Microbial contamination is an utmost cause of food spoilage. Antimicrobial agents are used to treat microbial diseases in food. They also serve food packaging industry, as they are used for the formation of antimicrobial packaging films which maintain the structure, texture, color, and nutrition value of food. Due to ever growing population, the demands of food are also rising. There is need to stop food wastage and to prevent spoilage. Most of the food is spoiled during harvesting, transportation, and distribution. This is a serious problem to overcome. Adding antibacterial agents is the most convenient way to reduce food spoilage and contamination. To support the characteristics and properties of antibacterial materials, different modifications are performed in the field of food packaging, which is one of the most demanding techniques for food preservation. This review will summarize the research about antimicrobial agents, with an emphasis on recent findings, to highlight the importance of new developments in this field. Concepts of antimicrobial packaging with a focus on antibiotics and antibacterial agents are discussed briefly in this review, along with the different types of food packaging and applications of antimicrobial packaging. Synthetic and natural antimicrobial materials are described. In summary, this article will explain the importance of antibacterial agents and their use in food packaging industry. Furthermore, readers will get good information about natural antibacterial polymers which were extensively used in past few decades. Subsequently, different innovations should be done to control food spoilage and wastage to ensure food safety. Food packaging is a sole element that helps to provide safe and secure food for all.
Keywords: Antimicrobial agents; food packaging; food safety; polymers.