The case for collagen

The case for collagen
Foreword
The casing is the “skin” of the sausage. It gives it its shape, appearance,
consistency and flavour and influences its storage life to a considerable
degree. Gut casings have been used for more than 2000 years. Despite
the many undisputed positive properties of gut casings, it has been
necessary in the past to develop alternative sausage casings with
optimised properties. These alternative casings can be made from either
natural raw materials or synthetic materials.
In the past, many refinements have been made to these alternative
sausage casings, which are manufactured from natural raw materials
such as cellulose and collagen. Collagen casings were first developed
in Germany in 1925 and these relatively thick casings were, however,
unsuitable for consumption. The development of edible collagen casings
has been very rapid and continuing progress has been made since
around 1960 to give us the sausage casings commonly used today.
The positive features of collagen casings now serve as the benchmark
for the industry as any negatives have been eliminated through research
and development. The positives include improved hygiene of the
casings, easy storage, consistency of quality, improved machinability and
therefore cost-effectiveness, shape, colour and “crispness” (or ‘knack’) is
easier to produce and the sausages are less likely to spatter when fried.
Thanks to the ongoing commitment of Devro it has been possible to
optimise the properties of edible collagen casings, in co-operation
with the meat-processing industry, in such a way that the edible
collagen casings available today, with different shapes and properties
for the multitude of different meat products, are welcomed by both
manufacturers and consumers. The recognition of the meat-processing
industry and meat technology research groups bear testament to this.
Prof. Dr. Achim Stiebing
Meat Technology
Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe
University of Applied Sciences
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introduction
This report endeavours to look into the economic benefits of sausage
production using collagen casings as the way forward. Sales of
collagen have grown by more than 25% worldwide since 2007 as
many sausage producers are switching from gut casing and reaping
the benefits (Collagen Casing Trade Association and Devro).
The report examines the rationale for this switch and is intended to
highlight the benefits to the meat industry of using collagen casings,
not only in terms of cost savings but also other non-financial benefits.
As progress is made in new product development there is greater
acceptance of collagen casings and, as a consequence, greater use
across the globe in all types of fresh, smoked and dried sausage
applications.
The findings detailed here are intended to demonstrate the increased
need for sausage manufacturers to consider the use of collagen
casings when developing products to appeal to both retailer and
consumer alike.
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C hapt e r 1
COLLAGEN – AN OVERVIEW
Collagen is a natural protein that is processed to produce quality
casings that are significantly more cost effective to use for manufacturing
sausages than gut casings and, increasingly, preferred by consumers
THE MOST ABUNDANT PROTEIN IN MAMMALS
Collagen is a natural protein and the most abundant found
in mammals, making up to 35 per cent of the whole body
protein content.
It is easily and safely absorbed by the human body;
therefore ideal for food manufacturing purposes due to its
edibility and digestibility as a regular ingredient. Gelatine
used in food and industry is derived from the partial
hydrolysis of collagen.
Although collagen casing is a processed product,
sometimes incorrectly described as ‘artificial’, the raw
material that is used to manufacture sausage casings is
a natural animal product originating from the thin inner
layer called the corium; found just beneath the hide of
beef cattle. The main edible competitor to collagen, gut
casings, is made from the sub mucosa; a layer of the
intestine that also consists mainly of collagen.
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A FLEXIBLE AND EASY PRODUCT WITH
WHICH TO MANUFACTURE SAUSAGE
Collagen is an extremely flexible, natural animal material
that is further processed to make it very easy to work with.
The manufacturing process can be adjusted and finetuned to achieve perfect casings suitable for a wide variety
of applications.
There is sufficient flexibility in working with collagen on the
production line to develop a process to deliver precisely
the degree of hardness, ‘bite’ and texture required. Thus
collagen casing is suitable for the production of fresh,
processed, smoked and dried sausage in a wide range of
diameters and lengths. Furthermore collagen is suitable
for the production of large calibre sausage and for the
Kosher and Halal markets. It is even possible to specify
particular colours for the finished casing.
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THE RAW MATERIAL
For the best casings, the hides should be from animals under three
years of age as the quality of the collagen extracted is at its optimum for
processing into casings. The finished products have sufficient strength for
processing and cooking but with a lightness and palatability which means
the casing disappears almost instantaneously after the initial bite.
