Unlocking the microbial mechanisms in fermented bean products: advances and future directions in multi-omics and machine learning approaches

Fermented bean products (FBPs) are integral to diverse global culinary traditions, prized for their distinctive flavors, nutritional benefits, and functional properties. Despite their importance, the interplay between microbial fermentation and the quality of FBPs remains incompletely understood, necessitating further investigation. This review examines the key microbial communities involved in the fermentation of various FBPs and explores the application of multi-omics technologies, such as genomics and metabolomics, to elucidate the microbiological mechanisms influencing product quality. It highlights the potential of integrating bioinformatics and machine learning to identify critical fermentation pathways and their impact on the final product. Moreover, the review anticipates the role of emerging smart technologies in enhancing the quality and efficiency of FBPs. By applying multi-omics approaches, it is possible to pinpoint core microbial consortia linked to high-quality FBPs, offering new avenues for engineering synthetic microbial communities. Such strategies may permit more precise control over fermentation processes, optimizing both the safety and consistency of FBPs. Finally, the review outlines future research directions focused on exploiting technological innovations to improve the quality, sustainability, and safety of FBPs.