Drying-induced microstructural and technofunctional modifications of edible insects proteins, protein isolates, and hydrolysates and their implications for shelf stability

Alternative protein sources are essential to meet the growing world population’s increasing protein demand. In this respect, insects offer a significant opportunity for sustainable food production, owing to their high protein content, rich amino acid profiles, and lower land and water requirements. Preserving the structural and functional properties of insect proteins during isolation and protein powder production, while ensuring the sustainability of this protein source for food and/or feed applications, is a key focus for breeders, researchers, and specialists. Within this process, drying is one of the critical stages affecting protein properties, with techniques ranging from conventional methods such as oven-drying to more advanced methods such as spray-drying and freeze-drying. How suitable these methods are for proteins, and how the drying process can be optimized, will guide decisions on expanding the range of uses of isolated proteins and the food groups in which they can be applied for nutritional enrichment and sensory and textural improvement. Herein, we critically examine the properties, challenges, and emerging strategies associated with pre- and post-extraction drying techniques, with particular emphasis on their effects on the microstructural, conformational, and technofunctional properties and shelf life of high-quality, sustainable protein components derived from major commercial insect species with significant nutritional potential.