How Can Emphasizing Alginate Casings Production Create New Opportunities for Your Business?

Highlights:

• Introduction
• Alginate casings and their applicability
• Use of refractometers in sausage casing processes
• Beneficial acquisitions in the sector

Earlier, sausage skins were made from the small intestine of meat animals. However, in recent years, artificial casings have gained popularity as sausage casing in several regions. This is mainly because of the high cost of producing natural casing products as they undergo a series of processes. However, alginate casings are natural casings that have altered the concept of sausage production significantly. Alginate is found in the cell walls of brown algae from seaweed, and it leads to forming a gel-like substance with calcium ions that can be used as casings for sausages. The best thing about alginate is that it can hold its own weight in water, providing a natural gel substance. The formation of alginate casing removes the need for manual sampling and testing, enhancing both process efficiency and product uniformity; furthermore, it is suitable for vegetarian, halal, and kosher products. In this article, we will talk about how this type of casing can act as the best sausage casing in the coming years, boosting the capabilities of the food and beverages industry with enhanced cooking performance and eating qualities.

How can alginate become a suitable sausage casing for several food businesses in the future?

These days, consumption trends have taken a huge shift. Today, shoppers across the globe are looking for products that are fulfilling their health needs and are sustainably sourced. This has elevated the need for alginate casing that is a 100% natural and sustainable product.  According to Ed Hewitt, the field sales manager of Reiser, a leading equipment manufacturer company, alginate casing can be a more accessible proposition to a wider food manufacturing audience in the coming years. He said, “The company should have started using alginate casing at least five years ago.” He believed that alginate gel possesses the properties to increase the acceptance and understanding of consumers’ tastes and help more companies like them to offer their best cuisines to customers.

The biggest driving force for the rising popularity of alginate casing is its cost-effective production. Nowadays, many food-producing companies are looking for natural, collagen, and cellulose casing to prepare food. The companies are looking for an efficient casing manufacturing process in terms of equipment speed and material. According to recent studies, alginate casing can save up to 75-80% of manufacturing costs than producing other types of casing. Furthermore, the growing interest of consumers in vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian diets has made food manufacturing companies promote the production of alginate casing to serve health-conscious consumers with plant-based products.

Another important point is the processing speed of casings. Compared to sheep and hog casings, alginate, being seaweed-based, takes less time to process. Additionally, alginate casings can be supplied in the form of a powder that customers need to mix with water to produce the gel. This further reduces the shipping costs of casing manufacturers and helps individuals to store these products efficiently. Also, the processing speed of casing is a big advantage. This increases optimum efficiency, thus saving operational costs.

How can in-line refractometers monitor and control sausage casing processes?

In sausage casing production, monitoring and controlling the entire process is necessary to ensure optimum production speeds. Refractometers are monitoring devices that can measure the refractive index (RI) of a solution, denoting its exact salt concentration.  This in-line RI monitoring of the solution can automate the feedback control process and ensure consistent operations. This can further help in maintaining product quality and reduce downtime. Compared to other liquid concentration methods, refractometers are more accurate and reliable and need no regular maintenance. Furthermore, refractometers do not get affected by particles, crystals, bubbles, or color, which makes them ideal for measuring liquid concentration for various solutions. Therefore, they can be used to monitor the production process of alginate gel, collagen gel, and cellulose sausage casings, possessing different salt and solution concentrations.

Key acquisitions that your business should keep a close tab on

The alginate casings industry is predicted to witness a significant growth and is projected to rise at a CAGR of 10.9% from 2023 to 2032. This growth is mainly attributed to the increasing demand for alginate casing as it is derived from a vegan source. Many leading players in the industry have undergone several beneficial mergers and acquisitions to stay ahead in the competitive landscape. For instance, Vaessen-Schoemaker, a leading provider of a wide range of functional solutions for poultry, meat, bakery, and fish announced the acquisition of Agersol Sp. z o.o, a renowned food manufacturing company in Poland. With this acquisition, the Vaessen-Schoemaker aims to expand its product portfolio by adding highly innovative alginate casing technology to its functional ingredients for seafood, meat, vegetarian, and bakery applications to serve its customers with better options.

To conclude, rapid urbanization has impacted the living standards of individuals and increased their income level as well. This can act as a major reason for the growing demand for vegan and meat sausages among individuals globally. Moreover, the increased shift of people toward protein-based diets will further drive the domain with wide opportunities in the future.

To identify and capitalize on the emerging opportunities in the alginate casings industry, feel free to talk to our industry experts today! They can also help you develop new business strategies to improve your business performance.  

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