Production of food flavor and color by synthetic biology

Flavors and colors play a vital role in the food industry. Consumers now lean toward natural flavors and colors due to their nutritional and medicinal benefits. However, conventional extraction methods from natural sources struggle to meet growing demands. Synthetic biology is a promising emerging technology with the potential to revolutionize the status quo. While challenges such as low titers hinder large-scale production for most products, certain natural flavors and colors are already achievable in significant quantities. This review encapsulates the past 5 years of research progress in utilizing synthetic biology for some food flavor and color generation. It provides a valuable reference for researchers to produce food flavor and color by synthetic biology.