Polymer-Based Sausage Casing

Abstract

A polymer-based sausage casing suitable for use with uncooked meats such as chorizo is disclosed. A polymer resin is blended with a silicon-based barrier control agent, preferably a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, to increase the permeability of the sausage casing. The resultant blend can be biaxially stretch-oriented to produce a single-layered polymer-based sausage casing suitable for use with uncooked sausage meats such as chorizo, and specifically suitable for the gas and moisture permeability needed during the curing process for uncooked sausage meats. Such polymer-based casings can also be employed for cooked sausages by choosing a silicon-based barrier control agent that increases gas and moisture barrier, thereby increasing shelf-life for unpeeled sausages. A method for improving the peelability of cooked sausage casings by injecting a thin coating of a releasing agent, without the addition of a surfactant, into the sausage casing during the shirring process is also disclosed. The releasing agent is a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose solution that creates a low viscosity releasing agent that effectively improves peelability from any type of sausage casing, but preferably for use with the polymer-based sausage casing of the present invention.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A food casing, comprising a film comprising a mixture of:
 (a) polyamide; and   (b) a non-reactive material having a particle size ranging from about 0.5 nm to about 7 nm;   wherein the non-reactive material permits moisture and gas to permeate the stuffed food casing at a permeation greater than if no non-reactive compound were present.   
     
     
         39 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the non-reactive material is a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane monomer having the structure: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R is a non-reactive organic group selected from the group consisting of phenyl, i-octyl, cyclohexyl, cyclopentyl, i-butyl, methyl, triflouropropyl, and phenethyl. 
       
     
     
         40 . The food casing of claim  2 , wherein R is i-butyl. 
     
     
         41 . The food casing of claim  2 , wherein the non-reactive material is octaisobutyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquixane. 
     
     
         42 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the non-reactive material in the food casing is in the range of from about 0.1% to about 20.0% by weight. 
     
     
         43 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the non-reactive material in the food casing is in the range of from about 0.1% to about 5.0% by weight. 
     
     
         44 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the non-reactive material in the food casing is in the range of from about 0.2% to about 1.0% by weight. 
     
     
         45 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the food casing has a film thickness in the range of from about 6 microns to about 80 microns. 
     
     
         46 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the food casing has a film thickness in the range of from about 20 microns to about 30 microns. 
     
     
         47 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the film is biaxially stretch-oriented. 
     
     
         48 . The food casing of claim  1 , wherein the food casing further comprises a releasing agent coated on the inside wall of the casing. 
     
     
         49 . The food casing of claim  11 , wherein the releasing agent comprises hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and water. 
     
     
         50 . The food casing of claim  11 , wherein the releasing agent comprises liquid flavoring. 
     
     
         51 . The food coloring of claim  11 , wherein the releasing agent comprises liquid coloring.