The sustainable production of next-generation food ingredients with specific functional, nutritional, and sensory properties has been revolutionized by precision fermentation. By harnessing genetically optimized microbial platforms—including lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi—precision fermentation enables the targeted biosynthesis of proteins, enzymes, lipids, vitamins, flavor compounds, and bioactive metabolites under controlled conditions. This review provides a comprehensive, microbiology-centered synthesis of precision fermentation technologies for food applications, with particular emphasis on microbial platform selection, metabolic and stress-response mechanisms, and their implications for product quality and safety. Key upstream process optimization strategies—such as substrate selection, fermentation parameter control, and bioreactor design—are discussed alongside downstream processing and purification approaches that critically influence food-grade purity, functionality, and economic feasibility. The review further examines food chemistry outcomes associated with precision-fermented ingredients, including structural integrity, functional properties (e.g., emulsification, foaming, and gelation), and flavor and aroma development. Safety and regulatory considerations—including microbial strain safety, absence of toxins, allergenicity assessment, and compliance with global regulatory frameworks—are critically evaluated. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are highlighted, with particular attention to cost reduction, scale-up limitations, consumer acceptance, regulatory harmonization, and emerging opportunities driven by multi-omics integration, artificial intelligence-guided strain design, and circular bioeconomy approaches. Overall, this review underscores the critical role of precision fermentation in enabling sustainable, safe, and high-quality food systems.
