Low profile water bath co-extrusion process for sausage manufacturing, and machines for use therewith

A system for producing a collagen-encased food product, the system comprising:

• an extrusion head configured to co-extrude a food emulsion and a collagen to coat the food emulsion, producing a linear, collagen-coated food member;
• a brine bath configured to receive the linear food member;
• a cutting/linking device configured to link and cut the bathed linear food member into multiple collagen-coated food links;
• a first compartment configured to receive the collagen-coated food links and subject them to a first aqueous solution to at least partly coagulate the collagen, the first aqueous solution comprising salt and having a pH of less than 4.0 and a temperature between 100° F. to 160° F., the compartment configured to gently agitate the collagen-coated links and carry them from a first point, where they are received in the compartment, to a longitudinally spaced apart second point;
• and
• a second compartment configured to receive the at least partly coagulated collagen-coated food links and subject them to a second aqueous solution to help prepare the collagen for smoking and to remove at least some of the salt of the first aqueous solution, the second aqueous solution comprising food-grade phosphates and being non-acidic and having a temperature between 125° F. to 150° F., wherein the compartment is configured to carry the at least partly coagulated collagen-coated food links from a first point where they are received to a longitudinally spaced apart second point.