Tar-depleted liquid smoke treatment of food casings

Claim 1

A tar-depleted smoke colored and smoke flavored tubular food casing prepared by the steps of: providing a tar-containing aqueous liquid smoke solution having an absorptive power of at least about 0.25 at 340 nm. wave length and an organic liquid solvent which is either nonreactive with said liquid smoke solution or reactive with said liquid smoke solution to form a derivative liquid solvent, said liquid solvent being immiscible in the liquid smoke environment and having a hydrogen bonding solubility parameter of at least about 2.7; contacting said liquid smoke solution and said liquid solvent in a volume ratio between about 1:1 and about 65:1 of liquid smoke solution to liquid solvent, under extraction conditions to form a tar-enriched solvent fraction and a tar-depleted liquid smoke fraction; separating the fractions to provide said tar-depleted liquid smoke; and treating a surface of a tubular food casing with said tar-depleted liquid smoke in sufficient quantity to provide a casing wall containing smoke coloring and flavoring constituents and having an absorptive index of at least about 0.2 at 340 nm. wave length.