Research progress of nanocellulose-based food packaging

Food packaging is an integral part of food commodities and plays an important role in the food industry. Currently, most food packaging is made from petroleum-based plastics, which are non degradable and cause environmental pollution, as well as an energy crisis. With the implementation of global policies such as “carbon reduction” and “plastic ban”, the development of biomass food packaging materials has received widespread attention from researchers. Nanocellulose has become a research hotspot in the field of nano intelligent packaging due to its high specific surface area, designability, and biodegradability. This article reviews the definition, sources, and preparation methods of nanocellulose (cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose nanofibers, and bacterial cellulose). In addition, nanocellulose plays a significant role in food packaging due to its high specific surface area, high mechanical strength, and good film-forming properties. Therefore, this paper reviewed the design, preparation, performance and application of various nanocellulose food packaging, including film, coating, aerogel and nano paper. Finally, the application prospects and challenges faced by nanocellulose based composite materials in food packaging were summarized and prospected. The use of nanocellulose as a raw material has been widely studied and applied in food packaging, effectively extending the shelf life and product quality of food. However, we found that the food packaging performance based on nanocellulose is not good enough. Therefore, this review provides a systematic analysis that provides guidance for the research and development of nanocellulose based food packaging materials.