The integration of nanomaterials into edible films and coatings has emerged as a transformative strategy to enhance food preservation, safety, and quality while aligning with global sustainability goals. Recent advancements demonstrate that incorporating metallic nanoparticles (NPs), biopolymer-based nanostructures, nanoclays, and nanoemulsions can significantly improve mechanical strength, barrier properties, and antimicrobial functionality. These enhancements address long-standing limitations of conventional edible films, such as limited moisture resistance and mechanical fragility, while also enabling novel functionalities like active and intelligent packaging. Despite these promising benefits, the field faces critical challenges, including safety and toxicity concerns related to nanoparticle migration, regulatory gaps in defining safe use parameters, and technical barriers in achieving uniform dispersion and large-scale production. Additionally, consumer perception and labeling requirements add complexity to commercialization pathways. Emerging trends, including the use of green synthesis methods, biodegradable nanomaterials, and artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted material design, offer potential pathways to mitigate these challenges while supporting sustainable and scalable innovations. Further, multidisciplinary research bridging materials science, food technology, toxicology, and policy will be essential to fully realize the potential of nanomaterial-enhanced edible films and coatings. This chapter provides a review of the current nanomaterials used, their effects on functional and physicochemical properties, recent technological trends, safety considerations, and the practical barriers to market adoption, with a special emphasis on the integration of nanotechnology.