EP1854736B1 - Humidity control device - Google Patents

Abstract

The regulator has a tubular both-sided closed semi-permeable foil filled with water concerning the whole weight of the regulator of 90 percentage weight and based on cellulose or cellulose fibers. The water lies in the form of water-soaked absorber material. A gel is utilized as a water-soaked absorber formed from carboxylmethyl cellulose with water content of 90 percentage weight, where the regulator contains a micro-biocide agent such as potassium sorbate. An independent claim is also included for a method for providing a temporal and spatial humid air into a package.

Description

The present invention relates to a novel regulator for the targeted and temporally uniform provision of moisture, for example in packaging or transport containers.

Water-absorbent food casings such as plastic casings based on polyamide or cellulose are usually provided in the form of so-called shirred sticks for the meat-processing industry ( DE 89 44 623 C2 ). Due to the significantly reduced length compared to rolls, the processor can process the tubular casing significantly more economical. Such Raffraupen usually have only very little to no water content and are therefore rigid and inflexible. In order to allow now a wrinkle-free filling and possibly to ensure during the subsequent cooking and brewing process and cooling sufficient shrinkage properties of the intestine, which is essential for a smooth, wrinkle-free product, a humidification / hydration is necessary to fill one before the filling to achieve sufficient flexibility and elasticity of the intestine ( DE-A 3 426 723 ). This watering means for the processor an additional process step, which should be avoided for economic reasons.

A way out is that the step of moistening or watering, in which the necessary flexibility for the processing of the shell material is achieved, already carried out at the manufacturer and then the moistened material is packed and shipped. However, this approach is problematic since the storage capacity of the envelope material for moisture relative to the volume of its packaging for transport and storage is usually low, so that it may come to partial drying of the shell material in particular in case of moisture loss by migration from the package. As a result, in turn, the properties that are important in terms of application technology, such as elasticity and flexibility, suffer, so that rewetting may become necessary for the processor.

In EP-A 0 248 860 It is described that the shirred intestines, as a result of, for example, different application of gathering lubricant, have an uneven water absorption during washing and thus different elasticities of the intestine within the bead occur, which is accompanied at the same time by caliber fluctuations during filling. For this reason, pre-wetting of the intestine prior to shirring is carried out in such a way that the intestine is wrapped with water by means of a humidifying machine with an inner bladder. This method has the disadvantage that the goods can not be equipped with a uniform moistening over the roll length. The amount of moisture absorbed by the intestine decreases with roll length.

In EP-A 0640 289 describes a shirred, ready-to-fill conditioned food casing, which is sprayed during shirring with an emulsion of water and roughening lubricant, wherein the production and the uniformity of the sprayability is associated with particular difficulties.

In EP-A 1 013 173 The moistening process is carried out in such a way that particularly good results are achieved when using drops of a certain size.

In the applications described above, the moisture must be applied to the intestinal species either on the shirring machine or on the moistening machine. For this purpose, some difficult, special measures have to be used. In particular, additional measurement effort is to operate.

Because of the permeability of the film bag, there are weight losses in certain hose sleeves, which were subjected to moisture during packaging of the goods. These losses can be very significant because time may have passed between packaging and processing. As the moisture balance changes, so too do the performance characteristics of filling. When filling, the lower humidity of the intestine makes itself very noticeable in the stretching behavior. In addition, the security when closing - here clipping - as a result of the change in the moisture state significantly.

In principle, a direct addition of water in the transport packaging is possible. However, the water would be distributed on the bottom of the packaging so that it is in direct contact with the intestinal material. However, such Raffraupen with adhering liquid droplets have significantly different filling properties in the subsequent filling than those without adherent liquid droplets. Open adherent liquid drops also pose a high risk of germ formation or rapid germ growth.

But not only for the packaging of water-absorbing food casings, the provision of a uniformly moist climate is desirable, even for wood processing, for example in the field of veneer production. There it is necessary to ensure a consistent product quality that the veneers do not dry out during transport and storage.

Object of the present invention what it is now to provide a technically simple and inexpensive regulator available through which creates a humid climate in a room, which is usually a package and this is kept constant over a longer period.

Surprisingly, it has now been found that the underlying object can be achieved by a tubular semi-permeable film closed on both sides, preferably made of cellulose fiber casing or pure Celulosedarm, which is filled with water or with a water-swollen absorber and optionally a biocide.

