What is plastic casing used for in meat processing?

Plastic casing is a non-edible, engineered casing used for cooked hams, mortadella, chorizo, liver sausage and pâtés, as well as processed cheese, butter, tofu and plant-based products, hot dogs, hot-fill soups and gravies, and pet food. It is preferred wherever high yield, a strong moisture and oxygen barrier, precise caliber control and printed retail branding are required.

What is ViskoTeepak Nova plastic casing?

Nova is ViskoTeepak's engineered plastic casing line, extruded from one or multiple layers of food-grade plastic resins, oriented through a bubble process to build in specific mechanical properties, and stabilized through annealing for durability and structural integrity. Sripath Foods is India's exclusive importer and distributor of the Nova range.

Which plastic casing series should I choose for cooked ham?

Molded and D-shaped ham products are usually best served by the Shape Series, which offers controlled shrink and outstanding print quality. Cylindrical hung products that need precise final sizing suit the True Series, while high-volume whole-muscle production is covered by the Industrial & Automation Series.

Can plastic casing be used for smoked or fermented sausage?

Yes — with the Permeable Series. Standard plastic casing is impermeable and unsuitable for smoking or natural drying, but the Nova Permeable Series is engineered so that salami, pepperoni, ring bologna and smoked hams can be produced in plastic casing with a natural, artisan appearance.

What shrink levels are available in plastic casing?

Nova plastic casings are available in 0%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 15% and 20% shrink levels, depending on the series. Higher shrink pulls the casing tight during cooling to eliminate wrinkles and purge pockets; lower or zero shrink suits rigid and molded products.

What does meat adhesion mean in plastic casing specifications?

Meat adhesion describes how strongly the casing bonds to the product surface. Nova offers Standard, AP, HA, HA+ and VHA grades. High-adhesion grades prevent fat and jelly separation and give a clean slice face, while lower adhesion is chosen where the casing must peel away easily before slicing or repacking.

What thicknesses (gauges) does plastic casing come in?

Gauge options include 30, 38, 43, 45, 48, 50, 55 and 60 micron. Thicker gauges provide strength and barrier for large calibers, heavy fill weights and long shelf life; thinner gauges reduce material cost and suit smaller calibers and high-speed automated lines.

Plastic casing vs fibrous casing — which is better?

They serve different products. Plastic casing wins on yield, barrier, shelf life, print quality and dimensional precision, making it the standard for cooked ham, mortadella, pâté, cheese and vegan products. Fibrous casing is permeable and is the correct choice for smoked and naturally dried products such as salami and pepperoni — unless you use the Nova Permeable Series.

Is plastic casing edible?

No. Plastic casing is non-edible and must be peeled or removed before the product is sliced, packed or consumed. Collagen casing in small calibers and natural casing are the edible alternatives.

How should plastic casing be stored?

Store, transport and handle the casing in a sealed plastic bag, away from dust, moisture and direct sunlight, in a dry, cool place at room temperature. High temperatures can reduce flat width and affect final shrinkage, so these conditions should be maintained throughout transport and storage — particularly important in Indian summer conditions.

Is plastic casing available with halal and ISO certification in India?

Yes. Nova plastic casings supplied by Sripath Foods carry GFSI-recognized food safety certification, ISO 9001, Kosher and Halal certification, along with EU/US food-contact compliance, with documentation available for export and organised-retail buyers.

Can plastic casing be printed with our brand?

Yes. Plastic casing offers an excellent multi-colour print surface, and the Shape Series in particular is known for outstanding print quality — making it well suited to retail-ready, branded ham, mortadella, cheese and plant-based SKUs.

Can plastic casing be used for cheese, butter and vegan products?

Yes. The Core and Shape Series are widely used for processed cheese, butter, tofu, soy and meat-analogue products, offering the same yield, barrier and caliber-consistency benefits as in meat applications.

Where can I buy plastic sausage casing in India?

Sripath Foods, based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, is India's exclusive importer, supplier, wholesaler and distributor of ViskoTeepak Nova plastic casings, supplying processors nationwide in bulk. Free samples are available for line evaluation before a full order — email enquiry@sripathfoods.com or call +91 99944 02911.

Plastic Casing in India: The Complete Guide for Meat, Dairy & Food Processors (2026)

By Sripath Foods · September 7, 2026 · Casings

ViskoTeepak Nova engineered plastic sausage casing supplied by Sripath Foods, Coimbatore

Introduction

If you produce cooked ham, mortadella, chorizo, liver sausage, pâté, processed cheese, butter blocks, plant-based analogues or pet food, your casing is doing far more than holding the product together. It controls your yield, your slice geometry, your cook loss, your shelf life and how your pack looks on a retail shelf. For these product categories, engineered plastic casing is the format most modern processing plants run on.

