Shirring Composition for Artificial Casings Without Heat Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for applying cling coatings to artificial casings, such as the 'bubble' and viscose techniques, are inefficient and costly, especially for low-caliber casings, and require heat curing, which can lead to adhesion issues and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A shirring composition comprising a heat curable polycationic resinous component, a polyolic component, and water, with a water activity index greater than or equal to 0.70 and a pH between 7 and 10, is applied during the shirring process, allowing the resin to anchor to the casing without heat curing, thereby enhancing meat cling without the need for additional processing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heat curable polycationic resins are applied as coating on casing inner surface, then cling capacity to meat is improved, but additional heating process is required which increases production cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The resin is applied to the casing inner surface before the casing is used, allowing it to be ready for immediate use. The resin is applied in a form that enables it to function without requiring subsequent heating, thus eliminating the need for additional heating equipment and process steps while maintaining the cling capacity function.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating step is extracted and removed from the process. Instead of applying resin that requires heating to become effective, the invention uses a resin formulation that is effective immediately upon application, thereby eliminating the heating step entirely from the manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If conventional bubble or viscose techniques are used to apply cling coating, then meat cling is achieved, but production cost increases and efficiency decreases especially for low-caliber casings
Solution Approach 1:
The resin, once applied to the casing inner surface, performs its own function of providing cling capacity without requiring external intervention such as heating equipment or complex application systems. The resin is formulated to be effective immediately, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for expensive bubble or viscose application techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a simple, inexpensive resin application method that can be implemented with basic equipment, replacing expensive conventional techniques. The resin is applied in a form that provides immediate functionality, eliminating the need for costly heating equipment and complex application systems associated with bubble or viscose methods.
3Strength
If resin is applied before drying to take advantage of heat from drying for curing, then resin fixation to casing is improved, but adhesion issues occur and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resin formulation is modified to change its functional parameters. Instead of requiring heat activation to become effective, the resin is formulated to provide cling capacity immediately upon application. This parameter change eliminates the need for heat curing, thereby preventing adhesion issues while maintaining strong fixation to the casing through the modified resin chemistry.
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 composition effectively imparts high cling properties to artificial casings, preventing fat seepage and ensuring food safety during cooking and drying processes, while eliminating the need for expensive and inefficient conventional methods, and allowing for the use of low-caliber casings in competitive applications.
Implementation Method 1
The polyamino-polyamide-epichlorohydrin resins (epichlorohydrin, epifluorohydrin, epibromohydrin and epiiodohidrin) contain active functional groups reacting with the amine, hydroxyl, carboxyl and thiol groups when heated.
Implementation Method 2
This hardening is due to the crosslinking processes resulting from heat-activated intermolecular chemical binding reactions.
Implementation Method 3
the resin must always be fixed to the casing... the resin coating acts as a link between the cellulose, to which it is anchored in the curing or crosslinking step, and the meat, to which it clings after stuffing.
Data Source
Figure 1~1.d
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a composition for shirring artificial casings which allows conferring the casing with a high capacity to cling to the meat paste stuffed therein. The composition of the invention comprises at least one heat curable polycationic resinous component, a polyolic component and water, wherein the water activity (aw) index has a value greater than or equal to 0.70. A casing impregnated by said composition, the meat product stuffed in said casing and the method for impregnating the casing with the composition of the invention is also contemplated.