Open Access

REVIEW

Cellulose-Based Films for Food Packaging Applications: Review of Preparation, Properties, and Prospects

by Xiaoyan Liu^1,2, Zhao Qin^1,2,*, Yuxiang Ma^1,2, Huamin Liu^1,2,*, Xuede Wang^1,2

1 College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
2 Institute of Special Oilseed Processing and Technology, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

* Corresponding Authors: Zhao Qin. Email: ; Huamin Liu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Application of Biomass-Based Materials in Food Industry)

Journal of Renewable Materials 2023, 11(8), 3203-3225. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2023.027613

Received 08 November 2022; Accepted 16 January 2023; Issue published 26 June 2023

Abstract

Packaging is a food preservation technology widely used in the world. Naturally-sourced, biodegradable polymers are becoming increasingly popular in the food packaging sector. Packaging films prepared using cellulose as raw material would contribute to resource sustainability, but the difficulty of cellulose solubilization limits their further development. In view of this, a series of novel solvent systems (LiCl/DMAc, ILs, TBAH/DMSO, NMMO, alkali/urea solutions, metal-complex solutions) were used to prepare high-strength and high-performance cellulose-based films; their characteristics and the mechanisms involved were investigated. Composite films prepared by blending cellulose with various polymers (synthetic polymers, natural polymers, proteins and enzymes, metal particles, and plant phenols) and their functional properties were also investigated. Problems with cellulose-based films and the outlook for future research are discussed. It is hoped that in the near future high-performance, biodegradable and sustainably-produced cellulose-based films will lead the food packaging industry into a new era and further promote the sustainable use of resources.

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