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Hot Dog ProductionGrinding
Blending
Stuffing
Smoking
Packaging
Grinding
The first step in sausage production is grinding the ingredients. This stage reduces the meat ingredients into small, uniformly sized particles. Ground meat is the primary ingredient in a sausage formulation. The meat must be clean, sound, and wholesome. The meat is inspected prior to use, to ensure that it was not contaminated during handling. The specific meat used in a sausage formulation must be correctly identified by type and quantity. Prior to grinding, the meat is held in cold storage. The grinder blades are sharp and matched with the grinding plate to ensure an efficient grind without generating extra heat during the grinding process.
Blending
The blending of the meat and non-meat ingredients is carefully controlled to create the desired characteristics. The meat and non-meat ingredients are placed in a mixer and thoroughly blended. Excessive mixing can cause the salts in the formulation to break down excessive amounts of protein, or friction created by the blending process can increase the product temperature and cause fats to partially render. Excessive handling also cuts protein fibers too short. All of these problems could result in product quality defects.
Stuffing
When the blending is complete, the meat is injected into casings.
20 years ago only natural casings were used. Today also artificial casings are used.
Smoking
The raw sausages are now placed on a cart in a smoking chamber. The sausages need to hang separately without touching each other, to allow an even smoking. With a wind speed corresponding with a powerful storm, dry warm air is blown through the chamber. This process allows the sausage to emit its surface moisture. At the same time a smoke generator outside the chamber creates natural smoke, via a carefully controlled burning of beech wood. This smoke is distributed by large ventilators. Apart from adding flavour, this process also gives the sausage its delicious reddish brown colour. Under the artificial casings a new strong protein casing is created because of the heat. In the last minutes of the process the sausages are steamed, to make them soft and well-done. This whole process takes about 1˝ hours.
Packaging
Before the sausages are packed, the artificial casing is removed, since it is no longer necessary to keep the shape. Now the sausages are over poured with water containing salt. This concentration matches the concentration in the sausages. This ensures that the spices stay in the sausages. When the sausages and the brine are placed in the glass a machine blows steam into the glass after which a twist-off lid is automatically applied. The steam forces out the air. After applying the lid the steam condenses, by which a vacuum is created.
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