DuPont Launches Alginate Casings for Sausage Production

13 Oct 2014 --- DuPont Nutrition & Health is supporting processed meat innovation with a new series of strong and stable alginate casings that works with the latest co-extrusion technology in sausage production.

Casings based on the new GRINDSTED Meatline 7000 Stabilizer system range, from the DuPont Danisco ingredient portfolio, eliminate issues with splits and tears during stuffing, hanging, drying, smoking and packaging. Originally optimized for dry and semi-dried fermented sausages, the flexible alginate blends are also suitable for fresh and cooked sausages.

The major gain for manufacturers is a smooth, non-stop process with savings on raw material costs and improved agility when meeting the fast-changing demands of international markets.

“Our alginate range is strong enough for sausage calibers up to 32 mm. At the same time, it enables manufacturers to develop new sausage products below the previous 16mm minimum, meeting the trend for very thin sausages down to a caliber of just 6-8mm,” says Christian Vogel, senior meat application specialist at DuPont Nutrition & Health in Braband, Denmark.

Manufacturers around the world are increasingly investing in co-extrusion technology, where the casing is simultaneously applied as a coating while the filling is extruded in sausage form.

Using the GRINDSTED Meatline 7000 Stabilizer system range, the coating rapidly transforms into a strong, elastic film that remains stable throughout product shelf life.

Trials on industrial lines have shown that the new alginate casings support reliable, high-speed production, enabling manufacturers to run at maximum capacity with minimum raw material loss.

“For manufacturers looking for innovation, cost improvement or a vegetable alternative to animal-based and artificial casings, our new range provides the functionality required for most sausage types.”

“The range demonstrates the successful combination of our expertise as an alginate producer with the pilot co-extrusion equipment in our lab,” says Aurelie Kretz Lavialle, product manager Systems, DuPont Nutrition & Health.