Next-Generation Fermentation: Bridging Food Biotechnology and Gastronomy

Fermentation has evolved from a traditional preservation method into a cornerstone of modern food innovation, where the intersection of bioprocess engineering and gastronomy is driving the creation of entirely new food categories. While traditional techniques focused on shelf-life and safety, "next-generation" fermentation leverages biotechnology to design novel food matrices. Simultaneously, the culinary world is adopting a scientific approach to microbial biotransformation to redefine sensory profiles and upcycle side-streams. Despite this progress, a gap remains in integrating high-end gastronomic insights with industrial food technology to ensure scalability without losing sensory quality.This Research Topic aims to bridge the gap between biotechnological efficiency and sensory excellence by focusing on the development of new products and processes. The central problem facing modern food science is the demand for sustainable, high-quality nutrition that does not compromise on sensory appeal. While precision fermentation and bioprocess engineering offer solutions for alternative proteins, these products often face challenges regarding structural complexity and consumer acceptance.Gastronomic innovations in fermentation frequently remain confined to small-scale artisanal applications, lacking the technical standardization required for industrial production. We seek to provide a platform for research that transforms raw side-streams and plant-based materials into novel food matrices through microbial action. To achieve this, the collection will prioritize studies that integrate bioprocessing parameters with food design, texture engineering, and flavor chemistry. By exploring these, we hope to shed light on future sustainable, nutritious, and innovative solutions, ultimately moving fermentation from a traditional craft to a precise, gastronomic, and product-driven technology.This Research Topic invites contributions that explore the frontier of fermentation as a tool for creating novel food products and optimizing industrial processes. We are specifically interested in research that bridges the gap between laboratory-scale biotechnology and the application of fermentation in food technology and gastronomic design.Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:• Sensory-driven design and chemical profiling of new fermented products, including strategies to enhance consumer acceptance of next-generation foods.• Upcycling of food side-streams into high-value gastronomic ingredients via microbial biotransformation, supporting circular economy approaches and waste reduction.•Development of novel food matrices and textures (e.g., mycelium-based scaffolds), enabling new structural and functional properties in alternative foods.• Innovations in process engineering to scale artisanal and gastronomic fermentation techniques, addressing challenges in reproducibility, standardization, and industrial feasibility.•Precision fermentation for the production of functional ingredients and alternative proteins with enhanced sensory and nutritional properties.•Application of emerging technologies Topic editors: Alan Gasiński, Esther Sendra Nadal, Laura Vázquez-Araújo Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80355/next-generation-fermentation-bridging-food-biotechnology-and-gastronomy