A method is provided for thermal treating a food product in a thermal treatment unit with the food product having a casing comprising a protein, or hybrid casing. The method involves providing the food product, subjecting the food product to a brine solution, conveying the food product into the unit, and subjecting the food product to a thermal treating step. The thermal treating step includes at least: a) drying the food product, and b) subsequently, further thermal treating the food product. The method further involves: determining the denaturation temperature of the protein, and setting the parameters of the climate in the unit such that the dew point of the air of the unit is equal to or lower than the determined denaturation temperature, wherein step a) ends in case the surface temperature of the casing is equal to the dew point of the air of the unit.

A machine including a supply of gelling agent (45), a supply of acidic buffer solution (47), a third supply of food inlet (51) connected to a source of food (53), a mixer (27) connected to the gelling agent and acidic buffer solution supplies, for delivering a mixture of gelling agent and acidic buffer solution, and a co-extruder (31) fed with food (51) and with said mixture, for extruding the food at the center and the mixture at the periphery, so as to obtain the expected food product at the outlet.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing sausage products by means of co-extrusion, wherein the method comprises the steps of: providing a food dough (6); providing a viscous casing mass material (8); and producing by means of co-extrusion a sausage strand (2) with the extrusion of a centre of food dough at least partially provided by layered casing mass material.

The present invention relates to a process to obtain a round shaped collagen casing and to the casing obtained by the process, which is based on a post rounding of a straight collagen casing by controlled heat shrinking.

The present invention relates to a method and production line for in-line processing of food products. The method comprises the step of co-extruding a food dough into a flow of co-extruded food products having a casing that comprises a protein, or a hybrid casing of a protein and a polymer, wherein the method subsequently comprises the successive steps of: a) subjecting the flow of co-extruded food products to a surface treating step, b) subjecting the flow of food products to a thermal treating step, and c) optionally, subjecting the thermally treated flow of food products to a post-thermal treating step, wherein in step b) the flow of food products is at least subsequently subjected to a first thermal treating step, and a second thermal treating step.

A method for at least partially dehydrating the casing of co-extruded food products, wherein an aqueous salt solution is supplied to the exterior of the co-extruded food products. A device for at least partially dehydrating the casing of co-extruded food products.

A shirr-stable, tubular food casing having a glued, permanently elastic longitudinal seam based on a flat fibrous textile material coated with acrylic, collagen and/or a protein derived therefrom is provided. The seam is generated using a reactive hotmelt glue. The glued seam is resistant to boiling for a long time and also exhibits sufficient stability thereafter. Exemplary textile materials include a consolidated nonwoven or spunbonded nonwoven, a woven fabric, loop-formingly knitted fabric, laid fabric, loop-drawingly knitted fabric. To form the casing, the textile material is coated in the flat state. The coated textile material is cut into strips according to the diameter of the casing to be produced and glued using a reactive hotmelt glue, such as a PUR hotmelt glue, to form the tube. The food casing is preferably used as artificial sausage casing or for wrapping cheese or fish.

The present invention relates to a process to obtain a round shaped collagen casing and to the casing obtained by the process, which is based on a post rounding of a straight collagen casing by controlled heat shrinking.

The invention relates to a method of extruding sleeves extruded of collagen for encasing sausages, wherein a collagen fluid is fed to an extrusion head; the collagen fluid is guided through the extrusion head; and the collagen fluid is discharged from the extrusion head. The invention also relates to an extrusion head for performing such a process as well as a co-extrusion sausage line. Finally also the sleeve extruded with this method or devices is part of the invention.

A device for applying liquid flavors to collagen casing is provided. In one embodiment, the device comprises a cup and a roller for applying liquid flavor to the surface of the collagen casing prior to drying. In another embodiment, the device comprises an applicator having a base plate with a first hole in the base plate to allow the collagen casing to pass through the base plate, a second hole in the base plate in fluid communication with the first hole to inject liquid flavor through the second hole into contact with the collagen casing as it passes through the first hole, a wiper removably attached to the base plate to wipe excess liquid flavor from the surface of the collagen casing, and a liquid flavor injection line attached to the second hole in the base plate. In some embodiments, the cup and roller are combined with the applicator to apply the liquid flavor.