Natural casings

Natural intestines have been used in a wide variety of ways for 5000 years. The Sumerians, who lived in what is now Iraq, were familiar with meat products around 4000 years ago that, similar to our modern sausages, were stuffed into goat stomachs. The Chinese sausage Lacháng, made from goat and lamb meat, was first mentioned in 589 BC. The Greek poet Homer also mentioned a type of blood sausage in his Odyssey, written around 720 BC. Sheep intestines have been produced and used as cooking aids in Persia since 3000 BC. Around 1000 years ago, they served as flotation devices for elite soldiers in the Persian army.

Today, they are used to string tennis rackets and make musical instruments. William Shakespeare has one of his characters in "Much Ado About Nothing" say: "Is it not strange that sheep intestines can draw the soul out of a man's body?" This refers to the playing of stringed musical instruments, which apparently evoked strong emotions in contemporaries. Sheep intestines were also used in perfumery to seal the bottles containing the most precious fragrances.

In the mid-17th century, an English court physician recommended condoms made from sheep intestines, for which he was knighted. He went down in history as "Dr. Condom." These condoms were not replaced by rubber models until 200 years later. In the 20th century, catgut (sheep intestines) was used as a natural material in medicine because it has the advantage of dissolving completely. It is still used in veterinary medicine today.

Furthermore, natural casings are one of the oldest packaging materials in the world. They are used as sausage casings. They also have no inherent flavor. These are primarily intestines from cattle, pigs, and sheep. Small intestines are composed of collagen (a fibrous albuminoid component of bone, cartilage, and connective tissue). Therefore, they possess many of the properties common to all types of collagen, especially the unique property of variable permeability, which allows the sausage's aroma to develop particularly well.

Sausages in natural casings have been a staple food for over 2000 years. Their history is as old as humankind and civilization itself. Known as the oldest form of processed meat, they can even be considered the world's first true "convenience food." Even in medieval monasteries, sausages were filled into sheep, beef, or pork intestines for storage. Many of today's sausage recipes trace their origins back to this practice.

Over the last thousand years, sausage making has evolved into a venerable and highly developed craft, giving rise to a rich tradition. Many families have passed down their special skills across dozens of generations and nations, with each sausage maker contributing their own flavor and heritage to this art, which has also been influenced by market demand and available ingredients. The German word "Wurst" means something like "to twist, mix, roll, or turn." This word first appeared in written form in the 11th century.

With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, the 20th century burst with new technology, and the world's population grew by billions. Mass production initially focused solely on quantity and speed. Over time, quality gained increasing importance within the new technology. This was only possible because natural casings are very durable and therefore allow for excellent results in sausage production.

Thanks to advanced hygiene and quality management systems, natural casings have made the leap into the modern food industry, moving away from being waste products of the past. The challenges of efficiency and quality have been overcome, and high-quality products have been developed that meet food safety standards.

Today, in the 21st century, literally thousands of variations of traditional and designer sausages are produced worldwide. And while there are now three basic types of sausage casings (natural, collagen, and cellulose—collagen and cellulose casings are relatively new to the field of artificial casings, created out of necessity due to ever-increasing demand during the 20th century), natural casings are still the preferred choice of sausage chefs everywhere.

Over half (56%) of the German sausage assortment is now encased in this natural product. According to the manufacturers, approximately 80% of this is contained in pork or sheep intestines (Sheep casings). With around 1500 different types of sausage, Germany offers a diversity that is unique worldwide.

With total sales of DM 1.1 billion (1998) and 6,100 employees, the natural casing trade has developed into a significant economic factor in Germany. According to a 1997 survey by ENSCA, sales in the European natural casing trade amounted to DM 2.2 billion, with 13,000 employees reported.

The revenue generated by the German natural casing industry accounts for approximately half of the total revenue of the European casing market. Germany's share of the European market for exports is approximately 401,030 tons, while its share for imports is 431,000 tons.

With roughly a third of global sales, Germany is the most important international trading hub for natural casings. If all the natural casings processed in Germany each year were laid end to end, they would stretch for 1.4 million kilometers. This is equivalent to 38 times the circumference of the equator.

Source: Federal Statistical Office, Wiesbaden