Sheep Casing vs Collagen Casing
In the world of sausage production, the type of casing you choose can significantly impact everything from texture and appearance to efficiency and consumer appeal. Two of the most widely used options in sausage making are sheep casings and collagen casings.
Sheep casings are a natural choice trusted by high-volume processors for their clean-label appeal, tender bite, and traditional snap. They're widely used in automated production of hot dogs, snack sticks, and breakfast sausages.
Collagen casings, by contrast, are manufactured from processed animal collagen and offer a uniform, ready-to-use alternative that also supports high-speed, high-volume production—particularly in applications where shelf stability or rigid standardization is the priority.
Understanding these two casing types is essential for processors hoping to create the best possible final product. Let’s explore the key differences in sheep casing vs. collagen casing—including their ideal use cases, preparation tips, and more.
What Are Sheep and Collagen Casings?
Choosing the right sausage casing enhances your entire production process—from manufacturing efficiency to final texture and customer satisfaction. For processors, understanding the pros and cons of natural sheep casings and their collagen alternatives is critical.
While they both serve the same essential purpose—holding the sausage together during production, cooking, and consumption—their properties and performance differ in key ways.
Sheep Casings
Sheep casings are natural casings made from the submucosal layer of sheep intestines. This layer offers a unique combination of strength and delicacy, making it ideal for producing small-diameter sausages with a tender bite and premium appearance.
They’re commonly used in high-quality, small-diameter sausages like:
- Breakfast links
- Snack sticks
- Hot dogs
Their translucent appearance also allows the meat and spices inside to peek through, enhancing shelf appeal and signaling their quality.
Sheep casings are considered the gold standard for making the best sausages—especially when it comes to snack-sized, breakfast, and fine-dining varieties—for several key reasons: Delicate Bite and Signature “Snap”, Ideal for Small-Diameter Sausages, Clean-Label, Edible, and All-Natural. They’re especially well-suited for high-speed or hand-linking of fine emulsions, where consistency and smoothness matter most.
Collagen Casings
Collagen casings are made from processed collagen, typically derived from beef or pork hides. While some are edible, others are not, and they are synthetic in nature, created through industrial processing. Processing forms this collagen into uniform tubes. These tubes attempt to mimic the function of natural casings while offering consistency and convenience.
Collagen casings come in both edible and non-edible varieties. Manufacturers commonly use them for products like:
- Snack sticks
- Pepperoni sticks
- Certain types of hot dogs
Key Differences Between Sheep and Collagen Casings
While both sheep and collagen casings serve the same purpose by encasing sausage emulsions into uniform links, their characteristics vary significantly. From how they look to how they pack to how they cook, these differences can impact everything from processing efficiency to consumer satisfaction.
Let’s take a closer look at how sheep and collagen casings compare across several key factors:
Size and Appearance
Sheep casings have some variability in diameter because of their natural origin. Due to this variation, they’re sorted into different calibers like:
- 20/22 mm
- 22/24 mm
- 24/26 mm
- 26/28 mm
This sorting process results in relatively uniform sizing, but slight differences can still occur along each strand. This variation can give the final product a more natural look that some producers prefer for certain sausage types.
On the other hand, collagen casings are manufactured for precision. They come in exact diameters and deliver a smooth, uniform appearance from end to end.
Texture and Bite
Sheep casings provide a tender texture and noticeable snap when bitten, which many consumers associate with traditional sausage. This contributes to the overall eating experience, complementing the flavor and moisture of the filling.
Collagen casings tend to have a firmer or tougher bite, and often lack the same natural snap. Edible collagen can sometimes leave a slightly papery mouthfeel. The look uniform in appearance, but often look artificial.
Dry collagen casings, often used in shelf-stable products like snack sticks, can be tougher or drier depending on the formulation. While functional and efficient, they may not offer the same mouthfeel as sheep casings, and, in certain applications, collagen casings are discarded prior to consumption.
Cooking Performance
Both sheep and collagen casings allow smoke and seasoning to penetrate during processing, but they respond differently to heat and humidity:
- Sheep casings - Sheep casings shrink naturally with the meat as it cooks or cures, creating a tight fit that helps reduce wrinkling and separation. They also retain moisture well, which leads to a juicy and visually appealing final product.
- Collagen casings – Collagen casings may become brittle at higher temperatures, especially if exposed to sudden heat changes or overcooking. While they perform well in controlled, industrial environments, they can crack if not handled properly during thermal processing.
These differences make sheep casings a flexible choice for a variety of cooking methods, while collagen casings are better suited to precise, high-efficiency production lines.
