Edible insects are part of the diets of a significant proportion of rural populations in the tropics especially Africa and Asia, and their use as source of key nutrients for better nutrition is re-emerging. Indigenously, elemental methods are used to process the insects before they are consumed or sold in retail outlets. In recent years, better knowledge of processing, packaging and storage has become necessary because of commercialisation needs. A common processing approach involves drying after a brief heat-treatment step, and then milling into a powdered product which is sold to manufacturers or consumers as ingredient for processing final products. The hydration properties of dried powders of edible house cricket and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) were studied with the aim of predicting shelf-life stability under typical packaging and storage temperatures experienced in the tropics. Moisture adsorption isotherms were determined gravimetrically at 25, 30 and 35 °C, over 0.11–0.97 water activity (a_W) range, and the data fitted to various models. Sorption isotherms were of type II according to Brunauer classification indicating monolayer-multilayer sorption behaviour. Cricket powder exhibited higher hydration capacity, and a_W of this product was less sensitive to temperature variation as compared to BSFL powder. In the two products, water exhibited transitions from bound- to free- state at ~5 g/100 g moisture content. Based on Heiss-Eichner model, a shelf-life of 7 months at 25 °C can be achieved if the cricket and BSFL powders are dried to ca. 5 g/100 g moisture content and packaged in 80 μm thick polyethylene films. At 35 °C the shelf-life of the cricket product is shortened three- to four-fold whereas the BSFL powder is unable to store.

食用昆虫是热带地区（尤其是非洲和亚洲）很大一部分农村人口饮食的一部分，它们重新用作主要营养素以获取更好的营养。在当地，在昆虫在零售店消费或出售之前，会使用基本方法来处理昆虫。近年来，由于商业化的需要，需要对加工，包装和存储有更好的了解。一种常见的加工方法是在短暂的热处理步骤之后干燥，然后研磨成粉状产品，然后将其作为加工最终产品的成分出售给制造商或消费者。研究了食用house和黑蝇幼虫（BSFL）干粉的水合特性，目的是预测在热带地区典型的包装和储存温度下的货架期稳定性。水分吸附等温线是在25、30和35°C的水活度超过0.11-0.97的条件下通过重量分析确定的（一个_{w ^}）范围内，并且安装到各种型号的数据。根据Brunauer分类，吸附等温线为II型，表明单层-多层吸附行为。板球粉具有较高的水合能力，与BSFL粉末相比，该产品的_W对温度变化较不敏感。在这两种产品中，水在〜5 g / 100 g水分含量下都表现出从结合态到自由态的转变。根据Heiss-Eichner模型，如果将板球粉和BSFL粉末干燥至大约200摄氏度，则在25°C下可实现7个月的货架期。水分含量为5 g / 100 g，并包装在80μm厚的聚乙烯薄膜中。在35°C下，the产品的货架期缩短了三到四倍，而BSFL粉末无法储存。