Transforming the chemical functionality of nanocellulose for applications in food pickering emulsions: A critical review

See Kiat Wong, Muhamad Israq Amir Mohd Ali, Liang Ee Low, Janarthanan Supramaniam, Sivakumar Manickam, Tin Wui Wong, Gil Garnier, Siah Ying Tang

Research output: Contribution to journalReview ArticleResearchpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Pickering emulsions (PEs) have garnered wide attention due to their high physical stability as bioactive carrier agents in the food industry. PEs are highly stable against coalescence due to the irreversible adsorption of particles forming a physical barrier at the oil-water interface between the droplets. As a sustainable alternative to conventional emulsifiers, there is an increasing interest in developing food-grade colloidal particles by forming PEs. Cellulose-based nanoparticles have proven to be efficient materials due to their renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic and controllable surface-active characteristics. Nanocellulose can be modified by various topochemical functionalization to modulate wettability and stimuli-responsive behaviour, endowing its vast potential as Pickering stabilisers for food applications. This review highlights the recent studies of protein functionalized nanocellulose for stabilising food PEs. We hope this review will assist in improving the performance and development of nanocellulose in PEs, which is vital for developing new functional foods and delivery systems.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1093-1117
Number of pages25
JournalFood Reviews International
Volume40
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • chemical modification
  • food-grade
  • nanocellulose
  • Pickering emulsion
  • protein functionalisation

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