The invention therefore provides a method for providing a temporally and spatially uniformly moist climate in a packaging for food casings, wherein a regulator comprising a tubular, sealed on the inside half-permeable film based on cellulose or cellulose fibers is used, characterized in that the regulator based on the total weight of the regulator contains at least 90% by weight of water and the water is in the form of a water-swollen absorber material. >

Semipermeable with respect to the films refers to the permeability to water or water vapor.

Based on the initial weight of the regulator, regulators according to the invention release an amount of water of preferably 5 to 20% by weight, particularly preferably 10 to 15% by weight, within 14 days at 20 ° C.

In the anhydrous state, the absorber preferably has a minimum absorption capacity of 20 to 100 g of water per 1 gram of absorber, more preferably 40 to 60 g of water per 1 gram of absorber.

As such absorbers, polyacrylate, silicate or cellulose-based materials are preferably used. Particularly preferred are absorber materials based on carboxymethylcellulose.

In a preferred embodiment, the water-swollen absorber used is a carboxymethyl cellulose gel with a water content of more than 90% by weight.

The humidity regulator preferably has a cylindrical extension with a diameter D and a length L (both measured in mm). The appearance corresponds to a standard filled sausage. The ratio L to D can be varied within a range of 1.5 to 10, with a preferred ratio of 2.5 to 5 being used. The diameter of the regulator varies depending on the amount of the intestinal material to be humidified and the size of the surrounding carton of 35 mm to 90 mm, preferably 40 to 60 mm.

Preferably, the regulator also comprises a microbiocidal active substance with which the tubular semipermeable film closed on both sides is coated or which is contained in the water or water-swollen absorber in the interior of the film.

Preferably, the active ingredient is dissolved in water contained in the interior of the film.

Examples of such microbicidal agents are potassium sorbate, sodium sulfate, natamycin. Preferred microbicide is potassium sorbate.

Preferably, 0.5 to 5 g of the above-mentioned microbicidal agent per 1 kg of water, more preferably 1.5 to 2.5 g of the microbicidal agent per 1 kg of water are used.

As packaging for the Raffraupen plastic bags from polyolefin-containing, preferably polyethylene-containing films are preferably used.

The thickness of the films for producing the packaging bags is preferably 20 to 80 .mu.m, more preferably 40 to 60 microns.

Such shirred sticks are preferably based on biaxially oriented plastic sheaths based on polyamide (PA) or artificial casings based on cellulose. Such materials are common in the field of industrial brewing and cooked sausage making and, for example, in DE-A 43 39 337 and EP-A 530 538 described.

The ratio of weight of the regulator to the weight of the shirred sticks is usually 2 to 12 wt .-%, preferably 4 to 10 wt .-%, particularly preferably 4 to 7 wt .-%.

Particularly preferred conditions arise when the regulator has an approximately cylindrical body with a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 200 mm and a weight of 400 g and this together with 4 to 6 kg Raffraupen in a cardboard volume of 50 to 60 dm ^{3 is} used. In this context, carboxymethyl cellulose is used as absorber material in the regulator.

By the regulators according to the invention, it is possible to maintain a temporally and spatially constantly moist climate over a period of 2 to 12 months, preferably 3 to 6 months, while maintaining the above-defined ratio of regulator to the amount of the roughnecks and the volume of the package It is sufficient that the shirred sticks can be filled without further moistening or washing immediately after removal from the packaging and further processed.

Under a constantly moist climate, a relative humidity of 60 to 95, preferably 70 to 90% understood, which is constant over at least 75, preferably 75 to 85 days, i. a deviation of not more than 10%, preferably not more than 5%.

For mechanical protection, these can then be further packaged in outer packaging, for example made of cardboard or cardboard.

The humidity regulator can be positioned independently of the geometry of the packaging unit. For the packaging of moisture-sensitive tubular casings, cuboidal cartons, which are lined on the inside with a polyethylene bag, have proven successful. Within the contents of the box, the humidity regulator can take all possible positions. Regardless of the position of the humidity regulator (bottom or top), the same effect is achieved for the tubular sheaths.

Preferably, the regulator is used in conjunction with a device which prevents the cellulose fiber gut from coming into direct contact with the product to be moisturized. Such a device may be an optionally perforated tube into which the regulator is inserted. Preferably, at least one side of the tube, more preferably both sides of the tube, is unlocked.

In a preferred embodiment, the tube consists of two half-shells connected to one another with a tube, wherein the two ends of the regulator are preferably fastened between the two half-shells connected to one another, for example by clamping. As a result, the regulator hangs quasi free in the device and its moisture-regulating surface has no direct contact with the packaged product to be kept moist and at the same time only a minimal interaction with the device.

