Recent advances in food preservation through antimicrobial carbon dots-based food packaging: Environmental sustainability and future trends

Abstract

Food contamination and health concerns due to foodborne pathogens have highlighted the need for novel antimicrobial agents to replace conventional packaging methods that use chemical preservatives. In terms of food safety, nanotechnology offers a variety of opportunities for the food sector, anticipating consumer demand for affordable, nutritious, and refined foods. In this regard, carbon dots have attracted significant attention as potential antimicrobial nanomaterials due to their structural versatility, ease of functionalization, and unique physicochemical, optical, non-toxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible properties. This review provides a systematic overview of the antimicrobial effects of carbon dots against various foodborne microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which are necessary for evaluating sustainable food preservatives. Important concerns such as health, environmental, and safety issues, along with an overview of the targeting mechanisms between carbon dots and foodborne pathogens, are also discussed. Research advances in the development of carbon dots -integrated biopolymer-based antimicrobial food packaging systems are highlighted, focusing on their effectiveness in preserving the quality of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and bakery products. Finally, challenges and potential future directions in the development of antimicrobial carbon dots are explored to provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure-activity linkages of carbon dots for microbial targeting.