MANUFACTURING COLLAGEN CASING
The production of collagen casing is a complex technological process.
Natural material forms the basis of the product. It is broken down
and reconstituted as a gel that is consistent and stable in formulation.
Devro is a world leader in the manufacturing technology for this highly
sophisticated process.
The collagen is obtained from hides by the mechanical removal of the
epidermal and flesh layers. The collagen-rich corium layer is known as
the collagen ‘split’. The split is treated by washing, decalcification and
buffering to give pure food grade collagen. This is further reduced and
blended to produce a protein gel.
STRENGTH AND STABILITY
The criss-cross structure of the collagen fibres adds significantly to
the strength, calibre and stability of the finished product. The gel is
extruded to form a tubular casing that is strong enough for the sausage
manufacturer to use efficiently but tender enough to provide superb eating
characteristics for the consumer.
CONSISTENCY, RELIABILITY AND VERSATILITY
The key attributes of collagen casings are consistency and reliability
along with versatility of use. The casings have been perfected to handle
a wide spectrum of cooking demands and temperature changes without
bursting. Sausages in collagen casings can be cooked in many ways
from steaming to deep fat frying. They can be produced on ultra highspeed machines used by the large food processors but are equally
effective when hand-crafted by specialist butchers. Fresh, small calibre
and large diameter smoked and dried sausage as well as bratwurst and
beefstick are all made successfully in collagen casings. In addition, the
new generation of collagen casings have achieved consumer acceptance
across the board.
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C hapt e r 2
SAUSAGE MANUFACTURING
- the cost benefits of production
using collagen casings
The cost benefits to manufacturers of using collagen casings can
be substantial; with significant savings in time and labour costs
THE COST BENEFITS OF USING COLLAGEN CASING
REDUCED LABOUR COSTS
The use of collagen for sausage casings brings with it a
range of cost savings, mainly because it is an easier and
more consistent product to work with than gut.
The greatest direct savings can be achieved in time and
labour costs as fully automatic sausage stuffing machines,
which work most effectively with collagen casings,
can be used. These machines can automatically load
the collagen casing before it is filled with the sausage
emulsion.
Collagen is consistent in terms of size, shape and length.
The finished casing can be produced to a standard length
and diameter, crucially free of blemishes. The variations in
casing length and diameter that naturally occur in gut are
not present with collagen. Holes, splits or variations in gut
increase production stoppages causing longer operating
times on the sausage production line.
Collagen casing is easy and quick to work with because
it is a more consistent and stable product than gut thus
achieving what can sometimes be dramatic cost savings over 50 per cent in some cases. Because less manpower
is needed on the sausage production line output per man
hour is increased.
One or two employees are required to work the machine
quickly. Depending on the size of the casing, outputs of
collagen-cased sausage can reach 450 kg per hour per
person.
Filling gut casings typically requires three or four
operators working at lower speed because the gut
has many more ends and the machine has to stop for
each. Loading of each piece of gut casing also takes
considerably longer. Output will be only 33% to 50% of
the collagen levels per person.
Labour Costs
Collagen
Gut
1-2 operators
3-4 operators
Higher speed
Lower speed
Output per person . 33% – 50% lower with gut
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THE BENEFITS OF USING COLLAGEN CASING FOR
SMOKING SAUSAGES
Greater efficiency can be achieved in smoking sausages
when they are collagen-cased because they are more
consistent in size and shape than gut-cased sausages.
Up to 20 per cent more sausages can be smoked in
a production cycle when using collagen casing. The
consistent length of the sausage made with collagen
casings allows the loading of smoke sticks to be optimised
and the smokehouse can be used more efficiently.
For example, in the smoking of 50gm collagen-cased
sausages one ‘stick’ will hang or support 22 pairs of
sausage. However, the smoke stick may hold as few as
18 pairs of the equivalent size of gut-cased sausage, due
to some discrepancies in length and shape.
The characteristics of collagen also allow quicker
processing in the smokehouse with less drying time.
Great looking and tasting sausage can be produced with
savings of up to 15 per cent in smoking time.
