CA1066123A - Rapid peel sausage casing containing partial esters of glycerol oleate - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

This invention relates to an artificial sausage casing of regenerated cellulose having a substantially homogeneous coating composition applied over the internal surface thereof which has outstanding peelability from sausages processed therein, excellent handle, and resistance to breakage and to a process for making such artificial sausage casings. The coating applied over the internal surface of the artificial sausage casing is a substantially homogeneous admixture of a water-soluble cellulose ether and mixed mono and diglycerides of oleic acid having a capillary melting point not substantially higher than 130°F.

Description

~Q661Z3 RAPID PEEL SAUSAGE CASING CONTAINING
PARTIAL ESTERS OF GLYCEROL OLEATE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Artificial sausage casings made of regenerated cellulose have achieved wide success as a replacement or a synthetic sub-stitute for natural casings in the processing of sausages, e.g., frankfurters, bolognas, and salamis. These casings typically are made by the viscose process wherein a cellulosic furnish is treated with caustic soda to form alkali crumb, the crumb shredded, aged, xanthated, and dissolved in caustic soda to form viscose, the viscose extruded through an annular die, and then the extruded casing coagulated and regenerated. The artificial sausage casings are shirred, i.e., lengths of from 40 - 200 feet of casing are compacted into a few inches, e.g., 4 - 30 inches.
The shirred casings are packaged and sold to the meat processor wherein the casings then are stuffed with a meat emulsion, the meat cooked, and the casing removed from the meat processed therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
It has been proposed to lubricate and internally humidify artificial sausage casings on a shirring machine by spraying a stream of water and a separate stream of lubricant in air through the shirring mandrel to increase the flexibility of the casing and to prevent breakage Lubricants typically used in the shir-ring operation for aiding and assisting passage of the casing over the shirring mandrel include aqueous emulsions or dispersions of vegetable, mineral, or paraffin oil.
A variety of coating compositions have been applied over the internal surface of the sausage casing for improving the peelability of the casing from sausages processed therein. Many attempted solutions have been suggested by the prior art and have maninly involved the application of various coatings to '~

the inner surface of synthetic cellulose casings to permit them to be peeled more readily from sausages. For example, fatty isocyanates, fatty ketenes, stearato chromic chloride, water-soluble silicones and polymerized silicones have been suggested as being release agents for cellulose sausage casings.
More recently, it has been proposed to coat the internal surface of a cellulose sausage casing with a homogeneous ad-mixture of a water-soluble cellulose ether and an oil lubricant selected from the group consisting of animal, vegetable, mineral, and silicone oil or an alkylene oxide adduct of a partial fatty acid ester. The coating was applied to the casing surface in a proportion such that the lubricant was present in a proportion of at least 0.1 times the weight of the water-soluble cellulose ether and yet insufficient for providing more than 0.5 mg. per square inch of casing surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a tubular sausage casing having outstanding peelability and shirrability which has a coating applied to its inner surface comprising a substantially homo-geneous admixture of a water-soluble cellulose ether and mixed mono and diglycerides of oleic acid having a capillary melting point of not more than about 130F. The water-soluble cellulose ether is applied on the internal surface of the casing in a proportion of from about 0.01 - 0.1 mg. per square inch per casing surface and the mixed mono and diesters of oleic acid are also applied in a proportion of from 0.01 - 0.1 mg. per square inch of casing surface. In preparing the casing, an aqueous coating composition containing the water-soluble cellulose ether and the mixed mono and diglycerides are applied to the interior of the sausage casing prior to shirring.

:10661Z3 Some of the disadvantages of early prior art coating com-positions alleged to be useful for improving peelability of casings are that the coating compositions are not operable over a wide range of meat processing conditions experienced in the manufacture of frankfurters and have an undesirable frequency of breakage during shirring or during the stuffing operation. The more recent coating compositions are alleged to be useful for improving peelability of casings, although having excellent peelability characteristics over a wide range of processing conditions sometimes have a tendency to jam on the shirring machine particularly when the coating composition is applied to small diameter casings (16 mm.). These casings also have some pleat lock characteristics which are undesirable. By undesir-able pleat lock it is meant that the casing does not deshirr properly during the stuffing operation resulting in a high frequency of field breakage. Breakage due to pleat lock is pre-sumably due to the undesirable adhesion of the nested pleats on the inside of the casing.
Advantages of the process for preparing sausage casings of this invention and the resulting casing include:
the ability to produce artificial sausage casings of regenerated cellulose having outstanding peelability over a wide range of processing conditions experienced in the meat industry;
the ability to shirr artificial sausage casings on high speed shirring machines without jamming or substantial frequency of breakage or damage;
the ability to produce shirred artificial sausage casings which can be readily deshirred under h~igh speed stuffing opera-tions without substantial tearing or pinholing of the casing;

