Food safety and quality are paramount global concerns, with the complexities of the modern supply chain demanding advanced technologies for monitoring, preservation, and decontamination. Conventional methods often fall short due to limitations in speed, sensitivity, cost, and functionality. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of crystalline porous materials, have emerged as a highly universal platform to address these challenges, owing to their unprecedented structural tunability, ultrahigh surface areas, and tailorable chemical functionalities. This comprehensive review details the state-of-the-art applications of multifunctional MOFs across the entire spectrum of food safety and quality enhancement. First, the review details the application of MOFs in advanced food analysis, covering their transformative roles as sorbents in sample preparation (e.g., solid-phase extraction and microextraction), as novel stationary phases in chromatography, and as the core components of highly sensitive sensing platforms, including luminescent, colorimetric, electrochemical, and SERS-based sensors for contaminant detection. Subsequently, the role of MOFs in food preservation and packaging is explored, highlighting their use in active packaging systems for ethylene scavenging and controlled antimicrobial release, in intelligent packaging for visual spoilage indication, and as functional fillers for enhancing the barrier properties of packaging materials. Furthermore, the review examines the direct application of MOFs in food processing for the selective adsorptive removal of contaminants from complex food matrices (such as oils and beverages) and as robust, recyclable heterogeneous catalysts. Finally, a critical discussion is presented on the significant challenges that impede widespread adoption. These include concerns regarding biocompatibility and toxicology, issues of long-term stability in complex food matrices, and the hurdles of achieving cost-effective, scalable synthesis. This review not only summarizes recent progress but also provides a forward-looking perspective on the interdisciplinary efforts required to translate these promising nanomaterials from laboratory research into practical, real-world solutions for a safer and higher-quality global food supply.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) Zn^II coordination polymer, namely, poly[[[1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)benzene](μ₃-3,3′-{[1,3-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(oxy)}dibenzoato)zinc(II)] 1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)benzene], {[Zn(C₂₂H₁₆O₆)(C₁₆H₁₂N₂)]·C₁₆H₁₂N₂} _n or {[Zn(PMBD)(DPB)]·DPB} _n , 1, where H₂PMBD is 3,3′-{[1,3-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(oxy)}dibenzoic acid and DPB is 1,4-bis(pyridin-4-yl)benzene, has been synthesized by self-assembly using zinc nitrate, a semi-rigid dicarboxylic acid and a nitrogen-containing ligand. The single-crystal X-ray structure determination indicates that 1 possesses an intriguing 3D architecture with a 4-connected uninodal cds topology, which is constructed from dinuclear {Zn₂} clusters and V-shaped PMBD²⁻ linkers. Compound 1 exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity on the degradation of the organic dyes Rhodamine B (RhB), Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) and Methyl Red (MR).

By using a semi-rigid tripodal ligand 5-(4-carboxybenzyloxy)isophthalic acid (H₃L) and lanthanide metal ions (Nd³⁺, Tb³⁺), two novel lanthanide metal–organic frameworks, namely, {[Nd₂L₂(DMF)4] DMF}_n (1), and {TbL(DMF)(H₂O)}_n (2), were synthesized under mild solvothermal conditions and structurally characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural, in which L^3– ligands linked dinuclear lanthanide metal–carboxylate units to form non-interpenetrated 3D network with (3,6)-connected topology. Luminescent investigations reveal that compound 1 displays the near-infrared emission at room temperature, and compound 2 can be employed as selective probe for Cr₂O₇²⁻ anion in aqueous solution based on luminescence quenching. Moreover, compound 2 exhibits catalytic activity for cyclo-addition of CO₂ and epoxides under relatively mild conditions.

A Zn(II) coordination polymer, [Zn₃(4,4′-BMIBP)₃(SIP)₂] _n (1) (4,4′-BMIBP = 4,4′-bis(2-methyl-imidazolyl)biphenyl, H₃SIP = 5-sulfoisophthalic acid) was hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Complex 1 has a (3,4)-connected binodal four-fold three-dimensional topology with a point symbol of {4·6²·8²·10}₂{4·6²}₂{6⁴·10²}. It shows strong fluorescence emission in the solid state and efficient photocatalytic performances to degrade methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation, the degradation of MB reaching 88% after 50 min.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid that acts as a major signaling molecule across the nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems. While GABA has historically been produced via chemical synthesis or plant extraction, microbial fermentation using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) provides a safe, sustainable, and food-grade alternative. This review details the recent progress of LAB-derived GABA, covering the workflow from strain selection to functional food applications. We discuss how modern screening methods combine high-throughput phenotypic testing with genomic mining of the gad operon to efficiently identify high-yielding strains. The biochemical mechanisms of the GABA shunt are also explained, alongside recent CRISPR-based metabolic engineering efforts designed to bypass natural yield limits. Furthermore, we address practical industrial challenges—such as the poor proteolytic ability of key producers like Levilactobacillus brevis—and evaluate viable solutions, including symbiotic co-cultures and optimized downstream purification steps. The review then summarizes the specific health benefits of dietary LAB-derived GABA, focusing on its ability to relieve anxiety via the microbiota-gut–brain axis, control blood pressure, and regulate immunity. Finally, we analyze the current regulatory and sensory hurdles, highlighting how integrating multi-omics data can help establish LAB-derived GABA as a reliable ingredient for functional foods and personalized nutrition.