Abstract
The food industry is increasingly demanding advanced and eco-friendly sustainable packaging materials with improved physical, mechanical and barrier properties. The currently used materials are synthetic and non-degradable, therefore raising environmental concerns. Consequently, research efforts have been made in recent years towards the development of bio-based sustainable packaging materials. In this review, the potential of nanocelluloses as nanofillers or as coatings for the development of bio-based nanocomposites is discussed, namely: (i) the physico-chemical interaction of nanocellulose with the adjacent polymeric phase, (ii) the effect of nanocellulose modification/functionalization on the final properties of the composites, (iii) the production methods for such composites, and (iv) the effect of nanocellulose on the overall migration, toxicity, and the potential risk to human health. Lastly, the technology readiness level of nanocellulose and nanocellulose based composites for the market of food packaging is discussed.
Highlights
Packaging plays an essential role in the food supply chain, protecting and containing food from the processing and manufacturing stages, along with distribution, handling and storage, until it reaches the final consumer
There is an increasing concern regarding the massive use of petroleum-based plastics, which are used for a short period of time but take centuries to degrade
The NCs obtained by these methods are the: (i) nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), with a diameter between 5 and 20 nm and a length between 2 and 10 micrometers and (ii) cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), which refer to the most crystalline structures obtained by hydrolysis [44,47,48]
Summary
Packaging plays an essential role in the food supply chain, protecting and containing food from the processing and manufacturing stages, along with distribution, handling and storage, until it reaches the final consumer. Plastics are the most used packaging materials, bearing lightweight, with good processability, low production cost and outstanding mechanical and barrier properties [2]. Biopolymers, while biodegradable and highly available, often have inferior performance than their petroleum-based counterparts. To improve their performance, composite technology has emerged as an approach to blending biopolymers with different properties, leveraging on the best properties of each individual component. Research and development communities have sought the development of nanocellulose-based materials for food packaging applications [18,19], focusing mainly on improving their mechanical and barrier properties, by using different nanocelluloses, production processes and matrix biopolymers [20]. Like any other food contact material, nanocellulose in food packaging applications raises potential safety concerns
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