the ability to produce shirred artificial sausage casings having excellent pleat lock characteristics so that the casing has sufficient handle to withstand normal handling required for providing end closures in the casing and placement in high speed stuffing machines without substantial breakage and yet undergo deshirring without pinholing or breaking; and the ability to produce a humidified casing which does not ngrow" substantially from its compacted state immediately after doffing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the manufacture of regenerated cellulose sausage casings viscose is extruded through an annular die into a coagulating and regenerating bath to produce a tube of regenerated cellulose.
The tube is subsequently washed, plasticized with glycerin, and dried while inflated under a substantial air pressure for size control. After drying, the casing is wound on reels and subse-quently shirred on high speed shirring machines, such as those described in U. S. Patents 2,010,626; 2,583,654; 2,722,714;

2,722,715; 2,723,201, etc.
To improve the peelability of sausage casings and to reduce the amount of breakage due to jamming on a shirring machine and reduce undesirable adhesion of the pleats during destuffing, it has been found that such improvements can be obtained when a casing of regenerated cellulose contains a coating over the internal surface thereof comprising a homoge-neous admixture of a water-soluble cellulose ether and a partial oleic acid ester of glycerin. In a preferred embodiment the coating includes a partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan or mannitan, preferably sorbitan.

~066123 It is believed that the water-~oluble cellulose ether is the primary component for providing enhanced peelability of the casing whereas the partial oleic acid ester of glycerin aids in the lubrication of the casing during shirring and in providing anti-pleat lock characteristics to the shirred casing.
It is the combination of the two components which give the syner-gistic results noted in the reduced breakage of the casing during shirring and stuffing.
Water-soluble cellulosic ethers suited for practicing the invention include carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethylhydroxy ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. Quite often, the cellulose ethers are sold as the alkali metal salt and particularly the sodium salt. For purposes of this invention, reference to a water-soluble cellulose ether is intended to encompass the alkali metal salts. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the water-soluble cellulose ether is a low molecular weight carboxymethyl cellulose having from about 5 - 15 carboxymethyl 2Q groups per 10 anhydroglucose units.
The second essential component of the coating necessary for producing desired results in shirring and peelability of the casing is a mixture of mono and diglycerides of oleic acid (mono and diester). The mixed mono and diglycerides should have a capillary melting point of not substantially higher than about 1300F. and preferably have a capillary melting point of not substantially higher than 100F. It has been found that when the capillary melting point of the oleic acid ester is higher than about 130F., there often is a coating of the shirring mandrel with the oleic acid ester which leads to increased jamming on the shirring machine and the frequency of breakage of the casing increases by about 25% over the breakage level `- 10661Z3 experienced when the oleic acid ester of glycerin has a capillary melting point of about lQ0F. or below. It has also been noted when the capillary melting point is above about 100F. the shirred casing has reduced coherency as compared to strands made with a lower melting mixture of mono and diglycerides.
The mixture of mono and diglycerides of oleic acid con-templated for practicing this invention are to be contrasted from vegetable oils, even those having a melting point below about 100F., as the vegetable oils are a mixture containing sub-stantial proportions of triglycerides. There may be some partial fatty acid esters of glycerin in the vegetable oil including mixed mono and diglycerides of oleic acid but the amount of mixed mono and diester in these vegetable oils is much lower than is required for obtaining reduced breakage of the casing during shirring and during the stuffing operation. Generally, the vegetable oils do not have the effective lubricity that the mixed mono and digly-cerides of oleic acid possess for permitting shirring with aqueous systems and more particularly they do not have the anti-pleat lock characteristics. As a result, casings having the coating compris-ing a cellulose ether and a vegetable oil do not produce the same results in shirring and stuffing in terms of reduced damage as a casing coated with a cellulose ether and the mixed mono and diglycerides. The peelability characteristics of the casing, however, are substantially the same for both types of casing.
The mixture of mono and diesters of glycerin are partial esters comprising not more than about 10% triglycerides. The proportion of monoester to diester may vary for producing a resultant mixture of mono and diglyceride having the desired capillary melting point range. Experimental evidence shows that ! 30 a preferred ester combination is one containing from about ~ 40 - 50% monoester, from about 40 - 50% diester, and the balance s triglyceride and free fatty acid. It is believed the free hydroxyl group(s) on the mono and diester interact(s) with ., the cellulose casing to soften the surface of the casing to permit wet-out of the casing surface by the partial ester thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the ester as a lubricant for permitting high speed shirring without breakage and to reduce breakage during deshirring.
The coating composition which is applied to the interior of the casing surface preferably contains from about 0.5 - 2.5%
