Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii, a notorious multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen, is emerging as a critical concern in the food industry owing to its robust survival abilities and broad antibiotic resistance. Major concerns regarding A. baumannii include its increasing prevalence across diverse food products, its ability to form biofilms that enhance its persistence in food-processing environments, and its extensive antibiotic-resistance mechanisms, such as efflux pumps, which significantly reduce the efficacy of conventional sanitation and antimicrobial interventions. These factors also increase the risk of transmission of A. baumannii into the medical facilities. This review examines recent research on the survival and dissemination of A. baumannii within the food chain, and proposes novel surveillance and control strategies to mitigate its impact. Significant emphasis has been placed on innovative intervention strategies, including natural antimicrobials, biofilm-disrupting agents, and risk-management strategies. This review emphasizes the necessity for science-driven strategies to prevent A. baumannii from becoming a serious foodborne hazard.