This guide covers everything a meat, dairy or food processor in India needs to know before choosing a plastic casing supplier — what plastic casing is, how it is engineered, the different Nova series available, what shrink, gauge and meat-adhesion specifications actually mean on your line, how plastic compares with fibrous, collagen and natural casings, and how to select, store and run the right casing for your product.

What Is Plastic Casing?

Plastic casing is a non-edible, engineered sausage casing extruded from one or more layers of food-grade plastic resins. Unlike cellulose or fibrous casing, it is manufactured rather than derived from plant fibre, which means its properties — shrink, barrier, strength, permeability, print quality — can be engineered deliberately for a specific product and process.

Nova is ViskoTeepak’s engineered plastic casing line. The resins are melted, formed into tubing and, for many products, stretched and oriented through a bubble process to build in specific mechanical and physical properties. The casing is then stabilized through annealing for increased durability and structural integrity.

Key characteristics of plastic casing:

Multi-layer engineered food-grade plastic resins with a high oxygen and moisture barrier
Very low weight loss during cooking — directly improving yield
Precision caliber control for consistent slice diameter and pack weight
Excellent print surface for branded, retail-ready presentation
Available in round, molded/D-shaped and small-diameter formats
Permeable variants available for smoked, cured and fermented products
Non-edible — peeled or removed before slicing and packing

How Nova Plastic Casing Is Made

Three manufacturing decisions determine how a plastic casing behaves in your plant:

Resin structure. Single-layer casings are cost-efficient for simple applications; multi-layer structures combine resins to deliver barrier, strength, shrink and adhesion in one film.
Orientation (the bubble process). Stretching the tubing biaxially builds in shrink and mechanical strength, so the casing tightens onto the product during cooking and cooling rather than wrinkling away from it.
Annealing. Controlled heat stabilisation locks in dimensional behaviour, increasing durability and structural integrity and making shrink predictable batch after batch.

This is why two casings of the same caliber can perform completely differently on the same line — and why specification matching matters more with plastic than with any other casing type.

The Nova Plastic Casing Series: Which One Do You Need?

Series	Engineered For
Core Series	Round, cylinder-shaped products — mortadella, chorizo, liver sausage, ground meats, pâté, soy products, butter and cheese. High yield, low weight loss.
Shape Series	Molded and D-shaped products such as ham, poultry, vegan and cheese items, with controlled shrink and outstanding print quality.
Industrial & Automation Series	High-volume manufacturing — whole-muscle meats, frozen rolls, chorizo, hot-fill soups and gravies, and high-temperature cook processes.
True Series	Advanced caliber control for cylindrical products that are hung during processing and need precise, consistent final sizing.
Permeable Series	Cured, smoked and fermented products — salami, pepperoni, ring bologna, smoked hams — produced in plastic casing with a natural, artisan look.
Mini Series	Small-diameter products such as hot dogs, frankfurters and mini salamis, with precise portioning at high speed.
Pet, Eco & Film Series	Raw, cooked and dehydrated pet foods; sustainable and recyclable formats; and general raw and cooked retail or foodservice products.

Buyer’s note: if your team has been searching for “plastic sausage casing for ham,” “shrink casing for mortadella” or “casing for hot-fill products,” you are really asking which series fits — and a competent supplier should match you to it rather than offering one generic casing.

Shrink, Gauge and Meat Adhesion: The Three Specs That Decide Your Result

Most plastic casing problems in the field trace back to one of these three being mismatched to the product:

Shrink level (0%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 20% — series-dependent). Higher shrink pulls the casing tight as the product cools, eliminating wrinkles, purge pockets and jelly gaps. Emulsified products such as mortadella and cooked ham generally benefit from higher shrink; rigid or molded products often need controlled or zero shrink.
Meat adhesion (Standard, AP, HA, HA+, VHA). High-adhesion grades bond the casing to the product surface, which prevents fat and jelly separation and gives a clean, dry slice face. Lower adhesion is preferred where the casing must peel away cleanly for slicing or re-packing.
Gauge / thickness (30, 38, 43, 45, 48, 50, 55, 60 micron). Thicker gauges deliver strength and barrier for large calibers, heavy fill weights and long shelf life; thinner gauges reduce material cost and suit smaller calibers and automated high-speed lines.

