Engineered Microorganisms for the Production of Food Additives Approved by the European Union—A Systematic Analysis

In the 1950s, the idea of a single harmonized list of food additives for the European Union arose. Already in 1962, the E-classification system, a robust food safety system intended to protect consumers from possible food-related risks, was introduced. Initially, it was restricted to colorants, but at later stages also preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, gelling agents, sweeteners, and flavorings were included. Currently, the list of substances authorized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (referred to as “E numbers”) comprises 316 natural or artificial substances including small organic molecules, metals, salts, but also more complex compounds such as plant extracts and polymers. Low overall concentrations of such compounds in natural producers due to inherent regulation mechanisms or production processes based on non-regenerative carbon sources led to an increasing interest in establishing more reliable and sustainable production platforms. In this context, microorganisms have received significant attention as alternative sources providing access to these compounds. Scientific advancements in the fields of molecular biology and genetic engineering opened the door toward using engineered microorganisms for overproduction of metabolites of their carbon metabolism such as carboxylic acids and amino acids. In addition, entire pathways, e.g., of plant origin, were functionally introduced into microorganisms, which holds the promise to get access to an even broader range of accessible products. The aim of this review article is to give a systematic overview on current efforts during construction and application of microbial cell factories for the production of food additives listed in the EU “E numbers” catalog. The review is focused on metabolic engineering strategies of industrially relevant production hosts also discussing current bottlenecks in the underlying metabolic pathways and how they can be addressed in the future.