Innovation Fermentation Empowers the New Development of Future Functional Foods

The future of fermented foods lies at the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern science. From beer brewing and sourdough bread to soy sauce, cheese, and yogurt, fermentation has revolutionized food preservation while enhancing flavor profiles and nutritional value. With growing focus on healthy diets and sustainability, fermented foods are poised to expand from regional to global, from niche to mainstream, becoming a vital part of the future food system. Currently, this sector presents both unprecedented opportunities and challenges. This Reseach Topic would like to showcase cutting-edge innovations in fermentation technology that are driving advancements in next-generation functional foods.

The problems to be addressed and achieved in this Research Topic include the following aspects: (i) Targeted design and regulation of fermentation microbial communities, (ii) Fermentation-driven enhancement of nutritional and functional components; (iii) Interaction between fermented foods and gut microbiota; (v) Intelligent fermentation technologies and precision manufacturing; (vi) Novel fermentation substrates and sustainable production. This research topic seeks to offer novel insights into the development of fermented foods in the future by combining multidisciplinary research in microbiology, food science, bioengineering, artificial intelligence, and other fields. We seek to facilitate their evolution from traditional craftsmanship to precision manufacturing, transform regional specialties into globally accessible products, and ultimately establish them as fundamental components of a healthy and sustainable food system.

We invite original research articles and reviews that explore how fermentation technologies can enhance the nutritional value, bioavailability, sustainability, and health benefits of foods, while addressing global challenges in food security and personalized nutrition. We welcome submissions (but not limited to) the following themes:

(1) Directed design of fermentation microbiota
Multi-strain synergistic fermentation, synthetic microbiota construction, and probiotic design
Omics-guided strain improvement and characterization
Microbial community regulation for functional enhancement

(2) Fermentation enhancement of functional components
Biotransformation to enhance bioactive compounds (e.g., organic acids, polyphenols, vitamins, amino acids)
Mechanisms regulating nutrient bioavailability

(3) Fermented Food-Gut Microbiota Interactions
Interactions between fermentation metabolites/functional components and gut microbes
Prebiotic/postbiotic effects on host health (e.g., immunity, metabolic regulation)
Precision nutrition interventions based on gut microbiome profiling

(4) Intelligent Fermentation Technologies
AI/machine learning-driven process control and predictive modeling
Precision fermentation for customized functional metabolites

(5) Novel Substrates & Sustainable Production
Utilization of agricultural by-products (plant-based waste, dairy by-products)

Keywords: Microbial community, Fermentation, Health benefits, Functional foods, Bioactive compounds, Novel fermentation substrates, Microbiome engineering, Precision fermentation, Fermented foods

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.