of a cellulose ether. This level of cellulose ether in the coat-ing composition when applied at appropriate levels on the casing for effecting simultaneous humidification yields about 0.01 -0.1 mg. cellulose ether per square inch of casing surface. In a preferred embodiment, the coating composition is applied to produce from about 0.03 - 0.06 mg. cellulose ether per square inch of casing surface. Levels of cellulose ether below about 0.01 mg. per square inch on the interior of the casing surface often results in a casing having ordinary peeling characteristics.
These casings cannot be considered a premium casing designed for high speed peeling operations where a "rapid peel" casing is required. When the level of cellulose ether exceeds about 0.1 mg per square inch of casing surface, then the surface of the frankfurter often becomes slimy. Some of the cellulose ether is transmitted to the meat surface at any of the levels present in the coating on the casing surface but excess cellulose ether on the casing surface results in an undue amount of trans-fer of cellulose ether onto the meat. Additionally, the higher s concentrations of cellulose ether, i.e., those above about 0.1 mg. per square inch of casing surface, do not seem to ; enhance peelability over coatings containing the prescribed ,~ amount of cellulose ether.
,~ 30 The proportion of mixed mono and diglycerides of oleic ;~ acid in making the coating composition is from about 0.2 - 2~
by weight. When a coating composition is applied to the casing 1066~
at appropriate levels, the mixture of mono and diester usually is present in a proportion of from about 0.01 - 0.1 mg. per square inch of casing surface. Levels of mono and diglycerides of oleic acid below about 0.01 mg. per square inch of casing surface do not have desired shirrability or anti-pleat lock characteristics. Levels of mixed mono and diester above about 0.1 mg. per square inch on the casing surface tend to cause the casing to be fragile and difficult to handle for placement of an end closure thereïn or placement in high speed stuffing machines. Levels of ester from 0.03 - 0.06 mg. per inch are preferred.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention a partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan or mannitan is included with the combi-nation of water-soluble cellulose ether and mixtures of mono and diglycerides of oleic acid. The partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan or mannitan is included in the composition primarily for its lubricative properties. By a partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan or mannitan is meant to refer to the palmitic, oleic and stearic acid esters~. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the partial fatty acid ester is a sorbitan ester, namely sorbitan trioleate.
The sorbitan or mannitan fatty acid esters are included in the coating composition in a proportion of from about 0.25 to about 2% by weight. As a rule of thumb, as the proportion of mixed mono and diester is reduced toward the lower amount in i the coating composition, e.g., 0.2% by weight, then the propor-" tion of partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan or mannitan is increased toward the upper amount. This, in effect, gives the same effective proportion of lubricant for the coating of the casing. Likewise, where the proportion of partial fatty acid ~0661Z3 ester of sorbitan or mannitan, e.g., sorbitan trioleate, is reduced toward the lower amount, e.g., 0.25%, the proportion of mixed mono and diester is increased toward the upper amount, e.g., 2%. Levels of from 0.01 - 0.1 and preferably 0.03 - 0.06 mg. per inch square of casing surface are employed.
Thus, the aqueous coating composition is a homogeneous admixture containing from about 0.5 - 2.5% water-soluble cellu-lose ether, 0.2 - 2% mixed mono and diglyceride, and 0.25 - 2%
of a partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan or mannitan and the lQ balance is essentially w-ater, and the coating composition is applied at desired levels for effecting simultaneous humidi-fication of the casing as well as effecting coating of the casing for enhancing shirring and peelability of the casing.
As mentioned previously, the coating composition of this invention, in addition to imparting rapid peel characteristics, enhance shirrability, and outstanding anti-pleat lock character-istics to the regenerated cellulose casing, effects simultaneous humidification of the casing. As is known, the moisture content of the regenerated cellulose casing must be confined to a narrow range in order to shirr the casing as well as stuff the casing in the field without an undue amount of breakage.
Regenerated cellulose casing having a low moisture content has a tendency to be quite brittle which leads to a number of pin-holes and cracks. When the moisture level is too high, the casing has little resistance to stretch and becomes quite difficult to shirr. In casing manufacture, the moisture content of the casing is raised from a level of from about 8 - 10%
in the dry reel stock to about 16 - 22% by weight of the casing at the time of shirring. In most commercial operations, the ~ 30 moisture content is adjusted to 18% + 1% moisture concentration.i In applying the coating composition of this invention to the regenerated cellulose casing, the level of addition of " ~0661Z3 coating composition is regulated so that it simultaneously humidifies the casing bringing the moisture content to a level of about 18% + 1% and yet applies an appropriate amount of the active components, wïthin the ranges specified, for enhancing peelabilïty of the casing, lubrïcation during shirring, and provïding for anti-pleat lock characteristics. Of course, if humidification is supplied from a second source, then the coating composition may contain higher proportions of active components. However, there is a tendency to lose the effect of a uniform dispersion in the obtaining of a uniform coating and humidification in the casing when a separate humidification source is employed.
The coating composition should be applied to the casing prior to shirring and a number of ways are suited. One of the better ways of introducing the coating ccmposition to the interior of the casing prior to shirring is during the actual shirring process. The apparatus described in V. S. Patent

