A comprehensive review of electrospun nanofibers: Food and packaging perspective

Electrospinning has gained greater consideration in nanotechnology due to its flexible and superior processing technique. It is considered a unique method to produce nanofibers from polymeric, ceramic, and carbonaceous materials. The greater attraction of electrospinning can be ascribed to the following reasons viz.; the diameter of the electrospun nanofibers can be controlled in ease, continuity in fiber and capability to, produce three-dimensional (3D) fibrous structures. Hence, electrospinning is gaining more interest among the researchers targeting diverse fields of application such as wound dressing, drug delivery and filtration etc. A large number of review articles are available in these areas. However, the application of electrospun nanofibers in food packaging field is still in its infancy. This comprehensive review mainly focuses on the application of electrospun nanofibers for food and packaging applications. A detailed insight on the electrospinning of food proteins and carbohydrates is enumerated. The recent developments and challenges in electrospinning for food and smart packaging applications were also discussed.