5 Types of Sausage Casings Explained
Sausage-making has been around for thousands of years. So when it comes to types of sausage casings, it only makes sense that there are a variety available today. From natural hog casings to collagen casings, sausage manufacturers can choose from a handful of different options to complement their premium products.
But selecting the right casing type can be easier said than done.
In this guide, we’re breaking down five of the most popular types of sausage casings to help you determine which casing has the physical qualities, machinability, and storage requirements best suited to your business’s tradition of sausage products.
Why Casing Selection Matters
Casing not only determines the bite, but also the shape and appearance of your sausage. So, whether you operate a butcher shop, a meat locker, or a regional production facility, your casing selection has a big impact on the look and taste of your final product.
It can also impact the efficiency and success of your operations, making casing selection a crucial part of the sausage manufacturing process.
Factors to Consider in Casing Selection
Different types of casings offer different qualities in terms of product:
- Consistency
- Texture
- Shelf stability
For instance, natural casings are shelf-stable because they’re heavily salted. While artificial (or synthetic) casings can’t offer the same in terms of shelf-stability, they can provide uniform sizing, unlike natural casings.
To find the best casing, consider what factors are important to your final product, whether that’s a traditional texture, consistent sizing, or something else entirely.
Compatibility with High-Volume Processing Equipment
For large-scale sausage manufacturers, machinability is an essential consideration when it comes to choosing the right casing.
For instance, natural casings are more prone to tears and breakage on high-volume equipment if not prepared and handled correctly. On the other hand, the uniform size and shape of artificial casings make them better suited for processing equipment.
Matching Casing to Cooking Method
Are you producing fresh, smoked, or semi-dried sausages? If you want a delicious final product, your casing type has to meet your needs:
- Fresh – For fresh sausages, you need a casing that offers a tender texture and a satisfying snap.
- Smoked – The best casings for smoked sausages need to be able to withstand the smoking process while still allowing that smoky flavor to come through.
- Semi-dried – These sausage casings need to be able to maintain their shape during the drying process.
An Overview of Natural Casings
The original sausage packaging, natural casings are harvested from hog, sheep, and beef digestive tracts. They’ve served as a timeless tool in the sausage industry due to their characteristic strength and flexibility. This is thanks to the digestive tract’s collagen-rich submucosa layer.,
The submucosa provides natural casings with the following traits:,
- Permeability of water vapor, gases, and smoke—enhancing flavor and color
- Ability to expand and contract around sausage mixture without breakage
- Signature bite, knack, and snap in texture, plus curvature in shape
Not to mention, natural casings boast a wide variety of sizes and applications within the sausage manufacturing industry.
1. Natural Hog Casings
When made from rounds or middles, natural hog casings measure out at a relatively small diameter of 30-42 mm.
In terms of application, hog casings offer a range of possibilities. They’re suitable for fresh, semi-dry, and smoked sausages.
Ideal For Sausages with a Tender Bite
From chorizo to bratwurst to kielbasa, natural hog casings can take you all around the world while upholding a tender bite.
2. Natural Sheep Casings
Due to their small diameter of 20-28 mm, natural sheep casings are best for the following sausage varieties:
- Snack sticks
- Breakfast links
- Hot dogs
Small-diameter sausages with a natural curve and delicate snap—such as snack sticks or hot dogs—are often produced using natural sheep casings.
Beneficial for Fine-Emulsion Products and Uniform Appearance
Natural sheep casings are preferred for their ability to deliver smooth emulsion textures and a traditional, uniform appearance. Additionally, there isn’t a more organic option out there for packaging bulk orders of identical sausages.
3. Natural Beef Casings
The most robust of natural casings, natural beef casings get the job done when it comes to large sausages and specialty meats.
Size-Specific Applications of Natural Beef Casings
Beef casings are harvested from a variety of sources within the animal, giving your clients the choice of countless sausages and specialty meats.
The main types of beef casings and their most popular applications include:,
- Rounds — Beef rounds are perfect for ring bologna, ring liver sausage, and mettwurst.
- Middles — We recommend using beef middles to produce leona style sausage, dry and semi-dry cervelats, dried salami, and summer sausage.
- Bung caps — This beef casing variety performs best with capicola, bologna, head cheese, and cooked salami.
Beef casing edibility varies by type—rounds are edible, while thicker options like bung caps typically require removal before consumption.
