Multilayer Food Casing with Adjustable Sausage-Meat Adhesion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food casings based on synthetic polymers exhibit strong adhesion to sausage meat, making peeling difficult and potentially leading to meat juice accumulation or mold growth, while requiring adjustable adhesion properties and high permeability to smoke and water vapor.
Innovation Solution
A tubular casing with multiple layers, comprising a blend of aliphatic (co)polyamide and hydrophilic polymers, and an inner layer of aliphatic (co)polyamide with block copolymers like polyetheramide or polyetherester, allowing adjustable adhesion through polymer mixing ratios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If synthetic polymer casings are used, then production complexity is reduced, but adhesion to sausage meat becomes too strong
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating an inner layer with specific polymer composition (40-90 wt% aliphatic copolyamide and 60-10 wt% block copolymer) that differs from the outer layer. This inner layer has controlled adhesion properties to facilitate peeling, while the outer layer maintains structural integrity and smoking properties. The blend ratio of polymers in the inner layer is specifically optimized to achieve low to moderate adhesion to sausage meat.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining aliphatic copolyamide with block copolymers (polyetheramide, polyetherester, or polyetherurethane) in specific ratios. This composite blend creates a material with balanced properties: the aliphatic copolyamide provides structural strength and smoke permeability, while the block copolymer component reduces adhesion to facilitate easy peeling after smoking.
2Strength
If polyamide-based casings are used, then structural strength is improved, but adhesion to meat protein increases due to hydrogen bonding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition parameters of the casing material. Specifically, it blends aliphatic copolyamide (which provides strength) with block copolymers (which reduce adhesion) in controlled ratios of 40-90 wt% and 60-10 wt% respectively. This parameter optimization allows the casing to maintain structural strength while reducing excessive adhesion to meat protein through hydrogen bonding.
3Ease of operation
If traditional cellulose or collagen casings are used, then adhesion properties are adequate, but production complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using synthetic polymers (aliphatic copolyamide and block copolymers) that can be processed more easily and at lower cost than traditional cellulose or collagen casings. The synthetic material is designed to be disposable after serving its function as a smoking and drying casing, eliminating the need for complex regeneration or reuse processes required for traditional materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The casing achieves low to moderate adhesion to sausage meat, maintaining high water vapor permeability and smokeability, with adjustable adhesion properties suitable for various sausage production methods.
Implementation Method 1
seamless, tubular, at least two-layer, water vapor and smoke permeable, biaxially stretch-oriented and partially or fully heat-set food casing
Implementation Method 2
biaxially stretch-oriented and partially or fully heat-set food casing
Implementation Method 3
water vapor and smoke permeable
Implementation Method 4
The porous inner layer can absorb, store, and release an additive
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a tubular, seamless, water vapor permeable, smokeable, biaxially stretchable, and partially or fully thermoset food casing with at least two layers based on thermoplastic polymers. At least one layer A, which does not form the inner layer, comprises a blend of aliphatic (co-)polyamide and at least one hydrophilic polymer, while the inner layer I comprises a blend of aliphatic or isocyclic (co-)polyamide and a block copolymer selected from polyetheramide, polyether ester, and polyether urethane. The casing is manufactured by a tube blow molding process or a process involving biaxial tube stretching. The casing is intended, in particular, as an artificial sausage casing, especially for smoked raw sausages such as salami.