## 4 Conclusions  
In conclusion, the integration of _A. melanogaster_ pomace powder into bars has unveiled a realm of possibilities for sustainable and nutritious food development. The significant increase in antioxidant activity (61%), coupled with the maintenance of essential nutritional values, underscores the potential of these bars as a valuable source of bioactive compounds.  
The findings reveal that aronia-enriched bars maintain consistent nutritional values, with protein and fat content remaining at approximately 12% and 20%, respectively. More  
Figure 3: Microbiological analysis of control bar and bar with aronia pomace during 70 days; TVC—total viable cell count, TFYM—total viable fungi-yeast and moulds.  
over, this innovation contributes to a calorie reduction, resulting in bars with 430 kcal, which is of benefit to consumers. Additionally, there is a notable 755.74% increase in phenolic compounds after the digestion phase.  
Furthermore, both types of bars exhibited a comparable value of 4.41 log\({}_{10}\) CFU/g for viable cells after 70 days of room temperature storage. However, the presence of fungi, yeast, and moulds increased to 4.17 \(\pm\) 0.13 log\({}_{10}\) CFU/g in aronia bars and 3.91 \(\pm\) 0.11 log\({}_{10}\) CFU/g in control bars after the same storage period.  
By repurposing by-products and reducing calorie content without compromising on quality, this innovative approach not only addresses consumer health needs but also promotes eco-friendly practices in the food industry. The findings of this study advocate for the widespread adoption of such practices to harness the nutritional and ecological benefits of utilizing _A. melanogaster_ by-products in functional food products. This work presents limitations, such as the absence of any specific analysis of dietary fibre, phenolic compound, and antioxidant activity over storage tests. Additionally, future experiments could benefit from further analyses of a range of additive concentrations to optimise the nutritional and physical-chemical interactions, such as colour, water activity, pH, acidity, and functional properties of the bars.  
Conceptualization, B.C.B. and D.C.V.; methodology, B.C.B., G.-A.M., C.C., F.R., E.S., K.S. and B.-E.T.; software, B.C.B., F.R. and B.-E.T.; validation, G.-A.M., B.-E.T. and D.C.V.; formal analysis, S.D.; investigation, B.C.B., G.-A.M., C.C., F.R., E.S., K.S. and B.-E.T.; resources, D.C.V.; data curation, G.-A.M. and D.C.V.; writing--original draft preparation, B.C.B. and S.D.; writing--review and editing, B.C.B., S.D., G.-A.M., C.C. and B.-E.T.; visualization, all authors.; supervision, D.C.V.; project administration, D.C.V.; funding acquisition, D.C.V. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Grant agreement No 101131479 (RIA4 FOOD).  
Not applicable.  
Data is contained within the article.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.  
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