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News from CRIS: Precision Fermentation - Overview

April 13, 2026

Precision fermentation is showing up in everything from food dyes to dairy protein, but what is it, really? In this overview post, we break down how it works, what it makes, and what it means for ingredient safety.

Top Takeaways:

  • Precision fermentation is an advanced form of fermentation that uses specialized microorganisms to produce specific ingredients, such as proteins, enzymes, and fats.
  • It’s already safely used in food, medicine, and consumer products (e.g., insulin, rennet for cheese, and some vitamins).
  • As with any ingredient, safety depends on the final product, exposure, and intended use, not the production method.

What is precision fermentation?

Fermentation is a biological chemical process in which microorganisms, such as yeast and bacteria, convert sugars into other compounds, and humans have used it for millennia to produce foods and beverages like beer, bread, and yogurt.

Precision fermentation takes the fermentation process and uses new tools developed from synthetic biology and metabolic engineering to guide microorganisms to produce specific ingredients, including proteins, enzymes, and vitamins, on demand and with high accuracy.

It’s currently widely used in food, medicine, and consumer products (e.g., insulin, rennet for cheese, and some vitamins).

How does precision fermentation work?

At a high level, precision fermentation works by a scientist or manufacturer:

  • Identifying the ingredient that needs to be produced (e.g., a milk protein, enzyme, or vitamin).
  • Identifying the right microorganism, like yeast, bacterium, or a fungus, to produce the desired cells.
  • Using genetic engineering to introduce or modify specific genetic sequences in microbial hosts to direct the biosynthesis of a target compound, such as a protein or enzyme.
  • Growing the microorganism in a controlled environment (like a fermentation tank).
  • Harvesting and purifying the ingredient for use in foods or other products.

The process allows scientists and manufacturers to produce ingredients identical or very similar to those found in nature, without relying on the original source (such as animals or large-scale agriculture).

What kinds of ingredients can precision fermentation produce?

Precision fermentation can produce a wide range of food-relevant compounds, including:

  • Aroma compounds, which contribute to taste and smell in foods and beverages
  • Enzymes used to process foods and improve texture and shelf life
  • Flavorings and colorants, like food dyes
  • Functional ingredients, like fats, antioxidants, or preservatives
  • Proteins, for example, dairy proteins like whey and egg proteins like albumin
  • Specialized carbohydrates, such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) used in infant nutrition
  • Stabilizers and emulsifiers, which help maintain texture and consistency in products like sauces and dairy alternatives
  • Sweeteners, like fermentation-derived alternatives to traditional sugar (e.g., stevia components)
  • Vitamins and bioactive compounds, for example, B vitamins

Many of these ingredients are traditionally sourced from animals or plants. Precision fermentation enables them to be produced without relying on those original sources, while maintaining an identical or similar structure and function.

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To continue reading the entire blog post, visit: https://cris.msu.edu/news/precision-fermentation-overview/.