Natural casing or artificial casing — why one or the other is chosen
Two housing types each with their strengths
Natural casing is not the only option for giving a sausage its casing. In many parts of the sausage industry, artificial casings are also used, usually collagen casing/protein casing, which is made from collagen fibers from beef or pork. The choice between the two has consequences throughout the production.
§Natural casing advantages
Natural casing is fully edible, provides an authentic bite and allows smoke and spices to penetrate deep into the product during smoking because the material breathes. Because each intestine is a natural product, it also gives a variation in appearance that many consumers associate with a traditional, handmade product.
§Advantages of artificial casing
Collagen casing is man-made and therefore far more uniform in size than natural casing, which makes it easier to use in a highly automated production line. It also absorbs smoke and flavour relatively well, but is usually more heat-sensitive than natural casing and therefore requires more careful heat treatment.
| Property | Natural casing | Kollagentarm/kunsttarm |
|---|---|---|
| Edibility | Fully edible | Often edible but varies |
| Uniformity | Varies naturally | Very uniform |
| Smoke permeability | Good, breathes naturally | Good, but more heat sensitive |
| Elasticity during filling | High holds well on the farce | Lavere end naturtarm |
§Why natural casing still has its place
Despite the advantages of automation with artificial casings, natural casings remain in demand precisely because it is an authentic, edible, and traditional product. That is part of why there is still a professional need for casing technicians who can clean, sort, and prepare natural casings for precisely the products where it is preferred.
“Natural casing and artificial casing do not compete to win everything — they share the market because they solve different tasks.”