Food packaging is increasingly being engineered as an active interface rather than a passive barrier, creating opportunities to control microbial hazards while maintaining food quality. Foodborne pathogens can survive on foods and food-contact surfaces, and
biofilm formation may increase persistence and resistance to environmental stresses and sanitation procedures. Nanoengineered antimicrobial packaging combines polymeric or biopolymeric matrices with nanostructured materials or nano-enabled delivery systems to improve antimicrobial activity, barrier performance, controlled release and, in some systems, antibiofilm functionality. This critical narrative review examines the scientific basis of nanoengineered antimicrobial packaging for the control of important foodborne microorganisms, with emphasis on Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and selected spoilage or fungal organisms. Major material classes include silver and metal-oxide nanoparticles, nanocellulose, chitosan and chitin nanostructures, nanoclays, silica-based systems, carbon-based nanomaterials, nanoencapsulated essential oils, antimicrobial peptides and multifunctional hybrid nanocomposites. The review considers how particle size, surface chemistry, dispersion, polymer–nanomaterial interactions, water activity, food composition, temperature and relative humidity influence antimicrobial performance. Proposed mechanisms include membrane interaction and disruption, oxidative stress, metal-ion release, interference with cellular metabolism, controlled release of natural antimicrobials and inhibition of microbial adhesion and extracellular polymeric substance development. Particular attention is given to the laboratory-to-real-food gap: inhibition zones and planktonic-cell assays do not necessarily predict efficacy on heterogeneous foods or mature biofilms. A food-safety risk framework is therefore required, integrating hazard identification, migration and exposure assessment, dose–response evidence and risk characterization. Regulatory considerations from EFSA and FDA emphasize material identity, physicochemical characterization, migration or exposure, intended use and nanospecific safety information. Overall, nanoengineered antimicrobial packaging represents a promising convergence of advanced materials,
food microbiology and innovative food-safety technology, but commercial implementation requires standardized antimicrobial and antibiofilm testing, realistic food challenge studies, robust migration assessment, reproducible manufacturing and material-specific toxicological evaluation. (Duong et al., ۲۰۲۴; Gao et al., ۲۰۲۵)
