Kinds of sausage products and meat delicacies and casings which can be applied in their production.
1. Meat delicacies can be boiled-smoked dryed and semi-dryed. In production of such kinds of products the casings are not used, but different loops, twines, grids for formation of products can be used. For the packaging of ready product vacuum thermoshrinkable packages can be used also.
2. Semi-smoked sausages can be made in a natural casing(blind gut), protein casing, and also in mono-layer polyamide casings "Luga-Light" type "Pro" and "Pro" "Slip", «Luga-Light Fibrostar», "Luga-Smoke", "Luga-Vit" which are characterized by permeability for smoke and at the same time possess ability to keep a moisture. The ready product can be packed into vacuum packages. Also in production clips and loops are used. The given types of casing can be used not only in production of sausage products, but also in production of the smoked processed cheeses which technology includes stage of smoking.
3. Boiled-smoked sausages are made, as a rule, in protein casings, but in their production is also possible to use such casings like "Luga-Light" type "Pro"and "Pro" "Slip", «Luga-Light Fibrostar», "Luga-Smoke", "Luga-Vit". Loops, clips and vacuum packages are also used during production.
4. Products from fowl. During production of such kind of product the casing is not used, but loops are used. Frequently the ready goods are packed into vacuum packages. Vacuum packages for such products should be characterized by high mechanical durability, firmness to a puncture because frequently in such type of product there can be sharp splinters of bones. In such case it is better to use thermoshrinkable vacuum bags.
5. Products from the by-products: liver sausages, headcheeses can be made in five-layer casings of "Luga-Fresh" type, possessing high barrier properties that allow to prolong period of storage of the products and to decrease losses during storage because of the reduction of losses in weight of products caused by evaporation of the moisture. During production of such goods clips and loops are used. Also such kind of product like headcheese can be moulded and it is possible to use casing "Luga-Fresh" type "Form". Such products can be also packed in natural casings: rings, bubbles and rarely in sinuga. In this case the ready product can be packed into vacuum bags.
6. Boiled hams sometimes are named "imitating". Recently for production of such hams various moulds are used. Such product group can be made in casing "Luga-Fresh". Primary quality in production in such packaging will be high degree of shrinkability of the casing that will give the opportunity for the better formation of the product. Clips and loops are used during production. If process of formation is difficult then casing can be peeled off and product addition can be packed into thermoshrinkable vacuum bag.
7. Dryed and semi-dryed sausages are made in protein casings which are characterized by high degree of return of the moisture, very rarely such products are packed into natural casings. Clips and loops, and also different grids are used during production. For such group of products the high degree of loss of a moisture is a normal thing and it conducts to considerable reduction of weight of the products during storage both at the production and at the stage of realization, and because of this such products are often packed into vacuum thermoshrinkable bags.
8. Cooked sausages. For manufacturing of such products almost all kinds of casings are used: natural (sinuga, bubbles, rings, gut) and artificial (protein, collagen, polyamide). By the volume of using, polyamides casings occupy the biggest segment.
9. Wieners- the most consumed sausage production, but it is mostly often made in natural, or in artificial collagen(edible) casing. For this products can be used next polyamide casings "Luga-Bar", "Luga-Bar" type "Pro", "Luga-bar" type «Pro Star», "Luga-bar" type «Pro Sleep», . The ready product can be packed into vacuum bags, but recently large manufacturers have passed to packing of wieners on vacuum thermoforming machines which don't use ready bags.
10. Frankfurters– also are characterized by great popularity among consumers, as a product of fast preparation. For frankfurters is traditionally used artificial polyamide casings. Casings which can be used for packaging of frankfurters are the same like for wieners listed above.
Polyamide casings
Polyamide casings are used in manufacturing of all kinds of cooked, blood and liver sausages, hams, pastes, semi-smoked sausages and processed cheeses. These casings are strong enough, elastic and also thermostable, they are inert to alkalis and organic solvents, are steady against action of mold and microorganisms, can be permiable and non-permiable for steam, fat and water, can be painted in different colors and well keep the printing. Because of the above said meat products in such casings have the raised period of storage. Their actual outcome is considerably bigger then in viscose, protein, viscose-reinforced and even natural casings.
Polyamide casings in majority are oriented in one direction, their thickness can be in limits 50-80 micrones depending on the order of the consumer and the available equipment. Using of the named casings in sausage production is confirmed by the corresponding technological documentation.
Now, polyamide casings are produced with biaxial stretching and thermoshrinkable properties that has allowed to eliminate such defects as «the pear-shaped form» of the sausage stick and rugosity of ready goods. These casings consist of 3-5 layers and more, they are approximately 30-50% more thin then the casings of the first generation and 3-5 times are more stronger.
Polyamide casings are of two types: permiable for smoke and barrier (non-permiable for smoke)
Barrier (non-permiable for smoke) — polyamide casings which don't pass gas, steam and moisture. They have found wide application in production of boiled meat products. It is caused by that such casings allow the manufacturer to achieve the maximum outcome of the product, under condition of that the price for such products is low in comparison with smoked meat products for which the difference in a small outcome is compensated by high cost. Besides, barrier polyamide casings protect meat products from oxidation and microbic damage. Degree of safety of a product depends only on initial quantity of the microorganisms brought inside with the raw materials, temperature of storage and realization of production, operating pH. That`s why sausage products can be stored in barrier polyamide casings for longer time.
Along with the listed advantages there is one feature. Barier polyamide casings don't allow product to receive natural aroma of smoking that leads to necessity to use artificial aromatizers.
For use of barrier polyamide casings there is no need to make special changes in the technology of meat production, however it is necessary to consider some features of the use of casing:
- in order to avoid appearance of fat pockets it is necessary to reduce a quantity of water, added in forcemeat on the stage of cutting on 8-14%;
- during thermotreatment it is recommended to exclude from process stage of smoking.
Permiable - are casings of new generation which include better qualities from both barrier and permiable casings. They allow to receive traditional organoleptic properties that are peculiar to products in permiable casings, and possess a number of additional unique advantages.
Features of products in permiable polyamide casings are strongly marked taste and a smoking smell, skin and low weight losses during storage.
Such casings, because of optimum vapour permeability and abilities for thermoshrinkage, promote preservation of excellent appearance of a product. High elasticity allows to reach easily the recommended caliber of filling.
Permiable polyamide casings are economic alternative to the traditional casings because of approximately twice less loss of moisture during the thermotreatment. It allows to increase the outcome of products. High barrier properties of permiable polyamide casings in relation to oxygen allow to increase product periods of storage.
Often happens that after cooking of the product the casing not always acts well while peling off from the product. Usage of permiable polyamide casings completely solves this problem that for certain satisfy our consumers.
Permiable polyamide casings are characterized by rich color scale. Having such choice, the manufacturer receives additional possibility to diversify appearance of his products.
Because of the unique qualities, the permiable polyamide casing can become the real descovery for meat plants which make sausage products based on the traditional technology that includes stage of smoking.