, insects could serve as equivalents not only to wild meat, but also to other foods, such as seafood, nuts, legumes, vegetables or fruits. The aim of this study was to assess nutritional quality of "Atta sexdens" ant flour and determine its physical and chemical characteristics. The ants were obtained from the department of San Martín, province and district of Rioja and underwent a rigorous cleaning process to eliminate impurities such as wings, leaves and soil which are attached to the ants. The ants were dried using a Biobase oven, model BOV-T30C, and then ground in an electric grinder and finally passed through a sieve. The final product was measured for physicochemical properties such as pH, % acidity in aqueous extract and % acidity in ethanolic extract, resulting in 6.57, 0.21, and 0.29, respectively. The nutritional composition assessment was based on the AOAC standard method where the fat content of the meal was 35.40%; protein, 35.51%; carbohydrate, 16.12%; ash, 5.39%; and moisture, 7.58%. For the assessment of pepsin digestibility, the AOAC 971.09 test method was used, resulting in 99.77% activity. In regard to techno-functional properties, it was found that swelling capacity (SC) and water absorption capacity (WAC) resulted in 2.91 WAC g water/g m and 1.86 SC ml/g, respectively. On the other hand, the microbiological results were within the permissible limits for health; therefore, we can consider this ant meal a safe and innocuous product as well as an excellent food source with exceptional nutritional characteristics.