Applications of nanocellulosic products in food: Manufacturing processes, structural features and multifaceted functionalities

Abstract

Abstract Background Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth, increasingly subjected to the production of specialty materials for uses in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. Dominance products in the market include cellulose nanofibers (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and functionalized cellulose (FC). Scope and approach Nanocellulose is not only referred to a nano size of scale; but also is endowed with spacialities in structures and functionalities. In this review, the different processing and manufacturing methods and techniques for nanocellulose products including mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments (particularly the emerging lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) driven oxidative depolymerization) are delineated and discussed. Applications of nanocellulosic materials in food industry, such as uses in emulsion system, food packaging, and as functional food ingredients are highlighted. Key findings and conclusions Nanocellulose, by virtue of its hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, can achieve self-assembly at oil/water interfaces and stabilize emulsions, and thus show excellent functionality in multiphase systems. Nanocellulose particles, with large surface area, high aspects ratio, high strength, high thermal stability, desired rheological properties, and excellent mechanical properties, are ideal candidates for novel packaging materials. Nanocellulose could also be used as a functional food ingredient, mainly as a fat mimetic or fat replacer in low calorie nutritional foods. Among the manufacturing technologies of nanocellulosic materials, mechanical treatments and chemical derivations are still the state-of-the art processes for marketed products; however, enzymatic depolymerization and fractionation are greener alternative with better control of molecular distributions, affording diversified properties, thus assigned for different applications.