Plastic Casing Specifications at a Glance

Specification	Detail
Raw Material	Multi-layer engineered food-grade plastic resins
Product Range	Core, Shape, Industrial & Automation, True, Permeable, Mini, Pet, Eco, Film Series
Typical Applications	Cooked hams, liver sausage, pâtés, mortadella, chorizo, cheese, butter, hot dogs, pet food
Shrink Levels	0%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 20% (series-dependent)
Meat Adhesion	Standard, AP, HA, HA+, VHA options
Gauge (Thickness)	30, 38, 43, 45, 48, 50, 55, 60 micron options
Certifications	GFSI-recognized food safety, ISO 9001, Kosher, Halal, EU/US food-contact compliance
Country of Origin	EU
Samples	Free samples available for line evaluation before bulk order

Applications: Where Plastic Casing Is Used

Cooked hams, whole-muscle products and poultry rolls
Mortadella, bologna, chorizo and ground-meat products
Liver sausage, pâtés and emulsified specialities
Processed cheese, butter, tofu and meat-analogue / vegan products
Hot dogs, frankfurters and mini salamis (Mini Series)
Hot-fill soups, gravies and sauces
Raw, cooked and dehydrated pet food
Automated, high-speed processing lines requiring consistent caliber and print

Plastic Casing vs Fibrous, Collagen and Natural Casing

Factor	Plastic Casing	Fibrous Casing	Collagen Casing	Natural Casing
Barrier	High oxygen and moisture barrier (permeable variants available)	Permeable	Partial	Fully permeable
Cook / weight loss	Lowest — strongest yield advantage	Moderate	Moderate	High
Caliber consistency	Very high, with precision-control series	Very high	Moderate	Variable by nature
Smoking & drying	Only with Permeable Series	Yes — ideal	Yes, type-dependent	Yes
Print & branding	Excellent multi-colour print surface	Good	Limited	Not applicable
Edibility	Non-edible	Non-edible (peelable)	Often edible in small calibers	Edible
Best for	Cooked ham, mortadella, pâté, cheese, vegan, pet food, hot-fill	Salami, pepperoni, ham, smoked and dry sausage	Hot dogs, breakfast links, small-caliber products	Artisanal and premium natural-casing lines
Shelf life contribution	Highest — barrier protects against oxidation and moisture loss	Moderate	Moderate	Lowest

The short version: choose plastic casing when yield, barrier, shelf life, print quality and dimensional precision matter most, and choose Plastic casing when the product must be smoked or naturally dried. If you need both — an artisan smoked look with plastic’s consistency — the Permeable Series is designed for exactly that overlap.

How to Choose the Right Plastic Casing for Your Product

Define the product shape. Round or cylindrical points to the Core or True Series; molded and D-shaped ham to the Shape Series; small-diameter links to the Mini Series.
Confirm the process. Cooked and chilled, hot-fill, high-temperature cook, frozen or smoked — each has a matching series, and smoking requires the Permeable Series.
Set the shrink level against your emulsion and cooling profile to eliminate wrinkling and purge.
Choose the adhesion grade based on whether you want the casing bonded to the product or cleanly peelable at slicing.
Select the gauge using caliber, fill weight and required shelf life — over-specifying thickness adds avoidable cost.
Plan the print. Confirm colours, artwork repeat and lead time early; print is one of plastic casing’s biggest commercial advantages for retail SKUs.
Verify certifications — GFSI, ISO 9001, Halal, Kosher and EU/US food-contact compliance, as required by your buyers or export markets.
Trial before you commit. Request a free sample and run it on your own stuffer, clipper and cook cycle before placing a bulk order.

Handling, Storage and Best Practice on the Line

Store, transport and handle Nova casing in a sealed plastic bag, away from dust, moisture and direct sunlight.
Keep it in a dry, cool place at room temperature — high temperatures can reduce flat width and affect final shrinkage.
Maintain those conditions through transport and storage, not just in the plant — this matters in Indian summer logistics.
Match the stuffing horn to the caliber and keep fill pressure consistent to protect diameter accuracy.
Clip securely with correct headspace, and follow the recommended cook and chill profile so the shrink behaves as specified.
Rotate stock and keep opened bags resealed to avoid moisture pickup and dimensional drift.

Plastic Casing for the Indian Market

Yield economics. With input meat costs rising, the low weight loss of a high-barrier plastic casing is often the single fastest ROI improvement available to an Indian processor.
Cold-chain reality. India’s distribution chains involve longer transit and variable temperature control; a high oxygen and moisture barrier directly supports shelf life and reduces returns.
Climate and storage. Heat and humidity make correct storage discipline essential to preserve flat width and shrink performance.
Organised retail and QSR growth. Modern trade and QSR buyers expect uniform slice diameter, clean pack presentation and printed branding — all areas where plastic casing outperforms.
Halal requirements. A large share of India’s processed meat industry is halal-certified; casing documentation should cover Halal alongside GFSI, ISO 9001 and Kosher.
Beyond meat. India’s dairy, processed cheese, butter, plant-based and pet food segments are growing quickly, and all of them run on the same engineered plastic casing platform.

