## 5 Applications of Nanocellulose
### Applications of Nanocellulose in the Food Industry  
Nanocellulose is quite simple to use in the food industry due to its large aspect ratio, surface area, non-cytotoxic, rheological behavior and non-genotoxic properties [109]. In the food industry, nanocellulose finds a variety of applications, including as food stabilizers, thickeners, nutritional fibers, suspension stabilizers, flavor carriers and as a way to reduce calorie content. Additionally, it can be used to make soups, cookies, crisps, puddings, fillings, wafers, ice cream, crushes, etc. [118]. Nanocellulose is also considered a non-caloric stabilizing agent and a gelling agent in food applications due to its high viscosity even at lower concentrations [119]. When used as nanofillers in packaging film, the nanocellulose materials have a tremendous potential to sustainably enhance the tensile and barrier properties. Microfluidization was used by [PERSON] et al. to create extremely stable Pickering emulsions with excellent properties from a variety of oils. Intriguingly, droplets with crystalline nanocellulose showed improved flocculation resistance under different conditions [120].  
Nanocellulose can also been employed as a food additive in different food products. A study was carried out to assess the effect of CNC on the gelatinization, retrogradation characteristics and pasting of maize starch, waxy starch and sweet potato starch [121]. The results demonstrated that the addition of CNC improved the peak viscosity of sweet potato starch and maize starch, while reducing the setback values of sweet potato starch. In another study, [PERSON] and [PERSON] investigated the effect of NC in improving the intestinal digestion of milk and starch, besides the absorption of minerals. The results showed that CNC and CNF oxidized by TEMPO caused a significant reduction in glucose diffusion. Furthermore, the amount of fatty acids generated during the interval of milk fat digestion was significantly reduced by CNF and TEMPO-mediated CNF. Additionally, the CNC reduced the rate of amino nitrogen diffusion during the breakdown of milk proteins [122]. CNCs are also good candidates for usage as a food additive that might replace shortening or partially hydrogenated oils with CNC, enhancing food safety and quality while reducing the detrimental effects of high-fat-based products on human well-being. In a work by [PERSON] et al., a 50% reduction in triglyceride hydrolysis was seen in the simulated gastro-intestinal tract, which may be caused by fat droplets clinging to NC, thereby reducing the amount of fat which is accessible for lipase activity or preventing the solubility of fat digestion products [123].  
The use of nanoccellulose as a food stabilizer extends the shelf life and preserves the form of frozen dessert. Increasing the quantity of food stabilizers could improve the ability to maintain shape using stabilizers, but doing so would change the dessert's texture and taste. In order to determine how CNF would affect the composition and functionality of the frozen food, [PERSON] et al. examined the addition of cellulose nanofiber to ice cream to check its impact on fat structure and relation to its adsorption. The addition of cellulose nanofiber improved the sensory qualities of reduced fat samples even after the specimens had been heat-shocked. Moreover, its addition had no effect on the hardness, rheology, or ice crystal development on the ice cream [124]. These studies suggest that NC can potentially be used as a food additive, packaging materials for the development of novel food materials.