Collagen compositions having crosslinking agent incorporated therein and the method of preparing the same

A collagenous tubular food casing having uniformly incorporated therein at least about 0.3% by weight to about 9% by weight of said casing of a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of unsaturated fatty acids having more than two double bonds, tri fatty acid esters of glycerol and unsaturated fatty acids having more than two double bonds, natural oils containing fatty acid esters with at least 11% by weight of the fatty acid residues thereof having more than two double bonds, fatty acid esters of an unsaturated fatty acid and an unsaturated fatty alcohol, and mixtures of the same.

A method of preparing a formable collagen composition suitable for use in preparing a shaped collagen structure including the step of uniformly incorporating into a formable collagen composition a crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of unsaturated fatty acids having more than two double bonds, tri fatty acid esters of glycerol and unsaturated fatty acids having more than two double bonds, natural oils containing fatty acid esters, with at least 11% by weight of the fatty acid residues thereof having more than two double bonds, fatty acid esters of an unsaturated fatty acid and an unsaturated fatty alcohol, and mixtures of the same in an amount of at least about 0.5% by weight up to about 15% by weight of said crosslinking agent based on the solids content of said collagen composition.