Advances in Cellulose-Based Packaging Films for Food Products

Cellulose and its derivatives can be used to manufacture packaging film materials with versatile properties as alternatives to petroleum-based films. This chapter covers the recent trends and advancements in cellulose-based films for food materials. The chapter starts with the introduction of traditional and novel cellulose structures relevant to film-making properties including cellulose fibers, filaments, nano-fibrils, crystalline cellulose, and other traditional cellulose derivatives. The relevant cross-linking methods, such as esterification, etherification, oxidation, and carboxylation will be described in the production of materials such as methylcellulose, cellulose acetate, rayon fabric, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose ether, etc. The chapter will relate the properties of the films (e.g., crystallinity, mechanical, optical, barrier, and solubility properties) to the chemical characteristics of the cellulose materials. The chapter will also cover the interactions of cellulose with polymeric composites such as protein, polysaccharides, and other nanoparticles ingredients with a focus on emerging technologies.