The invention is directed to synthetic food casings made from specific polyvinyl alcohol grades containing carbonyl groups, preferably in admixture with other polymers, as well as processes for using such synthetic food casings.

A coextruded, multi-layered, water vapor-impermeable, tubular, and seamless food casing having at least three layers is provided. The layers include at least one porous layer having a porous food contact side suitable for transferring food additives having a porous food contact side, at least one carrier layer based on at least one aliphatic and/or partially aromatic (co-)polyamide, and at least one water vapor-impermeable layer. At least one adhesive layer including an adhesion-promoting component is arranged between the adjoining layers or an adhesion-promoting component is contained in one or more of the water vapor-impermeable layer(s). At least one porous layer includes an aliphatic (co-)polyamide and a hydrophilic (co-)polymer having a mean molar mass M.sub.w of at least 8000 Da. A method for producing the food casing is provided. The food casing is used as an artificial sausage casing, especially, for cooked or boiled sausage.

A description is given of a tubular food casing having a fiber layer on the inside and having two or more polymer layers. The polymer layers include a first continuous polymer layer (A), with which the inner fiber layer or nonwoven-web layer is coated on the side of the tubular casing facing away from the inside, and completely covers the layer, and at least one polymer layer (B), and a monoaxially or biaxially oriented film based on polyamide and/or copolyamide. At least two of the polymer layers are joined to one another directly by a layer of adhesive. The inner fiber layer may absorb colour, smoke, aroma and/or flavour substance(s), such as liquid smoke or caramel, store these substances and transfer them to a food located within the casino. The casing is suitable as artificial sausage casing, especially for cooked-filling and scalded-emulsion sausage.

A food barrier-casing for foods which, in the casing, are scalded, cooked or heated in another manner, in particular for cooked-meat or scalded-emulsion sausages, ham, cured products, fish or processed cheese. The casing includes at least one water-vapour- and/or gas-impermeable film (1), and has an absorbent internal layer (2) made of individual fibers or made of a woven fabric, knitted fabric, or a nonwoven, bonded thereto and this internal layer (2) is impregnated with dyes and/or flavourings. The external side of the barrier-casing is predominantly formed of a polyester film (1a) made of polyethylene terephthalate and this polyester film (1a) is bonded via a bonding layer (1b) to the absorbent internal layer (2).

Rigid shirred food casing articles (e.g., shirred sticks of casing material) include a cohesion-enhancing solution applied to at least one surface of the casing material. The cohesion-enhancing solution comprises at least one polysaccharide (e.g., dextrin) and a predominantly non-aqueous solvent (e.g., comprising propylene glycol). The coherency-enhancing solution comprises less than 50 wt. % water. Related methods and compositions are also disclosed.

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 μm 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 μm, wherein the average layer thickness in areas having a reduced average layer thickness is lower by 7 to 140 μm 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 disclosure 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.

Provided are a paper material for fibrous casing enabling a fibrous casing to deliver favorable performance, a production method thereof, and a fibrous casing employing the paper material for fibrous casing. The paper material for fibrous casing of the present invention is used as a food packaging material in heat processing of a foodstuff, and is formed from pulp as a principal component, with one face being a glossy face and another face being a matte face. The fibrous casing of the present invention comprises: a paper layer that is arranged as an innermost layer and formed from a paper material; and a synthetic resin layer that is overlaid on an outer face of the paper layer, the paper material being the paper material for fibrous casing. The matte face of the paper material is preferably directed inward. The glossy face of the paper material is also preferably directed inward.

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.