Cellulose Nanomaterials for Sustainable Food Packaging

Food packaging is essential in preserving perishable foods. Synthetic plastics are necessary for applications requiring high water vapour barriers, which has caused significant concerns regarding the overall sustainability of food packaging. While cellulose nanomaterials have emerged as potential candidates to replace synthetic plastics, their applications in food packaging are hindered by their poor water vapour barrier properties. This thesis investigates the fundamental properties of cellulose nanomaterials and demonstrates that modified cellulose nanofibril films can meet the water vapour barrier requirements of many perishable food products and can therefore replace synthetic plastics as water vapour barriers in food packaging.