PROXIMATE AND MINERAL COMPOSITION OF FRESH AND PROCESSED PEANUT WORMS (Sipunculus nudus)

Abstract

The peanut worm (Sipunculus nudus) has long been consumed as a food source by the people

of Nusalaut Island, Central Maluku. However, scientific information regarding the

diversification of processed peanut worm products and their nutritional composition remains

limited. Traditionally, peanut worms have mainly been prepared by frying, stir-frying with soy

sauce, and grilling as satay. This study aimed to determine the proximate and mineral

composition of fresh and processed peanut worms, including flour-fried and stick-fried

products, to provide an overview of the nutritional changes resulting from processing. An

experimental method was used in this study. The analyzed parameters included moisture,

protein, fat, ash, carbohydrate, phosphorus, and iodine contents. The results showed differences

in the proximate and mineral composition of fresh and processed peanut worms. Processing

peanut worms into flour-fried and stick-fried products resulted in decreases in moisture,

phosphorus, and iodine contents, while increasing fat, ash, and carbohydrate contents compared

with the fresh material. Fresh peanut worms contained 79.10% moisture, 17.01% protein,

0.22% fat, 2.31% ash, 1.36% carbohydrate, 463.25 ppm phosphorus, and 0.65 ppm iodine. The

flour-fried product contained 8.31% moisture, 24.88% protein, 15.55% fat, 2.49% ash, 48.67%

carbohydrate, 301.64 ppm phosphorus, and 0.55 ppm iodine. Meanwhile, the stick-fried

product contained 3.09% moisture, 11.01% protein, 22.49% fat, 3.42% ash, 59.99%

carbohydrate, 271.11 ppm phosphorus, and 0.44 ppm iodine. These findings indicate that

processing can affect the nutritional composition of peanut worms.