Historical aspects and recent development of food biotechnology both in the world and in our country are discussed.The significance and role of biotechnology in the development of civilization, its connection with discoveries and achievements in the natural and technical sciences are shown.The main problems and challenges of biotechnology at the present stage of the society development are considered: increasing the adequacy of nutrition through the improvement of the science of nutrition;ensuring the safety of new forms of food; personalization of nutrition taking into account the individual characteristics of the body;creation of specialized food products for preventive and therapeutic nutrition; studying the potential of minor components to reduce the risk of chronic diseases;using3D printing of products for a healthy and safe diet; developing products with the preservation of biologically active substances and new forms of food with increased bioavailability of components;increasing objectivity in assessing sensory characteristics for new types of products; deciphering the composition and functions of the microbiome and its relationship with nutrigenomics;creating a wide range of functional food products in a traditional form; developing omics technologies in nutrition;deciphering the mechanisms of molecular action of biologically active substances; developing products of prolonged storage with the unchanged nature of nutrients;developing nutrigenomics to manage the impact of nutrition on the human genome; innovative approaches to food quality assurance;production and use of active peptides in food products; the use of marine biotechnology products in nutrition;developing artificial meat technologies; the role of phytocompositions in nutrition;complex processing of secondary food raw materials; application of nanotechnology in the food industry; the use of genetically modified organisms and sources in the food industry. The prospects for the development of food biotechnology in connection with modern challenges and technological opportunities are shown.