A Review on Agro-industrial Waste as Cellulose and Nanocellulose Source and Their Potentials in Food Applications

Agro-industrial waste is a by-product of agriculture-based industries which are often rich in lignocellulosic materials and bioactive compounds. The management of these wastes is poorly regulated by the industries where it is commonly discarded in uncontrolled practices. Such activities have created an adverse effect on ecosystem and the economy as a whole. Due to this matter, enormous researches have been conducted to recover usable compounds from these wastes. Cellulose from agro-industrial residue has become a type of renewable resource in various applications. This review article describes the chemistry, structure, and method used to obtain cellulose and nanocellulose from various sources of agro-industrial waste. This report also covers some of the recent innovative food applications of cellulose and nanocellulose. In the latter part of this review, the safety issues regarding the use of nanocellulose in food application are summarized.