A Review of Nanotechnology in Food, Smart Packaging and Potential Public Health Impact

Recent technological developments in food packaging are directly related to the interaction of packaging with both food and consumers, reflecting the growing demand for safer, minimally processed, and more natural food products. This trend resulted in the emergence of interactive packaging which combines two functions, the active function and the smart function. Such innovations in food packaging aim to be commercially viable, meet increasing consumer expectations, deliver beneficial results, and remain cost-effective. Interactive packaging thus provides multiple benefits for the packaged product and the consumer. For this reason, the present review highlights recent advances in the field. A literature search was conducted in PubMed-Medline, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles published up to November 2025. Nanotechnology, which has already achieved significant success in other fields, also plays a crucial role in food packaging. Beyond its benefits in enhancing packaging properties, nanotechnology contributes to the detection of pesticides, pathogens, and toxins, thereby strengthening the food quality monitoring process.