Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: insights into the development of fermented foods in the future by combining multidisciplinary research in microbiology, food science, bioengineering, bioinformatics, 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. Hacıfettahoğlu & Bilici (2026) critically assessed the novel fermented foods in their review. It has been revealed that novel fermented foods represent a significant advancement in sustainable nutrition, offering enhanced digestibility through the breakdown of macronutrients and providing a more diverse gut microbiota. The development of specialized starter cultures and the employment of precision fermentation allow unprecedented control over microbial interactions and the fermentation environment. These biotechnological innovations facilitate the production of foods with better digestibility and enriched micronutrient profiles. However, the authors raise concerns regarding potential biochemical risks and consumer safety. The utilization of genomically modified microorganisms, including those developed through advanced Cas 9-based approaches or metabolic engineering, has sparked debate over regulatory oversight and long-term health implications. Beyond these, the fermentation process can inadvertently lead to the formation of anti-nutrients and allergenic compounds, such as biogenic amines, mycotoxins, and advanced glycation end-products. Moreover, the potential presence of antibiotic resistance genes and pesticide residues in raw materials highlights the risks to be considered in novel fermented foods.Fermentation is a useful tool for supporting digestibility of food ingredients by enhancing the nutrient bioavailability, reducing glycemic index and eliminating anti-nutritional factors (Hacıfettahoğlu & Bilici, 2026;Cakmak et al., 2025). Alternative protein-rich mopane worm flour and sweet potato flour blends fermented with lactic acid bacteria improve their health benefits by reducing rapidly digestible starch, increased the peak viscosity and reducing gelatinization temperatures which improve their technofunction properties thus be used in special diets including dysphagia (Molimi & Adebo, 2025). In order to evaluate the consumption of fermented foods directly on body functions, Wang et al. (2026) conducted a research about the effects of kefir-fermented soymilk (SM) consumption on exercise-induced fatigue in mice. They analyzed the biochemical indicators related to fatigue, glycogen metabolism, oxidative stress, gut microbiota composition, and fecal short-chain fatty acids to identify the underlying mechanisms. The muscle and liver glycogen levels of fermented soymilk consuming mice found significantly higher than control groups suggesting that SM may enhance available energy stores during exercise by promoting glycogen synthesis or reducing glycogen consumption, thus delaying fatigue. Besides, SM significantly increased catalase activity and decreased malondialdehyde levels, indicating enhanced antioxidant defense and reduced lipid peroxidation, so reducing exercise-induced oxidative stress.Fermented grains can be a source of probiotic bacteria. Ravi & Rana (2026) stated in their study that fermented pearl millet is a source of acid and bile-tolerant Bacillus aryabhattai, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum which also possess antioxidant activity, and antagonistic activity against foodborne pathogens like E. coli, B. cereus and S. aureus. In addition, advancements in whole genome sequencing techniques open a new path for phenotypic characterization of strains responsible for production of traditional fermented products (Huang et al., 2026). Similarly, Pediococcus pentosaceus K6 strain isolated from Tibetan kefir grains showed strain-specific probiotic features, strong inhibition against Listeria monocytogenes, gastrointestinal tolerance, with reinforced EPS production and biofilm formation capacity that is critical for mucosal adhesion and colonization. Besides, Huang et al. (2026) stated that these strains exhibit favorable preliminary safety performance with favorable negative hemolytic activity, absence of harmful metabolites or high risk transferable antibiotic resistance determinants. Besides, Meng et al. (2026) investigated the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus paracasei isolated from Jiangshui (fermented celery, cabbage and wild vegetables) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, along with their functional activities and fermentation performances in Sonchus oleraceus L.Jiangshui. The glucose dialysis retardation index and ACE inhibitory activity of S. oleraceus were significantly increased after fermentation with probiotics. Also, the content of volatile substances and amino acids related to the flavor of S. oleraceus Jiangshui increased significantly after fermentation, and the content of volatile substances in L. paracasei and S. cerevisiae co-fermented sample. Therefore, these isolated strains with probiotic functions have the potential to be used in novel food formulations enhancing their nutritional composition.Precision fermentation employing single or multiple strains can provide desirable texture; flavor and color development especially for novel foods including plant-based meats, insect-based blends etc. (Cakmak et al., 2025;Molimi & Adebo, 2025). Flavor development is a critical aspect for brewed drinks and spirits especially with complex flavor compositions. In this context, Ren et al. (2026) studied the effects of saccharification-promoting Bacillus velezensis strains on the volatile profile of fermented grains for production of rice-flavored Baijiu, and further dissected the genetic basis of the key strains. They identified a total of 885 volatile metabolites across all fermented grain samples, with a majority of terpenoids, esters, and heterocyclic compounds, with strong presence of alcohols, hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes, aromatics, acids, amines, phenols, nitrogen compounds, and others. The effect of four Bacillus velezensis strains on the composition of flavor metabolites during rice flavor Baijiu fermentation was systematically analyzed, and they found that the four strains jointly increased the contents of 304 flavor metabolites, including 78 terpenoids such as trans-geranylgeraniol, (-)-γ-elemene, and α-pinene; 62 esters such as hexanedioic acid dimethyl ester, octanoic acid 2-furanylmethyl ester, and hexanoic acid butyl ester; 49 heterocyclic compounds such as indole and theophylline; and 11 phenolic compounds such as guaiazulene. As a conclusion, FUBL1 and FUBL3 strains showed the most notable enhancement effects, significantly promoting a wider variety of terpenoids and esters and creating a more complex and multi-layered flavor profile with fruity, floral, sweet, and woody notes.The contributions published in this Research Topic indicate that fermentation science is entering a new period characterized by precision microbial engineering, artificial intelligence, and sustainability-driven innovation. Future progress will depend on interdisciplinary collaboration among microbiologists, food scientists, bioengineers, computational scientists, nutritionists, and industry partners. Such integration will accelerate the development of functional foods that are scientifically validated, environmentally sustainable, and open to evolving consumer health needs and sensory acceptance with hand-in-hand collaboration for regulatory compliance.
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology
Language: English
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7220842934