Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXII, Issue 1
Written by Carmen Daniela PETCU, Diana Oana OPREA
Coming from animals with economic interest, small and large intestines are what we call the “natural casings” and they are characterized by being strong enough to withstand the pressure produced by filling them, they are permeable to water vapour and gas, absorb fumes and impregnate with a pleasant flavour, expand or contract in accordance with the amount of added content and can be closed at the ends by binding or clipping. They are subjected to a calibration process after which they must comply with the stipulations of technical specifications or manufacturing standards. Natural casings are preserved by drying and salting and must meet a number of legal requirements. The purpose of this research is to identify and monitor the obtaining and preservation of natural casings for the meat industry. Natural casings that were processed in specialized units and then traded on the domestic market were analyzed. Differences in technology are found depending on the species from which the natural casings originate, but also according to the intestinal segment subjected to processing phases. Processing defects such as holes or tearing in the natural casings can be ascertained, but also defects in preservation that may lead to downgrading or even the marketing withdrawal of the incriminated products. Salt casings can be packed in plastic or barrels with different capacities. Separately packed are wrinkled pork guts, small pork guts, small sheep guts etc. To ease the insertion in the spur pipe, the casings can be sprouted onto the plastic sticks, resulting in tubular casings. Although technology development makes it possible to produce artificial casings such as collagen, cellulose and fibrous membranes, meat products in casings from natural intestines are preferred by consumers.
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