Nanomaterials Incorporated Intelligent Food Packing for the Detection and Prevention of Microbial Contamination and Spoilage

Abstract

Food packaging plays a critical role in the quality and safety of food and the health of consumers. Environmental factors such as food storage conditions (temperature and light) and microbial contamination are highly effective in food spoilage. Environmental factors on traditional food packaging can negatively affect the shelf life of food products, which poses significant risks to human health. To track the quality and safety of food, the development of intelligent food packaging technologies has received great attention from researchers. The advances in food packaging technology emphasize the importance of developing real-time-traceable, long shelf life, microbial contamination–inhibiting, and biocompatible packaging solutions. In recent years, various nanomaterials (NMs) in the development of intelligent food packaging have been used. NM-based food packaging exhibits many properties, such as antimicrobial and antioxidant effects, electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and catalytic activity. In this chapter, we present a broad overview of NM-based intelligent packaging systems for sensing and preventing microbial contamination and food spoilage. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Priya Sutaoney, Priyambada Singh, Durgesh Nandini Chauhan, Nagendra Singh Chauhan, and Kamal Shah; individual chapters, the contributors.