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Airborne Ultrasound-Assisted Infrared Drying of Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Larvae: Nutritional Changes and
Sasan Keramat1, Faroogh Sharifian1, Adel Hosainpour1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
Journal of Food Science
|August 11, 2025
Summary
Optimizing infrared drying of yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor L.) using response surface methodology (RSM) significantly reduces drying time and energy consumption. This study identifies ideal conditions for preserving nutritional quality and enhancing consumer acceptance of insect-based protein products.
Area of Science:
- Food Science and Technology
- Agricultural Engineering
- Insect Processing
Background:
- Yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) is a sustainable protein source.
- Efficient drying is crucial for insect processing and product quality.
- Optimizing drying parameters impacts nutritional value and consumer acceptance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of air temperature, irradiation distance, and sonication time on yellow mealworm drying characteristics.
- To determine optimal infrared drying conditions for yellow mealworms.
- To assess the impact of drying on nutritional content, color, and rehydration properties.
Main Methods:
- Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to design experiments and analyze variable interactions.
- Infrared drying (IRD) was used to process yellow mealworm samples.
- Key parameters evaluated included drying time, specific energy consumption (SEC), color change, rehydration ratio (RR), protein, and fat content.
Main Results:
- Decreased irradiation distance and increased air temperature and sonication time reduced drying time and SEC.
- Optimal conditions (70°C, 25.95 min sonication, 11.32 cm distance) yielded minimal drying time (171.22 min) and SEC (61.45 MJ/kg).
- Optimal drying preserved high protein content (48.13%) and desirable color (14.28 change) and rehydration (1.83).
Conclusions:
- Infrared drying parameters significantly influence yellow mealworm quality attributes.
- Optimized IRD offers a faster, energy-efficient method for processing yellow mealworms.
- Findings support the development of high-quality, nutrient-rich insect-based food products.
