How Hosokawa Solutions Support Insect Processing

In the face of rising pressure on the planet’s natural resources, the world is looking for more sustainable ways to guarantee a long-term food supply for the growing population. Insects have long been acknowledged as a rich source of protein, and they place a much smaller burden on the environment compared to animals that are traditionally farmed for meat. It is therefore no coincidence that process technology expert Hosokawa Micron is seeing a growing demand for insect-processing equipment.

Ashwin Jagmohan, Application Engineer Food at Hosokawa Micron, has noticed rising interest in the company’s mixing and drying equipment for insect-based applications. “A growing proportion of the food and feed-related enquiries we receive are for the processing of insects such as black soldier fly larvae, mealworms and crickets,” he says. “Another interesting area is the drying and milling of waste streams such as fish heads because of a more cradle-to-cradle mindset. At Hosokawa, we’re in an ideal position to help those customers if they require powder technology. Our DMR flash dryer is widely used all over the world to turn products such as corn fibres, wheat gluten, starch, shrimps, krill and so on into a high-value protein powder – and it’s perfectly capable of doing the same with insects and by-products.”

Drying, milling and classifying in one

The DMR combines drying, milling and classifying in one efficient and continuous process step. The material is fed into the grinding and drying section of the dryer’s main body. The DMR can cope with various kinds of wet feed material, from slurries and pastes to whole insects. The grinding rotor disperses the wet material into fine particles, which are fluidised in the grinding chamber by hot, temperature-controlled gas. The system is kept under a slightly negative pressure by the exhaust fan, and the surface area of the product is increased so that the moisture is evaporated instantaneously. The gas stream conveys the particles to the top section of the dryer where a classifying wheel selects the particles by size. Then the particles are conveyed with the exhaust air to a powder-air separating system such as a cyclone and pulse-air filter.

If you’re interested to discuss your interest in or production challenges in insect processing, get in touch with Hosokawa Micron. We can help you with a range of questions about this fast-growing sector, including:

• How to achieve the highest quality powders, for better absorption and digestion;
• The best and most efficient drying and mixing techniques for insect proteins;
• The advantages of the unique DMR technology over traditional drying and milling methods;
• How to plan, test and improve your protein powder production line.