Method for manufacturing sausage products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing sausage products by means of co-extrusion, wherein the method comprises the following steps of: A) providing a food dough; B) providing a viscous paste; C) producing by means of co-extrusion a sausage strand with a core of the food dough enclosed by a casing of the paste; D) subdividing the sausage strand into sausage products; and E) guiding the sausage through a fixing bath, whereby the cohesion of the sausage increases.

1 . Method for manufacturing sausage products by means of co-extrusion, wherein the method comprises the following steps of:
 A) providing a food dough;   B) providing a viscous paste;   C) producing by means of co-extrusion a sausage strand with a core of food dough enclosed by a casing of the paste;   D) subdividing the sausage strand into sausage products; and   E) guiding the sausage through a fixing bath, whereby the cohesion of the sausage increases;   
       characterized in that a structure improver is added to the viscous paste during the co-extrusion. 
     
     
         2 . Method as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the structure improver comprises a chemically acting structure improver, such as a cross-linker in the form of aldehydes, calcium salts and carbonyls. 
     
     
         3 . Method as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the structure improver comprises a mechanically acting structure improver. 
     
     
         4 . Method as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the viscosity of the paste during co-extrusion is 5 to 1250 Newton, preferably between 10 and 1000 Newton. 
     
     
         5 . Method as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that the structure improver is added to the viscous paste for a maximum period of time before co-extrusion such that the cohesion of the casing amounts at the moment of co-extrusion to less than 50%, preferably less than 25%, of the cohesion of the casing of the finished sausage product. 
     
     
         6 . Method as claimed in  claim 5 , characterized in that the structure improver is added to the viscous paste a maximum of 20 seconds, preferably a maximum of 5 seconds, more preferably a maximum of 2 seconds, before the sausage strand is co-extruded. 
     
     
         7 . Method for manufacturing sausage products by means of co-extrusion, wherein the method comprises the following steps of:
 A) providing a food dough;   B) providing a viscous paste;   C) producing by means of co-extrusion a sausage strand with a core of the food dough enclosed by a casing of the paste;   D) subdividing the sausage strand into sausage products; and   E) guiding the sausage through a fixing bath, whereby the cohesion of the sausage increases;   
       characterized in that within 50 seconds, preferably within 30 or within 10 seconds following co-extrusion as according to processing step C), at least the outer side of the sausage is heated with a liquid-containing medium to at least the initial temperature (T c1 ) of the coagulation range (T c1 -T c2 ) of the paste or the food dough. 
     
     
         8 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the sausage is heated in a liquid bath. 
     
     
         9 . Method as claimed in  claim 8 , characterized in that the sausage strand is heated by being guided through a heated fixing bath during processing step E). 
     
     
         10 . Method as claimed in claim zany of the  claim 7 , characterized in that the sausage is heated by means of steam. 
     
     
         11 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the sausage is heated by a gas flow saturated to at least 80% with liquid. 
     
     
         12 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the sausage strand is already heated before beginning the subdivision of the sausage strand into sausage products as according to processing step E). 
     
     
         13 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the sausage is heated locally to at least 40° C., preferably at least 48° C. 
     
     
         14 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that a cooling step takes place after the heating, wherein the sausage strand is cooled locally to at least 35° C., preferably at least 25° C., or more preferably at least 7° C. 
     
     
         15 . Method as claimed in  claim 14 , characterized in that the cooling step consists of cooling in a cooling bath. 
     
     
         16 . Method as claimed in  claim 15 , characterized in that the cooling bath comprises positive divalent and/or trivalent ions. 
     
     
         17 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that during the heating and/or cooling a solution containing a calcium salt is applied. 
     
     
         18 . Method as claimed in  claim 17 , characterized in that the solution containing a calcium salt applied during the heating and/or cooling comprises calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ). 
     
     
         19 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the paste comprises, in addition to polysaccharide, a protein such as collagen. 
     
     
         20 . Method as claimed in  claim 7 , characterized in that the viscous paste comprises polysaccharide.