Examples:

Caliber constancy: after 2 weeks or after 3 months: Caliber constancy means the geometric uniformity of the product, which was determined by the uniformity of the diameter along a 25 cm long sausage product. Deviations of +/- 0.1 mm were rated Grade 1 and deviations of more than 0.5 mm Grade 6.

Filling behavior: after 2 weeks or, after 3 months: By filling behavior is meant the safety with which the intestine can be filled in the correct way avoiding bursting of the intestine or jumping off clips or other disturbances. A trouble-free filling of 100 caterpillars was rated grade 1. Grade 5 was awarded to 100 caterpillars in 5 disorders. Non-fillability was rated 6.

Hygiene status 14 days after packaging: Hygienic status is defined as the germ load within the packaging unit. To determine the caterpillars were stored for 14 days in the presence of the test regulator in a Folienbeuten and then de-aired. Then the loading with agar plates ( Saburaut, type no. 1.10413, Merk company, Darmstadt For equal or less than 1 colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 cm ² , the grade 1 was awarded, and at more than 100 CFU / 1 cm ² the grade 5.

example 1

30 m of a polyamide-based, coextruded, biaxially stretched tubular casing (Walsroder® K flex, nominal caliber 60, CaseTech GmbH & Co KG, Walsrode) were ruffled on an axial spinning machine with a shirring tube diameter of 42 mm with a finishing lubricant of paraffin oil with an application weight of 1 percent by weight per intestinal weight , The shirred stick thus obtained had a length of 410 mm.

Subsequently, 20 of these shirred sticks were packed in a LDPE foil bag (wall thickness 50 μm) designed cardboard of dimensions length width / height 410mm / 335mm / 335 m together with a humidity regulator and hermetically sealed. The regulator used was a cellulose fiber casing (Walsroder FR, nominal caliber 50, Casetech GmbH & Co KG, Walsrode) with a weight of 400 g, closed on both sides with metal clips, which was filled with a mixture of water and 1.5 g of potassium sorbate per kg of water.

After 2 weeks storage of the carton at 20 ° C room temperature and 50% relative humidity, the intestine was processed without washing.

Comparative Example C1

The procedure was analogous to Example 1, except that the addition of a regulator was omitted.

Comparative Example V2

The procedure was as in Example 1, wherein here as a regulator both sides verclipste tubular film made of polyamide 6 was used with a wall thickness of 30 .mu.m. The addition of a biocide was omitted.

Example 2

The procedure was as in Example 1, but no biocide was added to the regulator.

Example 3

60 m of a polyamide-based, coextruded, biaxially stretched tubular casing (Walsroder® K flex red, nominal caliber 45, CaseTech, Walsrode, DE) were spray-moistened with water next to the gathering lubricant on a conventional axial-flow machine with a shirring tube diameter of 40 mm. The caterpillars obtained had a length of 420 mm. Subsequently, the procedure was analogous to Example 1, wherein the storage was carried out for 3 months.

Comparative Example C3

The procedure was analogous to Example 3, wherein the use of a humidity regulator was omitted.

The samples from the examples and comparative examples were tested for their practical suitability in the application-technical filling test with artificial meat mass.

The result of the tests will be in the as FIG. 1 attached table:

Claims (8)

1. Process for providing a climate which is uniformly moist with respect to time and space in a packaging for food casings, wherein a control device comprising a flexible tubular semipermeable film closed at both ends is used that is based on cellulose or cellulose fibres, characterized in that the control device contains, based on the total weight of the control device, at least 90% by weight water and the water is present in the form of a water-swollen absorbent material.
2. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that the relative humidity achieved in this case is 70 to 90%, and is constant over at least 75 days with a maximum deviation of 5%.
3. Process according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the water-swollen absorber used is a gel of carboxymethylcellulose having a water fraction of at least 90% by weight.
4. Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control device also comprises a microbicidal active ingredient.
5. Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the microbicidal active ingredient is potassium sorbate.
6. Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control device contains at least 95% by weight water.
7. Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the flexible tubular semipermeable film closed at both ends is cylindrical with a length of 40 to 60 mm and a ratio of length L to diameter D of 2.5 to 5.
8. Process according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the control device, in addition, comprises a perforated tube, wherein the flexible tubular semipermeable film closed at both ends is arranged therein in such a manner that the moisture-releasing surface is not in direct contact with the inner surface of the tube.

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