U.S. Would Like More Casings

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30895, 30 October 1965, Page 16

U.S. Would Like More Casings

The United States would like from New Zealand more casings for sausage manufacture, Mr V. Novak, of the American firm of Dcwied Casing Company, said in Christchurch last evening.

Mr Novak, whose firm also has London offices, said that the greatest difficulty in obtaining more sheep casings for the United States market was that New Zealand suppliers were already committed to traditional markets such as the United Kingdom and the number of sheep killed was limited. The quality of New Zealand casings was as good as could be obtained, he said. Exports of casings to the United States met no difficulties with health regulations. More casings were wanted from New Zealand as the United States sheep kill each year was declining, especially in midwestern areas. People there were moving away from eating lamb except in the New England States and on the West Coast. In Southern States practically no lamb was eaten. Relevance of Price “If the New Zealand dealer does not get a too-high flown idea about the price he asks for his product natural casings would be well able to compete with artificial casings which in the States today account for about 90 per cent of the casing market.” Mr Novak said natural casings had the advantage over the artificial product of being more pleasant to bite on in a hot dog. They also had more flavour. The disadvantage of natural casings was that they were not as uniform in size as the artificial product. The uniformity made the artificial casings suitable for mass production methods.

The best casings, he considered, were taken from grass-eating lambs which weighed between 331 b and 361 b dressed on the hooks” Lambs under 301 b among those killed early, particularly between November and December or which had not been weaned, did not provide such satisfactory casings, he said.