When Charles Darwin coined the term ‘natural evolution’ he wasn’t referring to casings. Casings, which have been one of the oldest staples of the meat industry, had been made from the intestines of the animal. These natural casings were variable in size and tended to break apart.

Seventy-five years ago, Teepak introduced its cellulose casings that could be automatically filled and linked. However, the company was one of the earliest to evolve to fibrous casings that gave customers more uniform pieces for larger diameter products and enabled the industry to move towards automation. With its expanded line of flavored and colored fibrous casings, Teepak has once again reinvented the category and is allowing its processor partners to increase productivity as well as increase their product portfolios.

Producing more product at a lower cost are goals all processors are trying to achieve. Teepak’s new line of fibrous casings including its Smok-E, Smok-E Mesquite, Smok-E CMVP, Roast-E, and Versatile Caramel improve productivity primarily by reducing cook cycles. Traditionally, encased products that are put into a smokehouse require up to 14 hours of cook time. The smokehouse humidity levels must be as low as possible to assure maximum distribution of the smoke that is cooking the product. However, when a smoke casing product is put into the smokehouse, the product can be cooked with increased levels of humidity, which results in up to a 40 percent reduction in the cook cycle.

Additionally, with the shorter cooked time come products that retain more of their moisture and weight. The longer a product is cooked, the more moisture is wrenched, resulting in a lower yielding product. Products cooked at a higher humidity with a shorter cook cycle typically result in a 2 percent or more cooking yield improvement. Reducing the cook cycle by 40 percent and improving yields by 2 percent would be reason enough to make the switch to colored, flavored casings. But there is more!

Reduction in downgrades is another enormous benefit resulting from using Teepak Smok-E and Teepak Caramel casings. If a ham, beef or turkey product varies in surface appearance these downgraded products are either sold for a lower price or discarded.  However, products placed in Teepak Smok-E and Teepak Caramel casings have a uniform appearance and are not downgraded.

There are other operational savings resulting from the use of Teepak coated casings.  The less time products spend in the smokehouse, the less energy is used. So not only are products more uniform, cooked less, and with greater yields, but operators are saving on energy costs.  The customer could take advantage of this capacity increase to avoid the capital expense of buying and installing a new smokehouse.  All this from a casing.

While Smok-E and Caramel casings offer production benefits they also ultimately benefit consumers who can be presented with more varieties of their favorite foods. By simply changing to a different Smok-E or Caramel casing, new color and flavor combinations can be implemented.  With these Smok-E casings R&D can now respond to sales with new hickory, mesquite or apple wood smoked ham or poultry products.  With the Teepak Caramel casings different caramel coated roast beef, poultry and baked ham products can be made. The casing allows the processor to get that rich roasted color without smoke flavor. No new ingredients, no new cooking methods, just a different casing. Research and development suddenly has a whole new world of color and flavor combinations to experiment with, and ultimately sales have a larger product portfolio to offer. Win/win.

Teepak’s CMVP barrier casing allows processors to cook with an impermeable casing and deliver flavor and color to the surface of the meat. The inside fibrous layer of Teepak’s CMVP barrier casing serves as a superior color and flavor transfer carrier.  If you have no color and flavor on the surface because you’re cooking with a plastic casing, using CMVP Smok-E or CMVP Caramel casing can you help make the products your customers are looking for.

 Teepak has seen great success from its line of Smok-E casings.  Its new Roast-E casing shows just as much potential for growth. With poultry, oven-roasted products have gained popularity, and processors have looked for a way to get that roasted color and flavor.  Roast-E casing allows the processor to get that rich roasted color without a smoke flavor.  

Roast Beef sliced for sub sandwiches is a fast growing product line.  With Teepak Caramel casings, you can avoid the costly steps of applying Caramel to Roast Beef, and deliver the roasted color your customer needs.

The face of casings is changing thanks to companies like Teepak.  If a product can increase your product portfolio while drastically improving productivity while decreasing costs, than not only is that product important, it is vital.
Teepak. phone (800) 621-0264, or visit www.teepak.com

Smok-E Casing
Benefits:
• Shorten cook cycles
• Increase cook yield
• Eliminates need for purchasing liquid smoke or wood chips
• Increase capacity without capital
• Reduce maintenance and sanitation costs
• Reduce smokehouse emissions
• Improve color uniformity
Caramel Casing
Benefits:
• Add new customer products for delis, sandwich shops, and foodservice
• Eliminate manual applications and clean-up steps (rubbing, dipping, and spraying)
• Visually enhance poultry and beef products
Flavoré Offerings
Flavoré entrées, all with a $6.99 msrp, include:
• Mexicana Pork with Rice — “The perfect opportunity to bring our signature south of the border flavors to your table. Paired with a premium Spanish rice, Chef Brand brings “Grande’” flavor by using a garnish with “heat” . . . southwestern spices, including chipotle chiles.”
• Island Grill Chicken in Caribbean-Style Sauce with Rice — “This authentic Caribbean recipe is enhanced by the use of unique island spices, and it creates a complete meal when served on a bed of steaming plump white rice. As a finishing touch, Chef Brando adds a fabulous garnish of shallots, chives, basil, tarragon, chervil, and dill.”
• Chicken Alfredo with Penne Pasta — “A sumptuous blend of Italian cheeses adorns this traditional cream sauce that couples grilled chicken breasts and penne pasta. As a finishing touch, our Chef adds a fabulous garnish of Parmesan cheese, parsley, and coarse black pepper.”
• Beef Burgundy with Penne Pasta — “The classic treatment of beef  — served on a bed of pasta — and complemented by a truly outstanding burgundy sauce. As a finishing touch, our Chef adds a fabulous garnish of Fines Herbs: parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon.”
• Yankee Pot Roast with Gravy — “Fork tender and smothered in a luscious gravy. No pot roast can compare to this American classic. It’s comfort food at its best. As a finishing touch, our Chef adds a garnish of traditional spices and parsley.”
• Marinara Sauce with Italian-Style Meatballs and Penne Pasta — “The traditional marinara sauce — made with crushed plum tomatoes — couples with mama’s Old-World meatball recipe creates the perfect Italian dining experience in your own home. As a finishing touch, or Chef adds a fabulous garnish of oregano, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.”
• Italian-Style Meat Loaf with Asiago Cheese in Marinara Sauce — “With the introduction of the classic Asiago cheese and slow-cooked in a full flavored marinara sauce, this meatloaf is an instant Italian-American classic. As a finishing touch, our Chef adds a beautiful garnish of oregano, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.”
• Southwestern Meat Loaf in a Chipotle Sauce — “We’ve taken meatloaf to new heights by enhancing this recipe with an authentic Southwestern Chipotle sauce. Chef Brando brings “Grande’” flavor by using a garnish with “heat”. . Southwestern spices, including chipotle chiles.”