Precision Fermentation for Next Generation Food Ingredients: Technological Foundations, Food Applications, Sustainability, and Regulatory Challenges

ABSTRACT

Precision fermentation has emerged as one of the most transformative approaches in contemporary food biotechnology, enabling the targeted production of high‐value food ingredients through engineered microorganisms. Unlike traditional fermentation, which mainly relies on the metabolic activity of naturally occurring or selected microbial cultures to transform food substrates, precision fermentation uses molecular biology, synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, and controlled bioprocessing to direct microbial hosts toward the production of specific molecules, including dairy proteins, egg proteins, enzymes, lipids, sweeteners, flavors, vitamins, pigments, and bioactive compounds. This technology is increasingly positioned as a platform for developing animal‐free food ingredients with improved functionality, consistent quality, and potentially lower environmental burdens compared with conventional animal‐based production systems. However, the scientific and industrial promise of precision fermentation should not be presented as unconditional, because its real sustainability, safety, affordability, and scalability depend on microbial host selection, feedstock source, fermentation productivity, downstream processing efficiency, energy input, regulatory approval, and consumer acceptance. Therefore, this review critically discusses the evolution of precision fermentation from traditional fermentation, its technological basis, major food applications, food safety assessment requirements, environmental and techno‐economic considerations, regulatory landscapes, consumer acceptance, and future research needs. Special attention is given to protein ingredients, including recombinant milk and egg proteins, because they represent one of the most commercially active and scientifically advanced areas of precision fermentation in food systems. The review also highlights key knowledge gaps related to allergenicity, unintended metabolites, purification strategies, life cycle assessment, scale‐up, affordability, and global regulatory harmonization.