3,451,827 is well suited for accomplishing coating of the casing.
It is also possible to coat the interior of the casing by a slug technique which comprises introducing a quantity of the liquid into the casing either prior or subsequent to the drying operation. Slug coating of the interior of small diameter sausage casings, however, is not generally favoured in commercial processes because of the high speeds involved and the difficulty in applying a uniform level of coating composition over the internal surface of the casing. The apparatus described in U. S. Patent 3,451,827 is much more effective and is easier ~; to use for the coating of the interior of sausage casings.
The following examples are provided to illustrate pre-ferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended torestrict the scope thereof. All percentages are expressed as weight percentages.

, 106t;1Z3 Substantially homogeneous coating compositions having the following compositions are prepared:
Sample A - 1% carboxymethyl cellulose having an average substitution of 7 carboxymethyl groups per 10 anhydroglucose units commercially available as CMC 7LFTM from Hercules, Inc., 1.5% castor oil, and the balance water.
Sample B - 1% carboxymethyl cellulose having an average degree of substitution of 7 and an upper viscosity limit for a 2% water solution of about 18 centipoises at 25C. commercialiy available as CMC 7LlT from Hercules, Inc., 1% sorbitan trioleate commercially available as Span 85T~ from Atlas Chemical, and 0.5% of a mixture of mono and diglycerides of oleic acid having a capillary melting point from about 115 -120F. commercially available as Dur Em 104TM from the Glidden-Durkee Division of SCM Corporation and the balance water.
Sample C - 0.75% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC 7Ll), 1% Span 85, 0.5% of a mixture of mono and diglycerides of oleic acid having a monoglyceride content of about 46%, a diglyceride content of about 46%, and the balance consisting essentially of triglycerides of oleic acid and fatty acids. This mixture is commercially available as GMO D-2-2245T from the Glidden-Durkee Division of SCM Corporation and the balance water.
Sample D - 1% CMC 7Ll, 1% Durkee GMO, and the balance ' 25 water. -- ;~
Sample E - 1% CMC 7LF, 49% propylene glycol, and 50% water.
Sample F - 1% CMC 7L1, 1% ethoxylated (20) sorbitan mono-oleate commercially available as Tween 80 from Atlas Chemical, 49% propylene glycol, and the balance water. This formulation is commercially used as a rapid peel formulation.

