Abstract: A film-forming collagen concentrate is provided containing at least 18% by weight dry matter. At least 50% by weight of the protein of a homogeneous suspension produced from the concentrate in a 0.15 molar aqueous sodium dihydrogenphosphate buffer having a pH of 7 and a calculated dry matter fraction of 0.5% by weight may be separated as sediment by 15 min centrifugation at 1780 RFC and 15° C. A process is also disclosed for producing a collagen-concentrate-containing food casing that includes (a) producing an aqueous collagen mass; (b) concentrating the aqueous collagen mass until it has a solids fraction of 18% by weight or more; (c) admixing the concentrate with dilute acid to obtain a (co)extrudable or castable collagen mass; (d) coextruding or casting the collagen mass to from a casing; (e) solidifying the casing and, optionally, (f) drying the casing.

Abstract: Disclosed is an intrinsically stable shirred, tubular, single-layer or multilayer food casing that preferably has a sigma-5 value (longitudinal/transversal, measured in a moist state) of less than 20/20 N/mm2. Said casing is preferably shirred at a ratio of 100:1 or more, preferably 120:1 to 500:1, and is essentially made of synthetic polymers. The shirred casing can be stored and transported without using a net-type envelope and is particularly suitable for processing on fully automatic sausage stuffing, portioning, clipping, and twisting devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a shined tubular food casing based on a thermoplastic blend of at least one polyamide and/or copolyamide and at least one hydrophilic component. The casing is biaxially stretch-oriented and impregnated on the inside and/or outside with a component which allows the pleats which are formed during shining of the casing to adhere to each other. The component preferably comprises at least one polymer. The casing is preferably shirred at a ratio of 80:1 to 500:1. The inventive shined casing is particularly stable from a mechanical perspective and can therefore be used especially for the production of cooked sausages, scalded-emulsion sausages, and small sausages on fully automatic sausage stuffing and clipping apparatuses.

Abstract: A film-forming collagen concentrate is provided containing at least 18% by weight dry matter. At least 50% by weight of the protein of a homogeneous suspension produced from the concentrate in a 0.15 molar aqueous sodium dihydrogenphosphate buffer having a pH of 7 and a calculated dry matter fraction of 0.5% by weight may be separated as sediment by 15 min centrifugation at 1780 RFC and 15° C. A process is also disclosed for producing a collagen-concentrate-containing food casing that includes (a) producing an aqueous collagen mass; (b) concentrating the aqueous collagen mass until it has a solids fraction of 18% by weight or more; (c) admixing the concentrate with dilute acid to obtain a (co)extrudable or castable collagen mass; (d) coextruding or casting the collagen mass to from a casing; (e) solidifying the casing and, optionally, (f) drying the casing.

Abstract: An arrangement for producing foodstuff products with pasty stuffing has a stuffing device having a stuffing tube. A casing to be stuffed through the stuffing tube draws additional casing material from a supply as it is being stuffed. A sensor device recognizes spaced-apart markings of the casing. When markings reach an activation position, the sensor device sends an activation signal. A closing device closes the end of the already stuffed casing and the beginning of the next casing to be stuffed. An immobilization brake has a stop position in which drawing of the casing is prevented. A first connection connects sensor device and immobilization brake. A second connection connects stuffing device and immobilization brake. The activation signal causes the immobilization brake to remain in the stop position until the stuffing device sends a termination signal to the immobilization brake that indicates completion of stuffing of a preset stuffing quantity.

Abstract: Disclosed is a preferably tubular food casing based on cellulose hydrate, one or both sides of which is/are provided with a coating containing crosslinked collagen fibrils and an also crosslinked, high-molecular gelatin. Preferably, low-molecular organic compounds comprising two or more reactive groups are used as crosslinking agents. The inventive food casing has characteristics resembling those of a skin fiber casing and is thus particularly suitable for producing raw sausages. The disclosed casing is virtually resistant against cellulytically active enzymes of mold-ripened raw sausages as a result of the coating used.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the automated production of sausages, according to which a tubular sausage casing is unwound section by section from a supply roll, gathered onto the filling tube of a filling machine and then detached from the latter. The invention also relates to a tubular sausage casing in roll form for use in said method and to a sausage with a lenght of 1 m or more, contained in a synthetic casing.

Abstract: Disclosed is an intrinsically stable shirred, tubular, single-layer or multilayer food casing that preferably has a sigma-5 value (longitudinal/transversal, measured in a moist state) of less than 20/20 N/mm2. Said casing is preferably shirred at a ratio of 100:1 or more, preferably 120:1 to 500:1, and is essentially made of synthetic polymers. The shirred casing can be stored and transported without using a net-type envelope and is particularly suitable for processing on fully automatic sausage stuffing, portioning, clipping, and twisting devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a shirred tubular food casing based on a thermoplastic blend of at least one polyamide and/or copolyamide and at least one hydrophilic component. The casing is biaxially stretch-oriented and impregnated on the inside and/or outside with a component which allows the pleats which are formed during shining of the casing to adhere to each other. The component preferably comprises at least one polymer. The casing is preferably shirred at a ratio of 80:1 to 500:1. The inventive shirred casing is particularly stable from a mechanical perspective and can therefore be used especially for the production of cooked sausages, scalded-emulsion sausages, and small sausages on fully automatic sausage stuffing and clipping apparatuses.