The Benefit of Smoking Collagen Sausages
Consistent
size & shape
Inconsistent
size & shape
1 stick = 22 pairs sausages
1 stick = 18 pairs sausages
Less drying time
Greater drying time
Output per person . 33% – 50% lower with gut
DRAMATIC COSTS SAVINGS
Savings can soon mount when volume sausage
production is undertaken. Specific savings will depend on
the individual producer’s equipment, labour rates, product
type and process. For example to produce 10 tonnes of
collagen-cased sausage a week it is possible to produce
savings of €5000 a week amounting to €250,000 a year,
compared with the production time for the same amount
of sausage in gut casing.
Savings can be made at all stages in the process:
• Preparation: up to 1 person less labour
- Savings will depend on whether the gut is purchased
in ready to use form or not, but there is no soaking,
washing or preparation required with collagen
• Filling: usually 2-4 people less in terms of labour
- The actual saving will depend on the machine used
and the product being made
• Smokehouse throughput time: increased by
around 15%
• Packaging material usage: down by up to 5% due to
consistency in sausage size
• Total output: increased by up to 100%
In Western Europe direct cost savings average €0.5
per kilo of finished sausage with additional savings from
improved utilisation of the factory resources.
The technical sales team at Devro can provide customers
with a cost model calculator which allows an accurate
measure for specific customer circumstances to be made.
Cost Savings
Benefits
Reason
Up to 1 person less labour Gut can need soaking
Prep
and preparation
Filling
2-4 people less labourDependent on machine
used & product made
Smokehouse
15% increase inDue to increased
throughput time
capacity
Packaging
Up to 5% less requiredDue to consistency in
sausage silo
Up to 100% increased total output
overall with collagen
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In a recent conversion, the casing cost calculator was
used to demonstrate to a producer that it cost up to
50% less to process a Vienna sausage in collagen as to
process the equivalent quantity in gut.
Wieners, each weighing 50gms with a diameter of 19mm
and a length of 160mm, were made with a Handtmann
twist linker and Mauer smoke house. With relatively low
labour rates of only €7 per hour, the savings were €280
per tonne of sausage. In an eight hour shift €1250 of
direct costs were saved. Including indirect costs in the
calculation would add significantly to the savings.
The production and smoking costs of wieners cased in
collagen were compared with wieners cased with sheep gut.
SAVINGS IN TIME
However, perhaps the most dramatic saving was in stuffing
time, inclusive of breakages and reloading. It took just 25
minutes to stuff enough sausage to fill a single smoke house
trolley with the collagen-cased wiener but 75 minutes to stuff
the equivalent sheep gut casing; a saving of 50 minutes.
Tests revealed that in one hour 384kg of collagen-cased
wiener was prepared for the trolley, but only 125kg of sheep
gut-cased wiener was produced. This was because the
collagen was a more consistent product to work with less
breakages or ‘ends’ than gut.
Savings in time
Casing type
SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS EVEN WHEN LABOUR RATES
ARE LOW
Collagen
Gut
THE FINANCIAL GAINS
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A total of 24 criteria, analysing cost savings along with
productivity and weight gains were identified. Savings or
gains were in favour of the collagen-cased wieners in 16 of
the 24 criteria. Savings were made in the initial purchase of
the collagen casing, with the manufacturer paying €92 per
kilometre of collagen compared to €100 for sheep gut.
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Gut
0
100
Cost Saving
200
300
400
500
600
No. of casings
Strands required
Gut
Gut
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Criteria for cost savings
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80
Collagen
Collagen
15
70
To produce 100kgs of weiner:
Collagen
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60
The efficiency of the collagen casing used was in marked
contrast to the sheep gut. Only 500 metres of collagen casing
was used to produce and smoke 100kgs of wiener. However
an additional 100 metres of sheep gut was used to produce
and smoke the same amount of wiener because of the
additional ends, breaks, tears and imperfections present. A
total of 47 strands of collagen was used per 100kg of wiener
production while 75 separate pieces of sheep gut were used
to produce the same quantity.
Financial gains in general
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50
Better collagen efficiancy
The same hanging and trolley-loading pattern was used for
both the collagen and the gut-cased wieners. Smokehouse
throughput was 17% lower using gut casing because of the
processing time advantage for collagen and the more efficient
loading of the smoke sticks. Collagen casing length is designed
to optimise the whole smoke stick. This throughput difference
provided the processor with a €20 per shift saving.
