Fibrous foods system from lignocellulosic biomass

Dear Editor,

With continuous global population growth, intensifying constraints on arable land resources, and frequent occurrence of extreme weather events, traditional food systems are increasingly strained by resource limitations, environmental pressures, and rising production costs, with implications for public health. In parallel, the accelerating global aging trend and the expanding prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia are driving a rapid shift from merely “satisfying basic needs” to “promoting health.” In 2023, the United Nations emphasized the importance of agricultural development, food security, and nutrition for global sustainable development, while the African Union’s Agenda 2063 also proposed improving the productivity of modern agriculture and the added value of agricultural products to ensure food and nutrition security. In recent years, the General Office of the State Council has explicitly called for adopting a “broad food perspective” and building a diversified food supply system, harnessing food resources from forests, and deriving calories and protein from plants. In 2025, China’s annual production of forest foods is approximately 240 million tons. Furthermore, emphasis has been placed on expanding both direct and indirect food sources, tapping into novel food resources, and ensuring an effective supply of diverse food products. Securing future food supplies therefore hinges not merely on increasing production but on transitioning toward a food system that is more sustainable, efficient, and health-oriented.

In this letter, we propose a strategy for the steerable depolymerization and fractional utilization of lignocellulosic biomass to prepare fibrous foods (Figure 1A). Fibrous foods products primarily refer to functional products (such as monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, proteins, and dietary fibers [DFs]) prepared from lignocellulosic biomass through green biorefining technologies. The main chemical components of lignocellulosic biomass include 40%–50% cellulose, 25%–35% hemicellulose, and 15%–30% lignin, and it is currently used primarily in energy, materials, and chemicals. Due to its rich carbohydrate composition, it holds tremendous potential for use in the production of fibrous foods and functional nutritional products. The health benefits of fibrous foods are largely attributed to their rich composition of DFs, prebiotic oligosaccharides, and fermentable proteins. These naturally derived components have been shown to regulate glucose absorption in the digestive tract, improve gut microbiota, promote cholesterol metabolism, and significantly control postprandial blood glucose, blood pressure, and inflammatory responses. Numerous studies have demonstrated the considerable potential of functional fibrous foods in nutritional regulation and disease prevention among elderly populations with chronic diseases.