Value-addition of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) by developing food packaging materials and assessment on food safety
Principal Investigator: Balunkeswar Nayak (School of Food and Agriculture, UMaine)
Partners: Jinwu Wang (U.S. Forest Services), Douglas J. Gardner (FBRI, ASCC and School of Forest Resources, UMaine), Mehdi Tajvidi (School of Forest Resources, UMaine), Douglas Bousfield (Chemical and Biological Engineering, UMaine)
Abstract: This application proposes research-based training of a graduate student at UMaine. The student will engage in research and training in cross-disciplinary areas including food process engineering, cellulose nanocomposite and polymer science. The research component of the proposal focuses on the value-addition of cellulose nano-fibers (CNF) by developing food-packaging materials and assessing their impact on food safety. Considering the duration of this assistantship application, the focus will be on studies on the migration of CNF from modified paper and polymer film into food materials. The objective of the proposed work is to apply standard food characterization protocols to measure the migration of CNF during food processing using simulated food materials. However, the complete and long-term scope of the study has been designed to include the potential of CNF on reduction of biofilm as well as an anti-microbial compound. We believe that application of CNF as packaging materials and polymer films can use Maine’s abundant wood fiber supply and key to the commercialization of cellulose nanomaterials in the state and the country. The outcomes from this project will be used as the basis for a federal funding application to USDA-NIFA/Nanotechnology program, Industry based consortium and Advanced food safety challenge programs of USDA.