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BETTER COLLAGEN EFFICIENCY
Even in a relatively low wage country (€7 per hour) total
labour cost savings were €12.50 when producing and
smoking the collagen-cased sausage.
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Time
It took two employees to produce and smoke the collagencased wieners on a traditional twist linker, not an automatic
machine, but the equivalent of two and a half employees
to produce and smoke the equivalent amount of wieners in
sheep gut.
0
20
21
24
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
No. of strands required
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Casing cost calculator
These cost savings could be critical for many producers.
Retailers are looking for the best value for money for their
premium and economy ranges. In addition, improvements
in natural collagen quality and consistency, in conjunction
with the current economic climate, should prompt sausage
retailers and manufacturers to reconsider the use of
natural collagen casings across their portfolio of products.
This, in conjunction with high consumer acceptance of the
latest products, means there is no quantifiable reason why
not to make the switch from gut to natural collagen.
ITEMS in red are calculated
using the Devro cost calculator.
The Devro casing cost calculator takes into account
the following areas of production to demonstrate
measurable savings in sausage manufacture:
Labour costs, hourly rate per person
Number of operators required per function
Cost of smoking house
Type of sausage produced
Type of casing used – gut or collagen
Filling output
Hanging pattern on trolley
Loading pattern of trolley
Stuffing time
Net sausage weight per trolley
Casing consumption
Consumed casings
Consumed strands/hanks
Total filling costs are calculated
Casings used
Operators required
I can see the clear
benefits of using
collagen casings
Medium sized
European producer
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Cooking process
Smoke house type
Number of trolleys required
Total gross weight in smoke house pre cooking
Cooking time
Net weight after cooking
Weight loss
Cooking output per hour
Smoke house turnover
Smoke house output per 8 hours
Total savings achieved at
given production volume
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C hapt e r 3
SAUSAGE MANUFACTURING
Non financial advantages of production using collagen casings
In addition to the financial benefits of using collagen there
can be considerable other advantages in using such a
consistent product in sausage manufacturing.
•
PRICING STABILITY – collagen casings are not
subject to the same commodity pricing fluctuation
as gut casing and stable pricing allows customers to
budget, plan and cost their products effectively
•
CONSISTENCY – Grade A+ consistency in product
quality, together with effective size and length control,
means that the same specification of sausage is
produced every time
•
EASY STORAGE – the stability of collagen allows
simple and effective packaging for easy storage and
use
•
•
TRACEABILITY – there is a genuine traceability
with collagen casings and raw materials can be
traced back to source. Guarantees and EU collagen
regulations offer assurance that the products are
suitable for all producers
•
APPEARANCE – consumers prefer the overall
appearance of the sausage due to the consistency
of the casing and the result is faster selling sausage
products
TECHNICAL SUPPORT – Devro has a network of
technicians to provide technical support for customers
worldwide, ensuring that the best sausage possible
is produced every time. In addition, well equipped
development kitchens are available for producers
to develop and test products and concepts in a
controlled and cost effective environment
•
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SUPPLY RELIABILITY – with reliable sources of
collagen, and with manufacturing facilities on
three continents, Devro can assure customers of
sustainable supply
These benefits, alongside the financial benefits, make the
use of collagen casings an obvious choice for sausage
manufacturers looking for a cost-effective, consistent
product that is accepted by consumers.
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C hapt e r 4
THE MARKET
FOR COLLAGEN
The combination of cost savings and consumer
acceptance continues to drive strong demand for collagen
casing since its introduction some 50 years ago, while the
market for gut is often constrained by supply issues
COLLAGEN CASING - RATES OF GROWTH
Rates of growth in the use of collagen casings varies
in different parts of the world but the rate of conversion
to collagen casing from gut casing has been, and
continues to be, positive.
EUROPE
Europe continues to be the biggest market for the use
of collagen sausage casings and remains a market
where there is enormous potential for future growth,
including further conversion of users of gut to collagen.
Many markets within Western Europe, including
Germany, are highly developed, sophisticated and
mature markets for sausage manufacture. Although
they are mature markets many of the premium products
remain in gut. As the new generation of collagen
products are introduced more and more producers and
retailers are looking closely at the savings to be made
and the favourable consumer reaction to the collagen
products.
