FOOD CASING

Abstract

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).

Claims

1. A food barrier-casing for foods which, in the casing, are scalded, cooked or heated in another manner, the barrier-casing comprising: at least one of a water-vapour- or gas-impermeable film (1), an absorbent internal layer (2) made of individual fibers or made of a woven fabric, knitted fabric, or a nonwoven, said internal layer (2) being impregnated with at least one of dyes or flavourings, the absorbent internal layer being bonded to the at least one of a water-vapour- or gas-impermeable film (1), an external side of the at least one of a water-vapour- or gas-impermeable film (1) comprises a polyester film (1a) with at least 50% polyethylene terephthalate, and said polyester film (1a) is bonded via a bonding layer (1b) to the absorbent internal layer (2).

2. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein the polyester film is a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

3. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the polyester film is about 10 micrometres to about 60 micrometres.

4. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein the bonding layer (1b) comprises a silicone rubber or two-component epoxy-resin adhesive.

5. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein the bonding layer (1b) is comprised of a polyethylene layer.

6. The barrier-casing according to claim 5, wherein the polyethylene layer (1b) is bonded by extrusion to the polyester film (1a).

7. The barrier-casing according to claim 5, wherein the absorbent internal layer (2) is bonded by lamination to the polyethylene layer (1b).

8. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein the internal layer (2) is comprised of cotton fibers, cellulose fibers, viscose fibers, or a mixture thereof.

9. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, further comprising polyethylene fibers distributed within the internal layer (2), and said polyethylene fibers are bonded to the bonding layer (1b).

10. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein the barrier-casing comprises a flat film shaped into a flexible tube, and film edges running in a longitudinal direction of the flexible tube overlap one another and are bonded on the external side of the polyester film (1a) by a tape (3) which runs in the longitudinal direction of the flexible tube and which overlaps the edges.

11. The barrier-casing according to claim 10, wherein the tape (3) is comprised of silicone rubber or polyethylene.

12. The barrier-casing according to claim 10, wherein the tape (3) is bonded by heat-sealing to the polyester film (1a).

13. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein the barrier-casing is for cooked-meat or scalded-emulsion sausages, ham, cured products, fish or processed cheese.

14. The barrier-casing according to claim 1, wherein polyester film (1a) has at least 70% polyethylene terephthalate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Further features and advantages of the invention are provided by the description below of a performance example with reference to the drawing, where:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a cross section through the casing material and

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a cross section at the location of the joint.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] According to FIG. 1, the packaging casing comprises, externally, a film 1 and, internally, an absorbent internal layer 2.

[0024] The film 1 is composed of an exterior polyester layer 1a made of biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate and of a polyethylene layer 1b functioning as bonding layer in relation to the internal layer 2. The two layers 1a and 1b are responsible for protecting the food therein, and the flavourings or dyes of the absorbent internal layer, in particular from water vapour and oxygen, in order that the said food is not subject to leaching during the cooking or scalding process, i.e. does not loose flavour or colour. They moreover reliably prevent loss of weight during the manufacturing process, during storage or during transport.

[0025] The absorbent internal layer 2, for example a nonwoven made of cellulose fibers, serves as carrier for the desired dyes and/or flavourings. These can be caramel, spice extracts, smoke components, liquid smoke, marinades, fruit flavourings and other substances approved under food legislation. They can be applied continuously to the absorbent internal layer 2, either via a spray pipe along which the packaging casing shaped to give the flexible tube is passed or via a liquid bath into which the internal layer is immersed, or by means of a liquid bladder through which the casing is passed.

[0026] However, it is also possible instead that the internal layer 2, in particular in flat form, is printed with the desired dyes and/or flavourings.

[0027] After drying, the packaging casing is converted to flexible tubular shape and bonded by weldable, heat-resistant adhesive tape, or via thermal welding, to the abutted longitudinal edges.

[0028] The impregnated packaging casing can be used and processed either while moist or after drying.

[0029] All of the above layers of material 1a, 1b and 2 have been laminated to give a sheet. Its thickness is mostly below 1/10 mm, preferably between about 70 micrometres and about 90 micrometres. The thickness of the polyester layer 1a is about 20 micrometres, as also is the thickness of the intermediate layer 1b made of polyethylene.

[0030] The polyethylene layer 1b is advantageously extruded wet onto the polyester layer 1a, so that it functions as adhesive for the absorbent internal layer 2 which is then applied.

[0031] For the internal layer 2, it is advisable that the weight-per-unit-area applied of the absorbent material, i.e. the nonwoven, the fibers or the like, is 10 to about 50 g/m.sup.2. This absorbent layer is then impregnated with the desired flavourings or colourants, and optionally shaped and dimensioned as required by the customer.

[0032] The packaging casing is mostly delivered in the shape of a flexible tube. The longitudinal edges of the casing here, located alongside one another without overlap, are bonded to one another by an adhesive tape 3 which covers both longitudinal edges, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0033] The adhesive tape 3 is composed of silicone rubber or polyethylene. It has a width of a few millimetres.

[0034] After the introduction of the food into the flexible tubular packaging casing, conventional methods are then used for closure at the sausage ends and separation of the individual sausages.

[0035] In summary, the packaging casing according to the invention is distinctive in using a small number of layers to achieve a good barrier property with high resistance to fracture.