Animal proteins have better bioavailability than plant-based proteins, which currently dominate the rapidly growing market for protein alternatives. However, conventional livestock farming has a significant impact on the environment, contributing 12% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, extensive water pollution and consumption, and substantial land use for animal husbandry. Sustainable strategies for producing animal-derived proteins are needed. In this context, microorganisms, particularly yeasts, present a promising alternative due to their capacity to synthesize complex proteins, such as animal proteins, using a wide range of inexpensive carbon sources. This review provides a comprehensive overview of how yeasts, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Komagataella phaffii, Kluyveromyces lactis , Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Ogataea polymorpha, can produce food-grade animal proteins. Here, we also cover their applications in the food industry and the technologies used to optimize this process, addressing regulatory and food safety considerations, commercial applications, and consumer acceptance. Yeast-based production of animal proteins remains limited by protein-specific bottlenecks. Current systems are dominated by K. phaffii platforms using P AOX1 -driven expression and α-MF secretion. Hemoproteins require the most extensive metabolic engineering. Industrial activity (patents and companies) is concentrated on milk proteins and cheesemaking enzymes, whereas research is expanding to egg, structural, and hemoproteins. Most of the reported titers in recent studies remain insufficient to meet market demand. • Yeasts enable scalable animal protein production via precision fermentation. • Komagataella phaffii is the most used yeast to produce food-grade proteins. • Yeast-produced animal protein titers must be improved to meet market demand. • Milk proteins dominate yeast-derived animal protein patents and companies. • Precision fermentation foods are commercialized across diverse markets worldwide.
Cunha et al. (Fri,) studied this question.