`` 1066~Z3 Sample G - 1% Tween 80, 1% CMC 7LF, and the balance water.
Sample H - 1% CMC 7Ll, 1% Span 85, and the balance water.
Sample I - 1% Tween 80, 1.25% CMC 7LF, 2~ castor oil, and the balance water.
Regenerated cellulose casings are coated with each of the coating compositions prior to shirring by means of the apparatus described in U. S. Patent 3,451,827. The proportion of compo-sition added to each casing is adjusted to produce about 0.04 lQ mg. CMC per square inch of casing surface. The casings are stuffed w-ith a meat emulsion suitable for making frankfurters and cooked and smoked under identical conditions.
Sample compositions A and E have a breakage rate (which included breakage at the shirring machine or the presence of pinholes during stuffing) in a proportion of from about 4 - 10 breaks per 100 strands stuffed. Water systems employing a vegetable oil as a lubricating agent do not shirr well. Samples F, G, H, and I have a breakage level of from about 2 - 4 strands per 100 strands stuffed. Samples B, C, and D have a -breakage level of from 0.2 - 0.4 breaks per 100 strands stuffed.
(Quite obviously, 0.2 - 0.4 breaks are a calculated breakage rate based on stuffing of more than 100 strands.) Only sample compositions B, C, and D are suited for the shirring of small diameter (16 mm.) casings without excessive breakage, e.g., 1 - 3 breaks per 100 strands. All of the other compositions are unsuited for shirring this small diameter casing on the shirring machines employed. Even when additional lubricant in the form of a mineral-air spray is applied through the shirring mandrel for facilitating lubrication of the mandrel surface, the yields of acceptable casing are lower than are ob-tained by using samples B, C, and D as the coating composition.

~066~23 In coating small diameter casing with Samples B, C, and D it is found to be advantageous to use additional lubricant at a level of about 0.05 mg. per inch square of casing to facilitate shirring.

Samples F, G, H, and I have damage levels much higher than samples B, C, and D either due to shirring or pleat-lock at stuffing. There is a tendency for the casing to pinhole during deshirring on a Frank-O-MaticTM stuffing machine. Apparently, the composition containing a 1% proportion of Tween as opposed to a vegetable oil are particularly susceptible to pinhole development at the shirring machine.

All of the casings exhibit excellent peeling characteristics from the sausages processed therein and the number of peeling misses for sausages peeled on the same day range from about 0.2 - 0.8 misses per strand. When the sausages are peeled the next day the misses per strand range from about 0.04 - 0.3 misses per strand. There seems to be little difference in the peeling characteristics of any of the sausage casings tested.

A regenerated cellulose sausage casing is prepared by spraying a coating composition containing 1~ CMC 7Ll, 1% Span 85, 1~ Dur Em 104, and the balance water onto the interior of the casing surface with the apparatus described in Example 1.
Simultaneous with the spraying of the coating composition is the introduction of a lubricating composition consisting of 1~ acetylated monoglyceride and the balance mineral oil in an air spray at a level of 0.1 mg. lubricant per s~uare inch of ~066123 casing. The casings experience a higher degree of breakage on the shirring of small diameter casing than sample B, C, and D of Example 1 but less breakage than with other coating compositions A, E, F, G, H, and I described in Example 1.
The breakage level of larger code, e.g., 25 - 26 mm. casing, is from about 0.2 - 0.4%. The strands are more fragile than the shirred strands made with compositions C and D in Example 1.

A regenerated cellulose casing is prepared by spraying a coating composition comprising 0.25~ CMC, 1~ Span 85, 0.5%
G~O and the balance water onto the interior of the casing in a proportion for providing 0.005 mg. CMC per square inch of casing surface. The acetylated monoglyceride-mineral oil lubricating composition of Example 2 is applied through a separate air stream at a level of 0.05 mg. per square inch of casing surface.
The casing has acceptable shirring and stuffing characteristics and the frequency of breakage and pinholing is low. However, the peeling characteristics are poorer (as determined by peeling misses) than available commercial rapid peel formulations and the casings made with B, C, and D formulations in Example 1.
However, the casings do peel better than casings coated with a ketene dimer.
EXAMoeLE 4 A regenerated cel'lulose casing is prepared by coating the interior of the surface in the manner described in Example 1 with the coating composition comprising 2~ CMC 7LF, 2% GMO, 2~
Span 85, and the balance water at a level for providing 0.2 mg.
CMC per square inch of casing surface. The resulting casings shirr extremely well and experience a low frequency of breakage.
These particular casings are somewhat oily to the touch and fragile and operators have difficulty in placing an end closure in the casing.

