Edible glues for CHEESE and MEAT PRODUCTS

The use of edible glues in the food industry is becoming more and more widespread. There is a trend in the market where the decoration or addition of spices on the surface of cured sausages, meat preparations and cheeses are in increasing demand.

In addition, there is a growing demand for glues that are safer, all-natural, bio and environmentally-friendly. This is why efforts are being made to evolve the meat and cheese industry to the top level to make it fully sustainable.

The use of different edible coatings and glue agents are intended to provide some kind of benefit to the food, for example, to protect it, to enhance its properties, to join different areas of the food, etc.

Creating an outer layer on the surface of the cured sausage or cheese with spices or other ingredients may increase the commercial value of the original products. Spices and other ingredients used in the coating of cured sausages and cheeses could add flavour to the original product. The enhanced appearance of the cured sausage or cheese leads the customer to perceive the product in a more valuable way. Cheeses or sausages with spices on their surface stand out from other traditional products, offering consumers new experiences.

Historically, inedible plastic glues have been used to glue the spices on the surface of cured sausages and cheeses. When using plastic glues, the outer layer of the spice batter had to be discarded as it was inedible.

The quality of a glue will be determined by three factors:

•         Viscosity: an edible glue can be applied in different ways: immersion, spray application or shower application. Each application method requires an edible glue with a different viscosity level.
•         Matrix or base: this parameter will determine gripping capacity of an edible glue.
•         Antifungal capacity: prevents the contamination by moulds of the outer coating.

The current trend goes towards all-natural, biodegradable and 100% edible products. Technology in the edible coatings sector has made great progress due to the use of milk proteins, edible gums, gelatines or cellulose.

At Domca, we have been working in the edible glue sector for more than 40 years, pioneering the use of edible glues and coatings. Due to our cutting-edge technology, we adapt to each customer´s needs by offering them the best possible solution.

Finally, if you are looking for products to prevent the appearance of mould in cheese and improve its conservation, we strongly recommend you to take a look at our page products to avoid mould in cheese.