At one company where collagen conversion has been
implemented on a trial basis, complaints about tough
casing reduced from 6 per week to zero. This sort of
reaction is indicative of what the industry can expect
when the switch is made.
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OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD
ASIA
In Asia and the Pacific regions growth in use of collagen
casing continued strongly. The fastest growing market
for collagen casings is China, where use of the product
has grown at a spectacular rate partly because of a
growing popularity for Western-style sausages. The
need for efficient delivery of quality sausage has driven
producers to explore the benefits of collagen.
In Japan recent growth has been rapid because of the
increased recognition that collagen casings has for
superb value for money and acceptance by consumers.
A number of Japanese sausage manufacturers, which
have traditionally been users of gut casings, are now
switching more of their production to collagen.
THE AMERICAS
The Americas has continued to be a strong market
for collagen, particularly in small calibre sausage
production. But the stars of the region are parts of
Latin America where growth has been in double figures.
AFRICA
A number of markets in Africa have also shown rapid
growth.
GUT PRICES AND SUPPLY
The fluctuation in supply and consequent price variation
makes planning for any producer of sausage using gut
extremely difficult.
The price of both sheep gut and hog gut has risen
significantly over the past two years with both products
notably more expensive than collagen.
Hog gut prices rose by 60 per cent throughout 2008 with
prices almost doubling in some markets. Prices started
to fall in 2009 with increasing availability due to growth in
size of the Chinese pig herd. More than 60 per cent of the
world’s pig population can be found in China. Prices have
continued to ease through 2009 as the Chinese pig herd
has increased, and with it improved availability of hog gut;
but prices remain historically high.
This is the best
casing I have ever
worked with
Medium sized sausage
processor, central Europe
Supplies of sheep gut may well have peaked. Sheep gut
prices have started to increase this year. In the longer term,
diminishing sheep flocks in Australasia are likely to impact
on the supply base for sheep gut. In New Zealand drought
and a switch from sheep production to more profitable dairy
farming has resulted in a diminishing flock size.
Both hog and sheep gut continues to suffer from
considerable price volatility and consistency in supply,
making planning and costing difficult for users..
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C hapt e r 5
THE LATEST GENERATION
OF COLLAGEN CASING
A huge investment by Devro over many years has
achieved a unique, modern collagen casing that has a far
superior structure compared to the casings of a decade
or more ago. No longer can claims that it is ‘artificial’ be
substantiated.
Devro has spent more than a decade investing in what
is the latest generation of collagen casing by combining
the best technological innovations of its three business
divisions.
Today modern natural collagen has a lightness combined
with strength. The strength of the casing allows it to hold
the sausage mix firmly in place, to retain a consistent size
and shape and to produce the familiar ‘snap’ sound, or
‘knack’, that a good quality sausage makes when bitten
into. The lightness of the casing’s texture means that
it is almost undetectable on the palate with no trace of
casing left in the mouth as the sausage is eaten. A new
product development programme is expected to have a
major impact on the entire market as more users make the
switch to natural collagen.
CONSUMER RESEARCH
The consumer, according to research, does not consider
the type of casing as long as it does not affect three key
areas of the sausage – colour, firmness and meat show.
On the whole consumers do not know, and most have
never considered, the origin of a sausage skin, say Taylor
Nelson Sofres*. Furthermore consumers do not take
the casing into account when deciding what makes a
high quality sausage nor do they make any connection
between traditional and premium sausage and the use of
gut casing. In trials by ISI wieners in collagen were rated
as significantly better overall than equivalent products in
sheep gut.**
IMPROVEMENTS
There have been many improvements in collagen casing
over the past 50 years; some as a result of technical
developments and others as a result of better plant
manufacturing systems.
Today collagen casing runs more efficiently on sausage
production lines at much higher speeds. There are more
variations of casing for different applications, and it is far
easier and cost-effective to process smoked sausage.
This is because collagen is a dryer product than gut,
requiring a shorter drying time in the smoking process.
Palatability is much improved too because collagen
casings today are much lighter and far closer to the
characteristics of gut casings.
Since we switched,
complaints about
tough bite have
disappeared
Major retailer, Europe
*TNS Market Research Report Oct 2009
**ISI Consumer Preference Tests Nov 2009
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