Also, it is noted that the meat has a slimy appearance after peeling.
EXAMæLE 5 A regenerated cellulose casing is coated over the inter-nal surface in accordance with the procedure set forth in Example 1 with a coating composition comprising 1~ C~C 7Ll, O.S~
Dur Em 104, 0.05% sodium palmitate, and the balance water at a level for providing 0.06 mg. CMC per square inch of casing surface. The resultant casing has a tendency to jam on the shirring machine to a larger extent than is experienced with samples B, C, and D in Example 1. The presence of sodium palmitate tends to retard the lubricating and anti-pleat lock characteristics of the oleic acid ester.

A regenerated cellulose casing is coated on the internal surface in accordance with the procedure in Example 1 with a coating composition comprising 1~ CMC 7LF, 3~ GMO, 2~ Span 85, and the balance water at a level for providing 0.1 mg. CMC per square inch of casing surface. The casings shirr well but are oily to the ~uch and are more fragile than casings coated with samples B, C, and D in Example 1. It is difficult to place end closures in the casing and to place the casings in the hopper of a high speed stuffing machine without breakage.
When the composition is applied at a level for producing 0.03 mg. CMC per square inch of casing surface the adverse defects in the casing noted above are mitigated. The casing shirrs well without substantial breakage.

Claims (15)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A process for preparing an artificial sausage casing of regnerated cellulose having excellent peelability, shirr-ability, and anti-pleat lock characteristics which comprises:
applying a substantially homogeneous aqueous coating composition comprising a water-soluble cellulose ether, a mixed mono and diglyceride of oleic acid having a capillary melting point not higher than about 130°F. and water to the internal surface of said casing prior to shirring, said compo-sition applied in a proportion for providing from about 0.01 -0.1 mg. cellulose ether and 0.01 - 0.1 mg. of said mixed mono and diglyceride per square inch of casing surface.

2. The process of Claim 1 wherein said coating compo-sition includes a partial fatty acid ester of polyhydric alcohol selected from the group consisting of sorbitan and mannitan.

3. The process of Claim 2 wherein said partial fatty acid ester of polyhydric alcohol is a partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan.

4. The process of Claim 3 wherein said partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan is sorbitan trioleate.

5. The process of Claim 4 wherein said sorbitan trio-leate is applied in a proportion of from about 0.01 - 0.1 mg.
per square inch of casing surface.

6. The process of Claim 5 wherein said cellulose ether is carboxymethyl cellulose.

7. The process of Claim 6 wherein said mixed mono and diglyceride comprises from 40 - 50% monoester, 40 - 50% diester, and not more than about 10% triester.

8. The process of Claim 7 wherein said water-soluble cellulose ether is applied in a proportion of from about 0.03 -0.06 mg. per square inch of casing surface, said mixed mono and diglycerides is applied in a proportion of from about 0.03 -0.06 mg. per square inch of casing surface and said sorbitan trioleate is applied in a proportion of from about 0.03 - 0.06 mg. per square inch of casing surface.

9. An artificial sausage casing of regenerated cellulose having its internal surface coated with substantially homogeneous admixture of a water-soluble cellulose ether in the proportion of 0.01 - 0.1 mg. per square inch and a mixture of mono and diglycerides of oleic acid having a capillary melting point not higher than about 130°F. in the proportion of from 0.01 - 0.1 mg. per square inch of casing surface.

10. The artificial sausage casing of Claim 9 wherein said interior coating on said casing includes a partial fatty acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol selected from the group consisting of sorbitan and mannitan.

11. The artificial sausage casing of Claim 10 wherein said partial fatty acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol is a partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan.

12. The artificial sausage casing of Claim 11 wherein said partial fatty acid ester of sorbitan is sorbitan trioleate.

13. The artificial sausage casing of Claim 12 wherein said cellulose ether is carboxymethyl cellulose.

14. The artificial sausage casing of Claim 13 wherein said mixture of mono and diglyceride comprises from 40 - 50%
monoester, 40 - 50% diester, and not substantially more than about 10% triester.

15. The artificial sausage casing of Claim 14 wherein said carboxymethyl cellulose comprises a proportion of from 0.03 - 0.06 mg. per square inch of casing surface, said mixture of mono and diglyceride comprises a proportion of from 0.03 -0.06 mg. per square inch of casing surface and said sorbitan trioleate comprises a proportion of from about 0.03 - 0.06 mg.
per square inch of casing surface.