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

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.