Troubleshooting Fresh

Fresh Sausage

• Shelf Life Problems
• No Particle Definition/Smear
• Graying
• Cloudy Casings
• Threads Of Connective Tissue Or Whiskers

Shelf Life Problems - (back to top)

Sanitation in the kitchen – SSOPs. Everything may look clean and you might think you could eat off that sausage table. The truth is bacteria grows best where it’s wet and bacteria could be thriving on the wet table surface. The bacteria on the sausage table can contaminate the fresh sausage made on that equipment and can grow in the uncooked meat to shorten your fresh sausage shelf life. Having a standard operating procedure for sanitation which tests for cleanliness and bacteria contamination will help maximize your fresh sausage shelf life.

Temperature – 40º is the threshold for rapid bacterial growth. Temperature is a key to bacteria growth. Bacteria grows logarithmically above 40º F (4.44ºC). That means for every degree in temperature above 40º F (4.44ºC), bacteria counts double. That also means your sausage can have a drastically shortened shelf life the longer it remains in temperatures above 40º F (4.44ºC). It is very important to keep the meat block below 40º F (4.44ºC) while processing. The sausage kitchen should be kept at 40º F (4.44ºC) and the finished product should be put in the cooler immediately.

Ingredients – Fresh ingredients should be properly stored.  Ingredients can become contaminated and spoil because of improper storage. Casings, natural and synthetic, can become contaminated with bacteria or hazardous material through improper storage. Natural casings should be kept in salt or brine (salt & water) in a cooler at 40º F (4.44ºC) or cooler. Freezing is not recommended because it can weaken the casing once opened. Collagen casings and fibrous casings can mold if stored in warm damp areas. They should be sealed in vacuum pouches or at least a sealed plastic bag in a dry cooler once opened.

Casings – Mucosa in a casing. Patches of spongy tissue on the inside of natural casings retain moisture and bacteria and could shorten fresh sausage shelf life. It is important to buy a hog casing which undergoes a stringent cleaning process to remove the mucosa lining of the casing.

No Particle Definition/Smear - (back to top)
Softened fat forms smeared grease on the inside of the casing. Smeared white patches on the inside of the casings obscure the particle definition in fresh sausage. It sometimes looks like very opaque patches on the sausages.

Temperature of the meat block and formula.  When making fresh sausage it is imperative to keep the meat block at 32° -34° when processing. If you keep the meat block appropriately chilled, the fat will maintain a solid form and will not become softened or liquefied to smear on the inside of the casing.

Overworking of formula in equipment; friction causes heat and denaturing of fat and proteins.  Over mixing or working the sausage formula creates friction and heat which softens the fat particles. The softened particles smear along the inside of the casing and form patches of opaque material which obscure particle definition.

Changing from a smooth horn to a fluted horn may minimize or eliminate smearing.

Graying - (back to top)
Fresh sausage turns gray due to oxidation. Using UV filtering plastic over wrap on tray packs can cut down on the UV light effecting your sausage color.

A tinted collagen casing like fresh collagen for retailers can keep fresh sausage looking pink and fresh longer. Use it on manufactured style fresh sausage in combination with UV blocking over wrap and that means more sausage sales.

Cloudy Casings - (back to top)
Hog casings can vary in thickness and opacity presenting a cloudy appearance, which makes it more difficult to see the fresh wholesome ingredients in your sausage. Consumers often make choices based on eye appeal. To maximize sales buy hog casings with more clarity. Ask your DeWied Account Executive for alternatives.

Threads Of Connective Tissue Or Whiskers - (back to top)
Threads of connective tissue or whiskers visible on sausage. Hog casings processed with a knife to separate them from connective tissue during production, often have threads of fatty connective tissue left on the inside curve of the casing. These white threads vary in length. On fresh sausage they are most visible immediately after stuffing sausage but become translucent and are almost unnoticed after the sausage takes on its bloom. DeWied has REAL™ brand hand pulled hog casings that do not have threads of connective tissue or whiskers. DeWied’s FRESHLINK™ casings also offer whisker free appearance but added strength and long strands of a knife cut casing.