Document Type : Review Article

Authors

• Yunus Başar ¹
• Nurten Toy ²
• Muhittin Kulak ¹

¹ Iğdır University

² çukurova University

Abstract

Microbial proliferation and lipid oxidation are major causes of food loss and foodborne risk. Regulatory reassessments and consumer concerns have increasingly restricted the use of various synthetic preservatives and antioxidants. Consequently, plant-derived bioactive agents, including essential oils (EOs) and phenolic compounds, and green synthesized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as complementary candidates for food preservation and active packaging. This review integrates antimicrobial and antioxidant mechanisms with a bibliometrically supported mapping of the food packaging literature (SCOPUS, engineering domain; 284 keywords, 10 clusters; VOSviewer). Network analysis identified biodegradable matrices (chitosan, gelatin, starch, pectin, and alginate), antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, essential oils, plant-derived compounds such as curcumin and carvacrol, and "active packaging," strongly associated with electrospinning as a prominent manufacturing approach, as the central theme. Separate clusters highlighted sustainability and barrier performance. The review also examines translational limitations, particularly migration, toxicology, and regulatory uncertainty. Bulk transfer from packaging to food depends on polymer embedding, food acidity, and thermal history; however, current evidence often fails to distinguish the release of particulate nanoparticles from oxidative dissolution to ionic species, despite their differing toxicological and regulatory effects. Silver toxicology continues to focus predominantly on ionic behavior, contributing to ongoing uncertainty in European safety assessments. This study reveals that the main limitations stem from reproducibility and regulatory fit rather than efficacy; the primary problems are variability in plant extracts, unstandardized NP characterization, discrepancies between in vitro and real food performance, and the lack of nano-specific regulatory processes.

Keywords

• Active packaging
• Green-synthesised nanoparticles
• Food preservation
• Nanotoxicology
• Bibliometric analysis

Main Subjects

• Food Packaging