Incorporation of Natural Antimicrobial Agents Into Thermoplastic Polymers for Food Applications: Strategies, Efficacy, Challenges and Future Directions

ABSTRACT Food spoilage, primarily driven by microbial activity, poses significant challenges to global food safety, public health and sustainability. Antimicrobial packaging has emerged as a promising strategy by embedding bioactive agents into packaging materials, enabling controlled release at the food–package interface. Growing consumer demand for ‘clean‐label’ products has intensified interest in natural antimicrobials as potential alternatives to synthetic additives. This review examines the incorporation of these natural antimicrobials into major thermoplastic polymers including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA) and PE terephthalate (PET). It focuses on how processing methods, such as extrusion, coating and chemical immobilization, affect the antimicrobial efficacy, functional properties and release behaviour of the packaging. Although several studies report significant antimicrobial effects, there is a lack of studies on performance in real food systems or comparing incorporation techniques. We conclude that to develop safe, effective and commercially viable antimicrobial food packages that meet regulatory and consumer needs, future research must adopt an integrated, multidisciplinary approach. This holistic approach would ensure the combination of advanced material characterization, chemical migration analysis and sensory evaluation alongside antimicrobial assessment.