Received: 20 August 2020 Revised: 25 January 2021 Accepted: 1 February 2021 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12727 COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY Antimicrobial nanoparticles and biodegradable polymer composites for active food packaging applications Nejra Omerović 1 Mila Djisalov 1 Kristina Živojević 1 Minja Mladenović 1 Jovana Vunduk 2, 3 Ivanka Milenković 2 Nikola Ž. Knežević 1 Ivana Gadjanski 1 Jasmina Vidić 4 1 BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia 2 Ekofungi Ltd., Belgrade, Serbia 3 Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Food Technology and Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia 4 Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy en Josas, France Correspondence Ivana Gadjanski, BioSense Institute, Uni- versity of Novi Sad, Dr Zorana Djindjica 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia. Email: igadjanski@biosense.rs Jasmina Vidic, Micalis Institute, INRAE, AgroParisTech,Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy en Josas, France. Email: jasmina.vidic@inrae.fr Nejra Omerović and Mila Djisalov con- tributed equally to this study. Abstract The food industry faces numerous challenges to assure provision of tasty and convenient food that possesses extended shelf life and shows long-term high- quality preservation. Research and development of antimicrobial materials for food applications have provided active antibacterial packaging technologies that are able to meet these challenges. Furthermore, consumers expect and demand sustainable packaging materials that would reduce environmental problems associated with plastic waste. In this review, we discuss antimicrobial compos- ite materials for active food packaging applications that combine highly effi- cient antibacterial nanoparticles (i.e., metal, metal oxide, mesoporous silica and graphene-based nanomaterials) with biodegradable and environmentally friendly green polymers (i.e., gelatin, alginate, cellulose, and chitosan) obtained from plants, bacteria, and animals. In addition, innovative syntheses and pro- cessing techniques used to obtain active and safe packaging are showcased. Implementation of such green active packaging can significantly reduce the risk of foodborne pathogen outbreaks, improve food safety and quality, and minimize product losses, while reducing waste and maintaining sustainability. KEYWORDS food safety, foodborne pathogens, nanocomposites, nanofillers, shelf life Abbreviations: BNP, biodegradable natural polymers; CEO, cinnamon essential oil; CNT, carbon nanotube; EFSA, European Food Safety Agency; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; GO, graphene oxide; GRAS, generally recognized as safe; MSN, mesoporous silica nanoparticles; MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; MWCNTs, multiwalled carbon nanotubes; NP, nanoparticles; PBS, polybutylene succinate; PCL, poly(ε-caprolactone); PFAS, perfluoroalkyl substances; PGA, poly(glycolic acid); PHB, poly(hydroxybutyrate); PHBV, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate); PLA, poly(lactic acid); PLGA, poly(lactide-co-glycolide); PVA, polyvinil alcohol; rGO, reduced graphene oxide; ROS, reactive oxygen species; UV, ultraviolet 1 INTRODUCTION Foodborne diseases are a global public health concern, with a burden of 600 million cases per year of illnesses caused by contaminated food and a yearly average of 420,000 fatalities (WHO, 2015). In the European region, the impact of foodborne diseases results each year in 23 million people falling ill from unsafe food, leading to 5000 deaths worldwide. Symptoms vary from mild discomfort due to vomiting, fever, and diarrhea, to life-threatening dis- eases. In addition, outbreaks of foodborne diseases also have serious economic implications as they often involve 2428 © 2021 Institute of Food Technologists R  Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2021;20:2428–2454. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/crf3