Cervelat replacement skins go international

The cervelat, Switzerland's national sausage, will be saving its skin courtesy of three South American countries, the Federal Agriculture Office has announced.

Agroscope, the federal office’s research arm, said on Tuesday that the embattled wurst would now be wrapped in the intestines of bovines from Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

Brazilian casings, which had been previously used, were banned by the European Union in response to fears over Mad Cow Disease.

Agroscope said the substitutes from neighbouring countries had met processing as well as texture and taste standards, but added that they would only meet around 70 per cent of demand. Chinese pig intestines would be one suitable substitute to cover the rest of the shortfall, it said.

Meat processing plants in Switzerland would continue to wrap their sausages with existing supplies of intestines and would likely begin using the new casings next year, Agroscope said.

Swiss eat 160 million cervelats every year – or around 21 per capita – accounting for some 30 per cent of domestic sausage output.