Is there a perfect casing? Maybe, but it probably has to be suited to a particular operation.
by Larry Aylward, managing editor
Freshmark Inc.'s Ed Ater would be the perfect person to captain a backyard barbecue. He knows more about hot dogs than most people. Ater, who works in technical sales for the Massillon, Ohio-based manufacturer of Sugardale brand hot dogs, also knows a thing or two about skinless casings.
Proper peeling capability is a crucial factor in the success of skinless casings on hot dogs and sausages, he points out. And skin formation on a hot dog is the key to skinless casings peeling appropriately.
"If you use liquid smoke or a smokehouse that provides good skin formation, then you shouldn't have a lot of peeling problems," Ater says.
Chicago-based Viskase Corp. offers tips to help obtain good skin formation during cooking to provide characteristic bite to sausage products, as well as product conditions that promote good peelability. For starters, an adequate amount of myosin-containing skeletal tissue protein must be present.
Processors should also limit use of high collagen meats and rework. Product should be chopped or blended to maximize protein extraction and emulsion stability.
Proper regulation of smokehouse relative humidity in accordance to the casing being used is also important in avoiding peeling problems, according to Viskase. For example, smokehouse relative humidity should be at 20 percent to 30 percent for the company's EZ-PEEL, small-diameter casings.
Low relative humidity-less than 25 percent-may dry casings and prevent formation of a moisture film between casing and meat surface, Viskase states. High relative humidity-more than 40 percent-may cause fat-out, depending on meat composition and preparation.
But suppliers have created casings to help deal with the humidity factor, notes Mac Orcutt, a food technologist for Viskase.
Such casings allow for simpler peeling. They were developed to suit higher fat sausages, which may require high relative humidity to insure good peelability, yet run the risk of fatting out, Orcutt says.
"[These casings] allow for use of lower humidity during thermal processing to get around the fatting issue," Orcutt points out.
Such casings provide assurance that casings can be easily removed using standard industry practices.
"A lot of processors don't need them," Orcutt says. "They are insurance more than anything. They provide assurance that product will peel at or near 100 percent on a consistent basis."
Freshmark uses the standard cellulose casings for its product, Ater says, adding that the processor doesn't need to use the special peelable casings.
"We put smoke on our product and that helps us to develop the skin formation," Ater notes. "And through our showering and brine chilling process, our peeling problems have been greatly reduced."
Peeling should take place soon after processing, Viskase notes. Product should be cold, about 37 degrees F, for appropriate mechanical peeling.
Product should be showered with cold water after brine chill to wash away excess salt, and to dispense water between casing and skin, Viskase claims.
Low-fat hot dogs may not require casings designed for improved peelability and relative humidity concerns are not generally an issue.
"With products high in water, you don't need to use low humidity," Orcutt points outs. "You can get around most peelability problems."
Austin D. Byers, director of marketing for Teepak's Wienie-Pak division, says processors should carefully monitor casing performance as it contributes to overall product yields from the evaluation stage through full production.
"This performance, coupled with the other important factors of delivery, inventory, availability, expert and timely technical service, and overall ease of doing business is used to make the final casing selection decision," Byers adds.
There is a belief in the industry that skinless casings are a commodity product. In some ways that is true, notes John Squire, product manager for Chesterfield, Mich.-based Brechteen. "However, the uniqueness of certain processes requires a higher degree of customization than most processors realize," Squire adds.
This uniqueness may require customization of the casing to suit a processor's needs. "There are reasons why one casing may work better than another," Squire points out. "Usually, this is because the casing is better designed to meet each processor's specific requirements."
There are times when a peelable casing is still not enough for trouble-free processing, Squire notes.
"For instance, a double peelable coating may be needed," he says. "With a larger-caliber smoked sausage production, the casing may require more strength to handle the added weight and the resulting mechanical stress found in the specific application."
Dave Jaeger, vice president of marketing and inventory control for Kenosha, Wis.-based Vista International Packaging, points out that most processors understand the variety of skinless casings that are available to them.
"However, we have technical and sales support available to assist customers in determining which casing type is appropriate to their needs," Jaeger points out.
Teepak works closely with its customers, often through formal arrangements, to deliver products to best meet their needs, Byers says.
"Casing variations and attributes are a function of a meat processor's requirements," he notes. "[A processor's] process has become more sophisticated and changing consumer demand requires greater flexibility."
Jaeger adds that skinless casings are evaluated by the price per foot and yield achieved per caddy.
The future
Orcutt says waste reduction is always an issue with skinless casings. "A lot of times, casing waste reduction is mainly an equipment parameter," he adds.
Mike Kowalski, vice president of Hamtramck, Mich.-based Kowalski Sausage Inc., suggests biodegradable casings to cut down waste. "That would be the best of both worlds," he notes.
Brechteen's Squire suggests optimization of shirring lengths for each customer's application to help reduce waste. Two casing manufacturers are looking at composting.
But the waste issue poses a difficult problem. "Nobody wants it in their backyards," Squire cautions.
Is there the perfect skinless casing? Maybe, but it may have to be specifically suited to a particular operation.
Kowalski smokes its hot dogs more than most processors, which makes the peeling process a little tougher. "We have a steam [machine] hooked up to the peeler to give [product] extra humidity so it comes off the skin," Kowalski says. "It works OK, but we have to do that something extra.
"If we could just cook it and cool it down like any other product, and not have to run steam through it when we're peeling it...that would be ideal."
The drive for improved productivity by the processor will require skinless casings to perform in increasingly higher speed environments, Teepak's Byers notes. "Casings will also be called upon to perform with the increased use of poultry, which creates a lower viscosity emulsion," he adds. "We also believe that the drive to accomplish Efficient Consumer Response initiatives will accelerate the need for casing suppliers to provide greater variety and flexibility to the processors."
Overall, the outlook is good for skinless casings, Jaeger notes. "The market for skinless casings shows signs of increasing because of their price vs. other types of casings available in the marketplace," he adds.