Handling and Stuffing Considerations
Sheep casings generally require more preparation. Before stuffing, salted sheep casings need to be soaked and flushed to rehydrate and remove any residual salt from storage.
Sheep casings are used successfully in high-speed, high-volume operations around the world—especially when packed to match machine specifications or delivered tubed for streamlined stuffing.
Collagen casings are ready to use straight from the package. This means they’re easy to load onto stuffing equipment with minimal prep and handle the rigors of automated production without tearing.
Best Use Cases for Each Casing
Choosing between sheep and collagen casings ultimately comes down to your product goals, brand positioning, and manufacturing setup. Understanding where each performs best can help streamline decision-making and deliver the quality your customers expect.
When to Use Sheep Casings
Sheep casings are a top choice for sausage makers who demand both performance and product quality. Their natural texture and thin walls offer a delicate, satisfying snap that elevates the overall product experience.
These casings are key when product presentation and texture are just as important as flavor. Sheep casings are a strong match for:
- Breakfast sausages
- Hot dogs and frankfurter
- Snack sticks with a natural look
- Specialty sausages where appearance and mouthfeel matter
Their delicate texture and uniform bite make sheep casings especially appealing for premium product lines. These casings enhance visual presentation and contribute to the overall eating experience, which is especially important in retail environments where product differentiation is key.
When to Use Collagen Casings
Collagen casings are designed for efficiency, making them ideal for producers with high-volume output goals. They’re well-suited for:
- Smoked snack sticks
- Breakfast sausage
- Pepperoni and salami
In fast-paced production environments, collagen casings offer consistency and efficiency. They require little to no preparation, making them ideal for high-speed, automated equipment.
These casings are especially useful in centralized manufacturing settings where uniformity across thousands (or millions) of units is essential.
Storage and Preparation Tips
Proper storage and preparation play a crucial role in casing performance during production. How your casings are handled before stuffing also impacts product appearance, yield, and texture.
Natural and collagen casings require different storage conditions and prep times. Understanding these nuances helps maintain quality while keeping your workflow efficient.
Proper Storage for Natural Casings
Careful storage preserves the natural integrity of sheep casings. Store them in salt or brine below 40°F (4.4°C), ideally in a sealed container to prevent contamination and dehydration.
It's important not to freeze sheep casings, as freezing can damage the delicate collagen fibers and lead to brittleness or breakage during stuffing.
With proper storage, sheep casings can last for several years of time without losing their quality.
Proper Storage for Collagen Casings
Collagen casings should be kept in a dry, cool clean area. As long as the packaging remains sealed and away from direct heat or humidity, collagen casings often maintain shelf stability for months, making them a low-maintenance option for busy operations.
Refrigeration is only necessary if the manufacturer specifically recommends it.
Preparing Natural Casings Before Use
Before stuffing, sheep casings must be properly rehydrated to restore flexibility and prevent tearing during production. Start by thoroughly rinsing the outside of the casings under cold water to remove excess salt.
Then, flush the inside by gently running water through each strand—this helps remove any remaining salt, identify potential knots or twists, and ensure the casings are fully opened and ready to fill.
After rinsing and flushing, soak the casings in lukewarm water (75–90°F) for at least 30 minutes, or until they feel soft and pliable. If the casings are still stiff after soaking, replace the water and continue until the desired elasticity is reached. Proper preparation helps minimize breakage during stuffing and supports smooth, efficient throughput on the production line.
Proper soaking not only improves stuffing performance but also enhances the final texture and bite of the sausage.
Preparing Collagen Casings Before Use
Collagen casings usually come ready to use straight out of the package. Their low-prep nature helps streamline production lines and reduces setup time, which can be an advantage for facilities focused on efficiency and volume.
Choosing the Right Fit with Oversea Casing
At the end of the day, the choice between sheep casing vs collagen casings comes down to your product goals and customer expectations.
Oversea Casing is proud to be the only manufacturer of American lamb and sheep casings—offering unmatched quality, traceability, and sourcing transparency that no other supplier can provide. We understand that your success hinges on both quality and practicality, and we’re here to support both.
That’s why we offer a wide range of sheep and collagen casings to meet the needs of all processors—large and small. Whether you’re turning out traditional specialty sausages or producing thousands of snack sticks a day, our team is here to help you select the casing that fits your exact needs.
Sources:
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Sausage Casings. https://www.fao.org/4/x6556e/X6556E03.htm.
Kansas State University. Are All Meat Casings Edible?. https://www.asi.k-state.edu/doc/meat-science/are-all-meat-casings-edible.pdf.