A tubular, seamless, water vapour permeable, smokable, biaxially draw-oriented and partially or completely heat-set food casing is provided having at least two layers based on thermoplastic polymers. At least one layer A, which does not form the inside layer, comprises a blend of aliphatic (co)polyamide and at least one hydrophilic polymer, while the inside layer I comprises a blend of aliphatic or isocyclic (co)polyamide and a block copolymer selected from polyether-amide, polyether-ester and polyether-urethane. The casing is produced by a tubular-film blowing process or a process with biaxial tubular-film draw-orientation. The casing is envisaged more particularly as synthetic sausage casing, especially for smoked raw sausage, such as salami.

The present invention relates to a multilayer film, especially to a multilayer thermoplastic film, which may be used for food packaging, wherein the multilayer film according to the present invention may be provided, on its inner side, with a food additive, particularly with a flavoring and/or coloring and/or an aroma producing food additive (such as e.g. a liquid smoke), which food additive is then released and transferred onto the surface of a foodstuff encased in the multilayer film during cooking and/or processing of the foodstuff.

Edible tubular casings for meats, such as sausages are described. The casings are comprised of reconstituted collagen combined with natural casing material comprising bovine, porcine or sheep gut, or combinations thereof. Methods for producing the casings by forming a gel consisting of a combination of the natural material and the reconstituted collagen are also described.

The present invention provides a multi-layered coextruded thermoplastic food casing comprising: at least one thermoplastic porous absorbing layer; and at least one layer having a barrier effect for water vapor and/or oxygen, wherein the at least one layer having a barrier effect for water vapor and/or oxygen has an average layer thickness in a range of from 5 to 60 m over the entire surface area, wherein the at least one thermoplastic porous absorbing layer comprises as a main component at least one thermoplastic polymer material selected from the group consisting of (co)polyamides and (co)polyolefins, wherein the at least one thermoplastic porous absorbing layer comprises areas having a reduced average layer thickness and areas having a non-reduced average layer thickness, wherein the average layer thickness of the at least one thermoplastic porous absorbing layer in areas having a non-reduced average layer thickness is in a range of from 10 to 200 m, wherein the average layer thickness in areas having a reduced average layer thickness is lower by 7 to 140 m and is reduced by a range of from 30 to 85% compared to the areas having a non-reduced average layer thickness of the at least one thermoplastic porous absorbing layer, and wherein both areas having a reduced average layer thickness and a non-reduced average layer thickness comprise pores which are able to absorb a functional additive.

The present invention provides a functional additive transferring (co)extruded thermoplastic food casing having a water vapor barrier and/or oxygen barrier effect wherein an inside surface of the thermoplastic food casing has a textured surface which forms a three-dimensional pattern of higher and lower retaining capacity for a functional additive, wherein the thermoplastic food casing having a textured surface in case of a monolayer casing or an inner layer comprising the inside surface having a textured surface in case of a multilayer casing comprises as a main component at least one thermoplastic polymer material selected from the group consisting of (co)polyamides, (co)polyolefins, (co)polyester and vinylidenchloride (co)polymers, wherein the (co)extruded thermoplastic food casing does not comprise a net and/or a material forming a net or any other three dimensional structure on its outside surface, wherein the average thickness of the thermoplastic food casing in the areas having a higher retaining capacity is in a range of from 1 to 100 m, wherein the average thickness of the thermoplastic food casing in the areas having a lower retaining capacity is in a range of from 191 to 2000 m, provided that the thickness difference between the average thickness in the areas having higher retaining capacity and the average thickness in the areas having a lower retaining capacity is in a range of from 160 to 1950 m and that a ratio of the average thickness of the thermoplastic food casing in the areas having a higher retaining capacity and the average thickness of the thermoplastic food casing in the areas having a lower retaining capacity is in a range of from 0.002 to 0.25.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a cellulosic film (cellulose film), particularly a cellulosic food packing film, especially a detectable cellulosic film, which cellulosic film comprises detectable particles incorporated therein, as well as to the cellulosic film thus produced and to its applications and usages (i.e. its use).

A tubular, seamless, water vapour permeable, smokable, biaxially draw-oriented and partially or completely heat-set food casing is provided having at least two layers based on thermoplastic polymers. At least one layer A, which does not form the inside layer, comprises a blend of aliphatic (co)polyamide and at least one hydrophilic polymer, while the inside layer I comprises a blend of aliphatic or isocyclic (co)poly amide and a block copolymer selected from polyether-amide, polyether-ester and polyether-urethane. The casing is produced by a tubular-film blowing process or a process with biaxial tubular-film draw-orientation. The casing is envisaged more particularly as synthetic sausage casing, especially for smoked raw sausage, such as salami.

The present invention relates to cellulose casings, whether reinforced or not, capable of transferring color to the product stuffed therein. These casings contain a food dye transferable to the stuffed product during processing. The present invention also relates to the method of obtaining the casing and the product stuffed in said casing.

A method for producing collagen casings having one or more flavor ingredients incorporated into the collagen is provided. The flavor ingredients may be added during processing of collagen to produce the collagen casing; prior to, during or after drying of the collagen casing; prior to, during or after humidification to add moisture to the collagen casing; prior to, during or after shirring of the collagen casing; prior to or after the casing has been stuffed with meat products; during cooking of the stuffed collagen casing; and/or prior to packaging of the meat product. The flavor ingredient may be a water based flavor ingredient, an oil based flavor ingredient, a powdered flavor ingredient, a microencapsulated flavor ingredient, or a combination of two or more of these types of flavor ingredients. Collagen casings having one or more flavor ingredients incorporated into the collagen casing are also provided.

The invention relates to an artificial food casing; method for removing said artificial food casing; and methods for manufacturing said artificial food casing.