What are cellulose and cellulose derivatives?
Cellulose and cellulose derivatives are ingredients of natural origin sourced from plants. Their backbone is natural cellulose that is the main component of all plant cell walls, being the most abundant organic molecule on earth.
Cellulose can either be further processed into edible fibres or be transformed into cellulose derivatives.
- Cellulose that generate edible plant fibres with high nutritional tolerance are made available in a wide range of formats including gel, (micro-) crystals and powder.
- Cellulose derivatives are a subsequent intelligent modification of cellulose to generate new functionality (e.g. water solubility) whereas cellulose is not soluble in water.
Typically cellulose and cellulose derivatives are not sold directly to consumers, nonetheless consumers find them as an ingredient in a wide variety of products of daily life.
How are they produced?
Cellulose is an ingredient of natural origin, obtained from fibrous plant derived materials that is further purified. The purified cellulose is the basis for the production of edible fibers and water soluble cellulose derivatives to create naturally derived compounds with various different properties, tailored for the relevant applications.