Why Sripath Foods — India’s Exclusive ViskoTeepak Plastic Casing Supplier

Sripath Foods, headquartered in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, is India’s exclusive importer, supplier, wholesaler and distributor of ViskoTeepak Nova engineered plastic casings. We supply meat, dairy, plant-based and pet food processors across India with:

The complete Nova range — Core, Shape, Industrial & Automation, True, Permeable, Mini, Pet, Eco and Film Series
Shrink levels from 0% to 20%, adhesion grades from Standard to VHA, and gauges from 30 to 60 micron
GFSI-recognized food safety, ISO 9001, Kosher, Halal and EU/US food-contact compliance
Printed casing options for retail-ready, branded presentation
Free samples for evaluation on your own line before you place a full order
Pan-India delivery from our Coimbatore base, supporting both small processors and large-scale exporters

Conclusion: Get Your Free Plastic Casing Sample

Plastic casing is the highest-yield, highest-barrier, most dimensionally precise casing format available to processors — and with the Permeable Series, it now reaches into smoked and fermented products that once required fibrous casing. The gains, however, come from specification: the right series, shrink level, adhesion grade and gauge for your specific product and process.

Sripath Foods supplies the full ViskoTeepak Nova plastic casing range in bulk across India, with certification documentation and free samples available before you order.

Ready to test it on your line? Order your free plastic casing sample or request a price quote today.

📧 enquiry@sripathfoods.com | 📞 +91 99944 02911

Frequently Asked Questions

Plastic casing is a non-edible, engineered casing used for cooked hams, mortadella, chorizo, liver sausage and pâtés, as well as processed cheese, butter, tofu and plant-based products, hot dogs, hot-fill soups and gravies, and pet food. It is preferred wherever high yield, a strong moisture and oxygen barrier, precise caliber control and printed retail branding are required.
Nova is ViskoTeepak's engineered plastic casing line, extruded from one or multiple layers of food-grade plastic resins, oriented through a bubble process to build in specific mechanical properties, and stabilized through annealing for durability and structural integrity. Sripath Foods is India's exclusive importer and distributor of the Nova range.
Molded and D-shaped ham products are usually best served by the Shape Series, which offers controlled shrink and outstanding print quality. Cylindrical hung products that need precise final sizing suit the True Series, while high-volume whole-muscle production is covered by the Industrial & Automation Series.
Yes — with the Permeable Series. Standard plastic casing is impermeable and unsuitable for smoking or natural drying, but the Nova Permeable Series is engineered so that salami, pepperoni, ring bologna and smoked hams can be produced in plastic casing with a natural, artisan appearance.
Nova plastic casings are available in 0%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 15% and 20% shrink levels, depending on the series. Higher shrink pulls the casing tight during cooling to eliminate wrinkles and purge pockets; lower or zero shrink suits rigid and molded products.
Meat adhesion describes how strongly the casing bonds to the product surface. Nova offers Standard, AP, HA, HA+ and VHA grades. High-adhesion grades prevent fat and jelly separation and give a clean slice face, while lower adhesion is chosen where the casing must peel away easily before slicing or repacking.
Gauge options include 30, 38, 43, 45, 48, 50, 55 and 60 micron. Thicker gauges provide strength and barrier for large calibers, heavy fill weights and long shelf life; thinner gauges reduce material cost and suit smaller calibers and high-speed automated lines.
They serve different products. Plastic casing wins on yield, barrier, shelf life, print quality and dimensional precision, making it the standard for cooked ham, mortadella, pâté, cheese and vegan products. Fibrous casing is permeable and is the correct choice for smoked and naturally dried products such as salami and pepperoni — unless you use the Nova Permeable Series.
No. Plastic casing is non-edible and must be peeled or removed before the product is sliced, packed or consumed. Collagen casing in small calibers and natural casing are the edible alternatives.
Store, transport and handle the casing in a sealed plastic bag, away from dust, moisture and direct sunlight, in a dry, cool place at room temperature. High temperatures can reduce flat width and affect final shrinkage, so these conditions should be maintained throughout transport and storage — particularly important in Indian summer conditions.
Yes. Nova plastic casings supplied by Sripath Foods carry GFSI-recognized food safety certification, ISO 9001, Kosher and Halal certification, along with EU/US food-contact compliance, with documentation available for export and organised-retail buyers.
Yes. Plastic casing offers an excellent multi-colour print surface, and the Shape Series in particular is known for outstanding print quality — making it well suited to retail-ready, branded ham, mortadella, cheese and plant-based SKUs.
Yes. The Core and Shape Series are widely used for processed cheese, butter, tofu, soy and meat-analogue products, offering the same yield, barrier and caliber-consistency benefits as in meat applications.
Sripath Foods, based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, is India's exclusive importer, supplier, wholesaler and distributor of ViskoTeepak Nova plastic casings, supplying processors nationwide in bulk. Free samples are available for line evaluation before a full order — email enquiry@sripathfoods.com or call +91 99944 02911.

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