Chemical and Microbiological Hazards Arising from New Plant-Based Foods, Including Precision Fermentation-Produced Food Ingredients.

Abstract

The growing human population, climate change, and environmental pollution pose urgent threats to global food security. New plant-based foods and precision fermentation that enable the production of new food ingredients can contribute to a revolutionary change in the food industry and can contribute to food security, yet they do not come without hazards. In this review, we describe the hazards of new plant-based foods, including precision fermentation-produced food ingredients. For these foods derived from plant-based raw materials, chemical and microbiological hazards are presented, including natural hazards, environmental hazards, and hazards derived from (inadequate) food processing. In addition, prospects for safety improvement of new plant-based foods and precision fermentation-produced food ingredients are also discussed. Chemical and microbiological hazards of new plant-based foods and precision fermentation-produced food ingredients are to be included in the hazard analysis and critical control point plans. New plant-based foods present hazards carried over from the plant-based raw materials and new hazards from the production process and storage, whereas the risks appear lower for precision fermentation-produced food ingredients than for regular fermented foods because of the use of a more controlled environment and purification of the targeted ingredients.