The Thicker the Casing, the Thicker the Sausage
With an average diameter of 5-6 cm, beef casings are used in the production of your most popular, wide-diameter fresh, smoked, and semi-dry products listed above.
While they perform similarly to other natural casings in terms of permeability and appearance, their bite is different. Since beef casings are typically removed prior to consumption, their primary contribution lies in shaping and protecting the product during processing
Natural Casing Preparation & Care
Hog, sheep, and beef casings require similar storage and handling throughout the sausage production process. In particular, these natural casings:
- Must be stored in dry salt or brine
- Should always be refrigerated at a temperature of 40°F (4.4°C) and never frozen
- Require several hours of pre-soaking to achieve peak elasticity
4. Collagen Casings (Artificial)
Collagen casings were invented in the 20th century to meet increasing demand in sausage production. They continue to be integral in the industry due to their affordability, efficiency, and low labor requirement.
Edible vs. Inedible Collagen Casings
Collagen casings are manufactured from collagen-rich animal products and strengthened with cellulose. Consequently, they share many of the same traits as natural casings, such as edibility. In fact, edible collagen casings are even stronger than natural casings, yet they’re still easy to bite. These casings are ideal for products like frankfurters and snack sticks.
Inedible casings, while still a great alternative to natural casings, are more for show and shape. They’re popular picks for dried salami and lunchmeat products.
Low Maintenance, High Machinability
The main difference between collagen casings and their natural casing counterparts comes down to:
- Preparation – Edible collagen casings don’t require pre-soaking before stuffing.
- Handling – Edible collagen casings offer pressure resistance and flexibility, making them naturally compatible with industrial equipment.
Shelf-Stable & Available in Bulk
Though they don’t require refrigeration, it’s best to keep your eye on humidity levels when storing your collagen casings. This is because collagen casings are susceptible to fluctuations in moisture. As such, they should be stored in an airtight bag or container in a cool, dark place.
When you order collagen casings, you can expect a uniform look and consistent texture that’s ready for your premium sausage emulsions.
5. Fibrous Casings (Artificial)
Artificial fibrous casings are considered the most machine-ready sausage casing product. Their uniformity and pressure resistance make them a preferred choice among industrial-scale sausage producers.
Best Suited for Smoked and Shelf-Stable Sausages
Due to their proven performance in the sausage production process, fibrous casings can be used for a wide variety of dry and semi-dry products (e.g., summer sausage and salami).,
Durability, Accuracy, & (Non)edibility
Fibrous casings are reinforced with cellulose fibers, so their high durability comes at the cost of being inedible. However, their uniformity and controlled stretching make portion control and weight-specific packaging effortless.,
Natural casings are also available in a wide range of sizes to meet diverse sausage production needs.,
Practical Storage and Handling
Fibrous casings don’t require refrigeration or soaking. However, consider giving them a brief, 30-minute bath in warm water right before stuffing to increase machinability.
Similar to collagen casings, it’s best to store fibrous casings in a cool, dark place for maximum shelf life.,,
Choose the Right Casings with Oversea Casing
Here at Oversea Casing, we understand how crucial it is to match casing type to both your product and equipment. That’s why we make it easy to access the casings you need. Partner with Oversea Casing for reliable supply, flexible ordering options, and global distribution capabilities. As a Safe Quality Food-certified company with almost 100 years of experience, we support B2B partners like you in producing high-quality sausages and specialty meats.
Explore our easy-to-use website or reach out to customer service to find the best casing for your next bulk batch of sausages.
Sources:
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sausage Casings. https://www.fao.org/4/x6556e/X6556E03.htm
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Meat Processing Technology for Small - to Medium - Scale Producers. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/4cfabbd3-16aa-47f8-ac6f-b54a48cb8abd/content
Meat Science. Casing Technologies for Processed Meat Products. https://meatscience.org/docs/default-source/publications-resources/rmc/2013/reciprocation-2013---kohl-schrader.pdf?sfvrsn=2
North Dakota State University. The Art and Practice of Sausage Making. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/art-and-practice-sausage-making#:~:text=on%20the%20packages.-,Grinding%20and%20mixing,and%20mix%20thoroughly%20by%20hand.
Science Direct. Collagen arrangement and strength in sausage casings produced from natural intestines. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268005X22001321
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