Nanocellulose-based Food Preservation Solution

Nanocellulose is becoming an important material in the biological field because of its non-toxic, natural and other advantages. Aprofood has deeply explored the field of food nanomaterials, and is committed to providing global customers with comprehensive food preservation solutions based on  nanocellulose.

Overview of Nanocelluloses

Cellulose is a linear biopolymer, in which β-D-glucose unit passes β-1,4-glycosidic bonds are connected together. They are the most abundant long-chain natural polymers widely distributed in nature, with an annual production of about 7.5 million tons. Nanocellulose (NC) is a kind of nanofiber material produced from various natural cellulose, and its diameter is usually less than 100 nm.

Nanocellulose has attracted extensive attention in recent years due to its high specific surface area, high compressive strength, low density, small expansion coefficient, and easy surface modification due to its polyhydroxyl structure. Since the nanocellulose structure contains primary hydroxyl groups (C₆-OH) and secondary hydroxyl groups (C₂-OH and C₃-OH), functional groups can be grafted onto nanocellulose to provide it with new properties such as antibacterial, emulsifying and stability. These properties make nanocellulose have good application prospects in the food industry.

Fig.1 Different methods for the NC preparation. (Perumal, et al., 2022)

Classification of Nanocellulose

Nanocellulose include cellulose nanofibers (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC).

• CNF refers to microfiber cellulose (MFC) or nanofiber cellulose (NFC), which are obtained by machining the cellulose suspension. They are usually 20-50 nm in diameter and 500-2000 nm in length.
• CNC, known as nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) or cellulose nanocrystals (CNW), is obtained by selectively hydrolyzing or oxidizing the amorphous area of cellulose with acids, enzymes or oxidants while maintaining the crystalline area. It has a diameter of about 2-15 nm, a length of about 100-500 nm, and is rod or spherical.
• BNC, also known as microbial cellulose, is a ribbon nanofiber. It is synthesized by bacteria in a pure state in biotechnology and does not require any harsh chemical process, so it has higher purity.

Our Nanocellulose-based Food Preservation Solutions

Aprofood has been committed to the research of food nanomaterials for a long time. With rich experience and professional knowledge, it can provide global customers with comprehensive food preservation solutions based on nanocellulose.

Nanocelluloses Development

According to the characteristics and sources of cellulose, carry out a reasonable plan design and select the best preparation process (acid hydrolysis, mechanical treatment, oxidation method, enzymatic hydrolysis, ionic liquid treatment and combined process), one-stop to meet customer's nanocellulose development needs.

Efficacy Evaluation of Nanocelluloses

The application of nanocellulose in food preservation solutions includes: as food additive, as food packaging material, as functional component carrier, and as food coating. We provide a series of effectiveness evaluations and relevant data packages for the implementation of these liberation programs to ensure the best results delivery.

In addition, the efficacy evaluation solution can also be customized separately for customers' products.

Advantages of Nanocellulose in Food Preservation

Antimicrobial properties induced in nanocelluloses to extend shelf life

UV protection properties induced in nanocellulose to prevent oxidation

Excellent light transmittance and thermal stability

Improve mechanical property

Improve water retention

Excellent gas permeability

Aprofood is committed to providing customers around the world with extensive support for food preservation related research. We focus on the development of food preservation solutions based on nanocellulose. Please contact us to learn more about our nanofiber solutions.

References

1. Perumal, A.B., Nambiar, R.B., Moses, J.A., & Anandharamakrishnan, C. (2022). Nanocellulose: Recent trends and applications in the food industry. Food Hydrocolloids, 127, 107484.
2. Li, Z., Zhang, Y., Anankanbil, S., & Guo, Z. (2021). Applications of nanocellulosic products in food: Manufacturing processes, structural features and multifaceted functionalities. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 113, 277–300.