Sausage is eaten all over the world. According to the International Natural Sausage Casing Association, Alexandria, Egypt, it’s the oldest and most enduring form of processed meat.
In the beginning, sausage relied on natural casings — the intestines of animals — but today options have expanded and natural casings have been joined by collagen, cellulose, fibrous and plastic options, plus plant-based alginate, which is coextruded along with the meat.