Abstract
Sausages, one of the oldest forms of meat processing, rely heavily on the quality of casings to achieve desired texture, appearance, and stuffing efficiency. This study aimed to improve the hydration process of natural pork casings for Calabrian sausage production by employing phosphoric acid as a substitute for trisodium phosphate dodecahydrate. Key quality control tools, including the Ishikawa diagram, 5W1H tool, and PDCA cycle, were utilized to identify and address production inefficiencies. The implemented modifications led to significant advancements: stuffing yield increased from 0.87 to 1.0 kg/m over seven months, surpassing the recommended standard of 0.91 kg/m, and casing consumption decreased by 10.39%. These improvements not only enhanced operational efficiency but also reduced casing costs by 10.37%. The findings confirm the viability of phosphoric acid as an effective, cost-efficient alternative in the hydration process, paving the way for improved sausage production standards.