Abstract: Pig rind is one source of collagen for processing into products, such as sausage casings and films. However, it has a high fat content. The invention produces a defatted collagen paste from a collagen source by cutting the collagen into pieces, pressurising the collagen pieces to squeeze out fat and disintegrating the defatted pieces to form a fibrous paste. The paste can be used to produce a gel, which may be extruded to produce a collagen product.

Abstract: A porcine collagen film is made from an extrudable collagen gel. The porcine collagen is essentially sow collagen. The ratio of collagen to fat is usually above 10:1, for example in the range 25:1 to 50:1.

Abstract: Sausages are produced by co-extruding a uniform layer of acid collagen gel around an extruded edible meat product, and chemically coagulating the co-extruded gel in a bath containing a chemical coagulating agent, such as to provide a collagen casing of sufficient mechanical strength to allow mechanical formation of sausage links by twist-linking or crimping. Preferably a coagulating agent such as liquid smoke is included in the collagen gel prior to extrusion. The coagulating bath may comprise a dehydrating agent such as alkali or a salt solution. No expensive air drying step is required in order to produce continuous casings of good strength.

Abstract: Sausages are produced by co-extruding a uniform layer of acid collagen gel around an extruded edible meat product, and chemically coagulating the co-extruded gel in a bath containing a chemical coagulating agent, such as to provide a collagen casing of sufficient mechanical strength to allow mechanical formation of sausage links by twist-linking or crimping.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a chain of sausage links is described in which the formed links are less likely to unwind. The apparatus includes a conveyor (10) for moving a tubular food casing (18) filled with a food emulsion around an axis (12), the conveyor having a plurality of crimping (14a-h) and twisting (15a-h) means for forming a continuous adjacent links. The conveyor (10) moves the links through a semicircular path past station (A-I) where twisting and crimping operations are performed. The links so formed have a first set twisted in one direction about the tubular food casing axis and a second set of adjacent links twisted in the opposite direction.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a chain of sausage links is described in which the formed links are less likely to unwind. The apparatus includes a conveyor (10) for moving a tubular food casing (18) filled with a food emulsion around an axis (12), the conveyor having a plurality of crimping (14a-h) and twisting (15a-h) means for forming a continuous adjacent links. The conveyor (10) moves the links through a semicircular path past station (A-I) where twisting and crimping operations are performed. The links so formed have a first set twisted in one direction about the tubular food casing axis and a second set of adjacent links twisted in the opposite direction.

Abstract: Sausages are produced by co-extruding a uniform layer of acid collagen gel around an extruded edible meat product, and chemically coagulating the co-extruded gel in a bath containing a chemical coagulating agent, such as to provide a collagen casing of sufficient mechanical strength to allow mechanical formation of sausage links by twist-linking or crimping. Preferably a coagulating agent such as liquid smoke is included in the collagen gel prior to extrusion. The coagulating bath may comprise a dehydrating agent such as alkali or a salt solution. No expensive air drying step is required in order to produce continuous casings of good strength.

Abstract: A collagen food wrapping comprising collagen extruded into a film. The collagen contains a smoke component which is encapsulated with an encapsulating material which will release the smoke component during curing or cooking and prior to consumption thereof. The invention further includes a collagen slurry containing an encapsulated liquid smoke component and a method for manufacturing a wrapped food product by extruding the slurry onto a surface of the food product to form such a film.