Next-generation super-drying technologies for aquatic foods in the context of industry 5.0: A review

Drying is a key method for preserving aquatic food products by extending their shelf life. However, traditional drying systems often suffer from high energy consumption, poor product quality, and insufficient adaptability to raw material variations, limiting their ability to meet current demands. By integrating the three core concepts of Industry 5.0-human-centricity, resilience, and sustainability-into a drying system that emphasizes collaborative interaction between humans and intelligent technology, a more viable production model can be established to overcome the limitations of conventional approaches. This study proposes three super-drying goals for aquatic food products, introduces the fundamental concepts of super-drying, and reviews key enabling technologies, including energy-efficient drying, quality preservation, and intelligent control from various perspectives. It also explores the impact of Industry 5.0 on super-drying systems, covering digital twin drying systems, interpretable artificial intelligence, personalized drying, human-centric intelligent manufacturing, adaptive drying control, distributed drying units, and blockchain for drying traceability. For the first time, a drying technology architecture for aquatic food products based on Industry 5.0 concepts is constructed, comprising five layers: perception, cognition, decision-making, execution, and interaction. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the strong application potential of Industry 5.0 in aquatic food drying and provide both a theoretical basis for building a drying system that combines human care, efficient resource utilization, and resilience to environmental and supply chain shocks.