This review summarizes the latest progress in enzyme preparation, including enzyme design and modification technology, exploration of new enzyme sources, and application of enzyme preparation in food processing, detection, and preservation. The directed evolution technology improved the stability and catalytic efficiency of enzymes, while enzyme immobilization technology enhanced reusability and industrial applicability. Extremozymes and biomimetic enzymes exhibit excellent performance under harsh conditions. In food processing, enzyme preparation can improve food quality and flavor. In food detection, enzymes combined with immune detection and biosensors realize rapid detection of allergens, pollutants, and pesticide residues. In food preservation, enzymes enhance food quality by extending shelf life and inhibiting microbial growth. In the future, enzyme engineering will be combined with computer-aided design, artificial intelligence, and new material technology to promote intelligent enzyme design and multifunctional enzyme preparation development and help the technological upgrading and sustainable development of the food industry and green chemistry.

Enzyme technology, characterized by high efficiency, environmental compatibility, and precise controllability, has become a pivotal biocatalytic approach for quality enhancement and nutritional improvement in modern food industries. This review summarizes recent advances and underlying mechanisms of enzyme applications in food processing optimization, nutritional enhancement, and functional food development. In terms of process optimization, enzymes such as transglutaminase, laccase, and peroxidase enhance protein crosslinking, thereby markedly improving the texture and stability of dairy products, meat products, and plant-based protein systems. Proteases and lipases play essential roles in flavor development, maturation, and modulation of sensory attributes. From a nutritional perspective, enzymatic hydrolysis significantly improves the bioavailability of proteins, minerals, and dietary fibers, while simultaneously degrading antinutritional factors and harmful compounds, including phytic acid, tannins, food allergens, and acrylamide, thus contributing to improved food safety and nutritional balance. With respect to functional innovation, enzyme-directed production of bioactive peptides has demonstrated notable antihypertensive, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activities. In addition, enzymatic synthesis of functional oligosaccharides and rare sugars, glycosylation-based modification of polyphenols, and enzyme-assisted extraction of plant bioactive compounds provide novel strategies and technological support for the development of functional foods. Owing to their high specificity and eco-friendly nature, enzyme technologies are driving food and nutrition sciences toward more precise, personalized, and sustainable development pathways. Despite these advances, critical research gaps remain, particularly in the limited mechanistic understanding of enzyme behavior in complex food matrices, the insufficient integration of multi-omics data with enzymatic process design, and the challenges associated with translating laboratory-scale enzymatic strategies into robust, data-driven, and scalable industrial applications.