Minimum viable products in precision fermentation: defining translational milestones for food biotechnology

Precision fermentation has emerged as a promising platform for producing food ingredients. However, only a limited number of precision fermentation-derived ingredients have reached commercial markets. The concept of the minimum viable product (MVP) provides a useful framework for accelerating the practical adoption. MVP in precision fermentation is a food ingredient that provides a clear value proposition for a defined target consumer and can be safely and economically produced by an engineered microorganism. We introduce the Precision Fermentation Ingredient Pyramid, which can categorize targets into three tiers based on production volume, market value, and functional roles. A pipeline integrates market needs, biological and regulatory feasibility, economic competitiveness, and scalability for MVP selection. Applying this framework, we highlight opportunities across ingredient classes, including single-cell protein, ovalbumin, and β-carotene. Finally, we highlight the importance of techno-economic analysis for precision fermentation, particularly in linking strain performance and downstream processing to process economics.