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US 6,279,737 B1Granted
Food casing package and method of preparing
AssigneeViskase Corporation
InventorsLarry Clyde Long, Frederick Maynard Merritt, II, Jeffery Allen Oxley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a package containing a plurality of cut lengths of fibrous casing which are moisturized to substantially soaked levels of moisture and are retained in an evacuated plastic bag wherein the moisture level of the casing is derived from free water added into the bag prior to evacuation. Also disclosed is a method of packaging cut lengths of casing which provides for the addition of soaked levels of moisture to the casing in the bag.
Claims9
A food casing package comprising:
- a) a plurality of flattened cut lengths of fibrous casing arranged in a stack;
- b) each of said cut lengths in said stack having a first open end and a second end which is closed;
- c) said stack of cut lengths of casing being disposed in a sealed, air tight and at least partly evacuated plastic bag, said bag having moisture barrier properties;
- and
- d) each of said cut lengths having a glycerine content of 20% to 40% and a uniform moisture content of 100% to 170% based on the weight of dry cellulose in the casing, said moisture content being derived from a measured amount of free water added into said bag prior to evacuation and sealing of the bag the in situ moisturization of said cut lengths in said bag after evacuation.
2 more elements
A method of preparing a package of cut lengths of fibrous casings comprising the steps of:
- a) arranging a plurality of relatively dry cut lengths of fibrous casing in a stack, each of said cut lengths having an open end and a closed end and each having a moisture content of about 7% to 10% and a glycerine content of 20% to 40% based on the dry weight of cellulose in the casing;
- b) inserting the stack into a plastic bag having moisture barrier properties;
- c) introducing a measured amount of free water into the bag, the amount of free water being sufficient to raise the moisture content of each cut length to a level of 100% to 170% based on the weight of dry cellulose in the casing;
- d) evacuating air from the plastic bag to collapse the bag about the stack thereby pressing the free water into close contact with the stack of cut lengths of casing;
- e) sealing the bag to provide an air tight closure while maintaining the bag in an evacuated condition;
- and
- f) maintaining the sealed bag for at least a time interval prior to opening sufficient to permit the added free water to equilibrate throughout each cut length such that each cut length after said time interval is at a substantially uniform moisture content of 100% to 170% and a glycerine content of 20% to 40% based on the weight of dry cellulose in the casing.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.