Abstract: Nowadays, the non-degradable plastic packaging materials have created significant disposal and pollution issues. Therefore, natural polymer-based materials have attracted much attention due to their renewability and biodegradability. Among them, cellulose is the most widely distributed and abundant natural polymer in nature and can be made into transparent films by dissolution and regeneration. However, cellulose is not a thermoplastic, so an adhesive is required to seal cellulose films. In order to overcome this drawback, in this work, zein coating was applied on the surface of the regenerated cellulose films. The resultant laminates showed the good heal sealing property and the reduced gas (water vapor and oxygen) permeability. Especially, the blueberries packed in the heat-sealed zein/cellulose sachets were protected from oxidation and spoilage during a 12-day storage period, which were comparable to the ones packed by Ziploc®. Thus, this work demonstrates a facile way to fabricate cellulose-based packaging materials that are heat sealable and have potential applications in sustainable food packaging.
