Optimizing infrared drying of black soldier fly larvae for sustainable cricket feed production

Abstract As global demand for animal-derived protein surges, Black soldier fly larvae emerge as a promising sustainable feed source, particularly for cricket farming. This study investigated the infrared drying of whole larvae, exploring its potential as an efficient alternative to conventional drying methods for producing high-quality cricket feed. The effects of temperature (50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C) and air velocity (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 m/s) on drying behavior, energy consumption, and moisture diffusivity were examined. Higher temperatures significantly reduced drying time, with 70 °C leading to the fastest drying in ∼5 h. While air velocity had minimal impact on overall drying time, it influenced drying rates. The optimal specific energy consumption was 1.58 MJ/kg water evaporated at 60 °C. The Logarithmic and Midilli models best described the drying kinetics, with R 2 > 0.99. Effective moisture diffusivity ranged from 2.28 × 10 −9 to 3.09 × 10 −8 m 2 /h, increasing with temperature. Activation energy values spanned from 56.88 kJ/mol at 1.0 m/s to 115.41 kJ/mol at 2.0 m/s air velocity. This study demonstrated that infrared drying offered a balanced approach for larvae processing, providing faster drying times and moderate energy consumption compared to hot air and solar drying, making it a viable option for producing sustainable cricket feed.