Citation: Guidotti-Takeuchi, M.; Ribeiro, L.N.d.M.; dos Santos, F.A.L.; Rossi, D.A.; Lucia, F.D.; de Melo, R.T. Essential Oil-Based Nanoparticles as Antimicrobial Agents in the Food Industry. Microorganisms 2022, 10, 1504. https://doi.org/10.3390/ microorganisms10081504 Academic Editor: Antonio Bevilacqua Received: 10 June 2022 Accepted: 18 July 2022 Published: 26 July 2022 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). microorganisms Review Essential Oil-Based Nanoparticles as Antimicrobial Agents in the Food Industry Micaela Guidotti-Takeuchi 1 ,Lígia Nunes de Morais Ribeiro 2, * , Fernanda Aparecida Longato dos Santos 1 , Daise Aparecida Rossi 1 , Flávia Della Lucia 3 and Roberta Torres de Melo 1 1 School of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia 38402-018, Brazil; micaelaguidotti@gmail.com (M.G.-T.); fe.longato@hotmail.com (F.A.L.d.S.); daise.rossi@ufu.br (D.A.R.); roberta-melo@hotmail.com (R.T.d.M.) 2 Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia 38405-320, Brazil 3 Nutrition Faculty, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Brazil; dellaluciaf@gmail.com * Correspondence: nuneslica@gmail.com Abstract: The use of essential oils (EO) loaded with nanoparticles is the most promising alternative to increase food quality and safety. Interesting works describe the antimicrobial properties of EO for pathogen control in natural and processed foods for human health and animal production, also con- tributing to sustainability. Their association with different nanosystems allows novel developments in the micronutrition, health promotion, and pathogen control fields, preventing the aggravation of bacterial microevolution and combating antibiotic resistance. Benefits to the environment are also provided, as they are biodegradable and biocompatible. However, such compounds have some physicochemical properties that prevent commercial use. This review focuses on recent developments in antimicrobial EO-based nanoparticles and their application in different food matrices. Keywords: food science; nanotechnology; pathogens 1. Introduction Recently, the interest in “green food products” based on natural compounds and minimal processing of edible products [1,2] has gained attention in determining products’ acceptance [3]. These characteristics are crucial factors that reflect the current trends and economic growth in this sector [4], which is estimated to exceed USD 13 billion by 2024, according to reports from Global Market Insights, Inc. (Selbyville, DE, USA) [5]. From this point of view, researchers and the food industry (FI) have been looking for sustainable alternatives, such as the use of essential oils (EOs), to replace synthetic additives [6], such as sorbic, benzoic, propionic acids, and sodium diacetate preservatives [7]. Despite that the microbiological control of contamination in fresh or processed foods is a topic of great interest, this is still a challenge for safe food-based systems developments. There are some pathogens that can cause food spoilage and affect nutritional and sensory qualities, as well as causing foodborne infections and toxicosis. Food contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms causes food spoilage, with consequent economic losses and undesirable effects on product quality and safety [8]. Recently, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2021) demonstrated an increase of foodborne diseases related to microbial contamination during the periods 2004–2008 and 2015–2016, by nontyphoidal Salmonella, with around 159,000 and 222,000 infections, respectively [9]. Resistance modeling studies estimate an increase in resistance for priority antibiotic– bacterial combinations of 17–31% between 2000 and 2030 for 52 countries, including hotspots related to Brazil [10]. With this current scenario, a thorough analysis of changes and health impacts will help to establish goals and priorities for infection prevention [9]. More efforts in differentiated approaches to ensure and maintain food safety are ur- gently needed. Microorganisms 2022, 10, 1504. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10081504 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/microorganisms