ABSTRACT
The presence of pathogenic microorganisms has been a threat to food security and people in conditions of comorbidities. In this context, new materials with antimicrobial properties have been investigated and some are highly efficient and specific. Therefore, the objective was to investigate porous antimicrobial polymers and their applications in the food and pharmaceutical industry. The main conclusions are: porous polymers are a promising technology to deal with infectious processes or as a way to inhibit possible contamination and infections. They are applied to increase the shelf life of food and in surgical dressings. The main challenges are to develop new, more efficient, and specific materials, reducing the chances of artificial selection of resistant microorganisms. Finally, the use of natural polymers has helped in the consolidation of new biocompatible, biodegradable, and low toxicity porous polymer projects.
