Sustainable Nanocomposite Films and Coatings for Meat Product Preservation: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Meat and meat products are highly susceptible to microbial spoilage, lipid oxidation, moisture loss, discoloration, and sensory deterioration, creating a need for effective, safe, and sustainable packaging solutions. Although previous studies have investigated biodegradable polymers, nanomaterials, and active packaging systems separately, an integrated assessment connecting material design, preservation mechanisms, safety, sustainability, and commercial feasibility remains limited. This review addresses this gap by critically evaluating recent advances in biodegradable nanocomposite films and coatings for meat preservation. Current evidence demonstrates that the incorporation of nanoscale reinforcements and bioactive agents into biopolymer matrices can enhance their mechanical performance, gas and moisture barrier properties, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant capacity, and controlled release behavior. However, these advantages are strongly influenced by the nanofiller characteristics, concentration, dispersion, polymer-nanofiller interactions, food matrix composition, and storage conditions. Excessive nanomaterial incorporation may promote aggregation, induce structural defects, reduce flexibility, and increase migration concerns. Despite promising preservation outcomes, most available studies remain limited to laboratory-scale investigations, variable testing protocols, and insufficient validation under real commercial conditions. Key challenges hindering industrial adoption include nanoparticle migration, long-term safety assessment, regulatory uncertainty, production costs, consumer acceptance, and limited life-cycle evaluation. Future research should focus on safe-by-design formulations, standardized real-food testing, scalable manufacturing approaches, controlled-release technologies, and integrated assessments of preservation efficiency, safety, economic feasibility, and environmental sustainability. Overall, biodegradable nanocomposite packaging represents a promising approach for extending meat shelf life; however, successful commercialization requires balancing enhanced preservation performance with safety assurance and industrial practicality.