Metal-organic frameworks for food applications: A review

[Display omitted] •Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are hybrid porous coordination materials.•MOFs have high surface-to-volume ratio crystalline structures.•MOFs have been mainly used for extraction and sensing of several food contaminants.•MOFs can be interestingly employed as nanocarriers, nanofillers and nanoreactors. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are high surface-to-volume ratio crystalline hybrid porous coordination materials composed of metal ions as nodes and organic linkers. The goal of this paper was to provide an updated and comprehensive state-of-the-art review of MOFs for different food applications such as active food contact materials, antimicrobial nanocarriers, controlled release nanosystems for active compounds, nanofillers for food packaging materials, food nanoreactors, food substance nanosensors, stabilizers and immobilizers for active compounds and enzymes, and extractors of food contaminants. Extraction and sensing of several food contaminants have been the main food applications of MOFs. The other applications listed above require further investigation, as they are at an early stage. However, interesting results are being reported for these other fields. Finally, an important limitation of MOFs has been the use of non-renewable feedstocks for their synthesis, but this has recently been solved through the manufacture and use of γ-cyclodextrin-based MOFs.