Fiber and nanofiber based edible packaging for enhancing the shelf life of food: A review

The utilization of natural preservatives and active packaging in extending the shelf life of food products during storage is vital to meet consumer demand for minimally processed food under sustainable systems. Fiber and nanofiber, isolated from cells of different biologically active plants, possess antimicrobial activity and can be used as packaging material with an active ingredient. Soluble or insoluble fibers incorporated into edible films or coatings are particularly popular as functional food additives because of their characteristics. Moreover, fiber serves as an excellent packaging material with mechanical strength, antimicrobial properties, water vapor and oxygen permeability, high phenolic content, and thermal stability and therefore can be enhanced by the incorporation of different ingredients, which is also discussed in this work. It has been found that fiber and nanofiber based edible packaging materials can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and lipid oxidation. Furthermore, substantial changes have been reported in the surface morphology and mechanical properties of films/coatings with the addition of fiber based active materials like beta-glucan, pectin, guar gum, inulin, psyllium, cellulose, hemicellulose, chitosan and lignin. Hence, the existing literature articulates recent developments and their applications. Therefore, fiber/nanofiber can be a promising substitute for synthetic preservatives.