Abstract: The invention relates to an antimicrobial, tubular, single- or multilayer polymer-based foodstuff casing, premoistened so as to be ready-to-fill, which comprises, as antimicrobial constituent, an alkyl para-hydroxybenzoate having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety, and/or a salt thereof, and also, if appropriate, comprises another antimicrobial agent, in particular one which reduces water activity, i.e. aw value. This casing is preferably used as sausage casing.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a shirred concertina formed from a seamless, tubular foodstuff casing that is tied-off at one end, and has an outer surface provided with a coating or impregnation including a food additive. The tied-off end of the present casing is turned back inwardly, into the hollow cavity formed by the concertina. Concertinas of the present invention are particularly adapted for use with automatic sausage filling, portioning, and clipping machines.

Abstract: The invention relates to edible molded bodies in the form of a flat or tubular film based on plastifiable biopolymers, the cleavage products or derivatives thereof and/or synthetic polymers from natural monomers, characterized in that they are produced according to a method comprising the following steps: a) the biopolymers, cleavage products or derivatives thereof and/or synthetic polymers are mixed with at least one edible plasticizer, at least one lubricating agent and at least one cross-linking agent, b) the mixture thus obtained is melted into a thermoplastic material, c) said material is extruded and d) the product obtained by extrusion is calendered and/or stretched or blown and deformed into the edible molded body. The molded bodies cited in the invention are suitable for use as food wrappers for sausages and boiled ham, and are particularly suitable for use as seamless sausage casings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a film which is produced form a thermoplastic polymer mixture containing the following: a) thermoplastic starch and/or a thermoplastic starch derivative and b) at least one polyester urethane, with the weight ratio a):b) being in the range from 75:25 to 5:95, and the surface-related degree of stretching the film being 2 to 70. The polyester urethanes forms a matrix in the mixture and the thermoplastic starch or a thermoplastic starch derivative being distributed in a microdispersion in the form of particles with a diameter dp of 0.05 to 30 &mgr;m. The invention also relates to a method for the inventive film and its use as a packaging film, especially for artificial sausage skins.

Abstract: The invention concerns flat or tubular cellulose-based foodstuff casings which are prepared by extruding (“spinning”) cellulose dissolved in N-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide by means of a nozzle with an annular gap. After extrusion, the casings are stretched transversely in ambient air by blow moulding, and are then treated with an NMMO-containing aqueous spinning bath. The tubular casings are particularly suitable as sausage casings. Cut open, they can also be used as flat foils.

Abstract: A tubular food casing based on regenerated cellulose, which casing may be fiber-reinforced, is coated on its inner surface with a copolymer which includes 50 to 84% by weight of vinylidene chloride units, 2 to 20% by weight of acrylonitrile units, 1 to 10% by weight of acrylic acid units, and 1 to 47% by weight of (C1-C18)alkyl (meth)acrylate units. The casing has high water vapor barrier and oxygen barrier characteristics. The shirring folds and lay-flat edges which result during the production and processing of the casing remain undamaged over long storage periods. The inner coating, in addition, shows no hot-water haze on simmering. The casing is particularly suitable as an artificial sausage casing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a seamless, tubular sausage casing based on cellulose hydrate having a continuous coating made of a polymeric material on its outer surface, which is permeable to hot smoke and cold smoke. The coating preferably has a thickness of from 3 to 10 &mgr;m and can also comprise or consist of a plurality of individual layers. The coating can be applied by conventional coating processes, and in addition also by single or repeated whole-surface printing. The casing is adapted especially for smoked liver sausage.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a shirred concertina formed from a seamless, tubular foodstuff casing that is tied-off at one end, and has an outer surface provided with a coating or impregnation including a food additive. The tied-off end of the present casing is turned back inwardly, into the hollow cavity formed by the concertina. Concertinas of the present invention are particularly adapted for use with automatic sausage filling, portioning, and clipping machines.

Abstract: A tubular food casing based on regenerated cellulose, which casing may be fiber-reinforced, is coated on its inner surface with a copolymer which includes 50 to 84% by weight of vinylidene chloride units, 2 to 20% by weight of acrylonitrile units, 1 to 10% by weight of acrylic acid units, and 1 to 47% by weight of (Cl-C18)alkyl (meth)acrylate units. The casing has high water vapor barrier and oxygen barrier characteristics. The shirring folds and lay-flat edges which result during the production and processing of the casing remain undamaged over long storage periods. The inner coating, in addition, shows no hot-water haze on simmering. The casing is particularly suitable as an artificial sausage casing.

Abstract: The invention concerns flat or tubular cellulose-based foodstuff casings which are prepared by extruding (“spinning”) cellulose dissolved in N-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide by means of a nozzle with an annular gap. After extrusion, the casings are stretched transversely in ambient air by blow moulding, and are then treated with an NMMO-containing aqueous spinning bath. The tubular casings are particularly suitable as sausage casings. Cut open, they can also be used as flat foils.

Abstract: An at least four-layer tubular biaxially oriented food casing having an outer layer which includes a mixture of at least one aliphatic and at least one partly aromatic (co)polyamide with or without pigments, and an inner layer which includes aliphatic (co)polyamide, wherein, between these layers, a layer of an ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer or a blend of the ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer with an aliphatic or partly aromatic (co)polyamide and/or with an olefinic (co)polymer and/or an ionomer resin and a layer of an olefinic (co)polymer with or without adhesion promoters, pigments, and/or UV absorbers are arranged. The casing has a high water-vapor and oxygen barrier. It is particularly suitable as synthetic sausage casing, and can also be used for packaging cheese or animal feed.