Green and biodegradable composite films with novel antimicrobial performance based on cellulose

•Green food packaging materials were prepared from regenerated cellulose.•The composite films integrated the merits of the cellulose and chitosan.•The composites films had antimicrobial properties and could be used for food packaging.•Sausage preservation could be effectively improved by composite films.

In order to obtain a safe and biodegradable material with antimicrobial properties from cellulose for food packaging, we presented a facile way to graft chitosan onto the oxidized cellulose films. The obtained films had a high transparent property of above 80% transmittance, excellent barrier properties against oxygen and antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The antimicrobial properties, mechanical properties, and water vapor permeability of composites are essential characteristics in determining their applicability as food-packaging materials. Moreover, using a sausage model, it was shown that the composites exhibited better performance than traditional polyethylene packaging material and demonstrated good potential as food packaging materials. The results presented a new insight into the development of green materials for food packaging.