A Message from our ChairmanCEO

Viskase Companies, Inc. was founded in Chicago,

Illinois in 1925, originally as The Visking Company,
when we invented and introduced the rst synthetic
sausage casing made from regenerated cellulose. This
product was a revolutionary step forward in the meat
processing industry. It allowed for large gains in
productivity and efciency to manufacture ready-to-eat
meat products. In the years since, the Company has
continued to put emphasis on innovation as we introduced new products, new concepts, and product
adaptations to t our customers needs. Expanding
into new markets, and growing our business in existing
markets, has led us to becoming the company we are
today; focused on helping our customers bring safe
and affordable protein sources to people around the
world.
As worldwide demand continues to grow, Viskase is
investing in the capacity to meet that demand. This
includes investments in new facilities to provide better
customer service around the globe. We built a new
facility in the Philippines that will reduce order lead
times for our customers in this region, while providing
greater exibility with their orders than was possible
before. We have also moved into a new facility in Brazil
to meet the growth in demand for all of our product
lines in South America. To further improve our customer service, we maintain technical service groups

around the world to provide the support our customers

need to achieve maximum benet from our products.
Looking ahead, we are investing in technology to
improve the quality of our existing products lines as
well as developing innovative new products.
As a leading supplier to the industry worldwide, our
business philosophy is to be a true partner with our
customers. We not only deliver casings, but also excellent customer service, quality and innovation. We will
continue to invest in R&D and continuous improvement throughout all aspects of our business. Our
updated mission statement makes clear what Viskase
core values are: a strong focus on the needs of our
customers while simultaneously respecting the
needs of our valued employees and the environment.
Viskase Companies, Inc. will continue to strive to be
the worldwide market leader of cellulose and plastic
casings, and provide the highest value and service to
our customers every day.

Thomas D. Davis
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Ofcer

Viskase
Mission
Statement

Market leadership on a global basis

Delivering premium value through

continuing innovation

Building long-term relationships with

our customers and employees

Protection of the environment and safety

at every level of our operations

Employees that personify our culture of

commitment, initiative, honesty,
and integrity

The Beginning
Erwin O. Freund, the founder of what is known today
as Viskase Companies, Inc. discovered he could
make an artificial sausage casing that could be used to
replace animal intestine casings. The cellulosic casing
stuffed well, could be linked and was able to withstand
the rigors of the smokehouse. Quite by accident, he
discovered that when the casing was removed from
the product, the sausages retained their shape and
were firm. The skinless sausage was born!
In 1925, Mr. Freund organized a company by the
name of Visking Corporation and the first production
line for NOJAX Casings began in a ramshackle
building located in the heart of the Chicago Union
Stockyards.

A History of Casing Innovations

Remaining ever close to the needs of the processed
meat industry, Visking Corporation introduced Large
Cellulose Casings in 1927.
The first colored casings were introduced in 1931,
along with a method to print on the casings for brand
identity and advertising promotions in the meat case.
With this growth and prosperity came a new plant in
Chicago in 1932.
FIBROUS Casings were developed and launched in
the years following the Chicago plant opening. These
casings were made by impregnating a fiber-reinforced
web with regenerated cellulose, resulting in an extremely strong and uniform casing.
In the 1950s, Visking debuted striped NOJAX
Casing and E-Z PEEL FIBROUS Casings, while
opening plants in Beauvais, France and Loudon,
Tennessee.
To help meat processors improve their productivity, the
SHIRMATIC system of FIBROUS Casings was introduced in the 1960s. With this combination of automated stuffing equipment and pre-moisturized shirred
casings, processors could now make uniform diameter products with greater efficiencies.
During the 1970s, Viskase was the first company to
manufacture E-Z PEEL NOJAX Casings again
improving our customers productivity. In addition to
product development, meeting the worlds expanding
global market became a real challenge. The company
responded by opening operations in Thaon, France;
Osceola, Arkansas and Kentland, Indiana.

In the 2000's, to continue providing the best in product

development, support and services with strategic
locations throughout the world, our new facilities were
opened in Monterrey, Mexico; Atibaia, Brazil and Clark
Freeport Zone, Philippines.

New Innovations
Having been part of Union Carbide since 1956, the
company changed owners in 1986 and became
Viskase Corporation. Despite the changes, innovation was key and Viskase set a new standard with the
invention of E-Z SMOKE FIBROUS Casings.
In the 1990s, development efforts continued as Viskase entered into the arena of plastic casings.
VISFLEX and VISMAX Casings were two innovative products launched to satisfy a market need.

History reveals that our success

has always been directly related to
the success of our customers.
This is why Viskase continues to devote its resources
to satisfying the ever changing requirements of the
industry. Staffing Food Science Labs in North America
and Eu- rope is an important component of this effort.
The future of our company begins today; with research, innovation and improvement for the purpose of
meeting tomorrows requirements.

In the 21st century, Viskase continues to reach new

heights with dynamic, market responsive product
additions.
VISCOAT Casings are a unique combination of
plastic and fiber-reinforced materials to provide a
means of adding color and smoke flavor during
processing, all with the convenience of a cook
and ship barrier package.
POLYJAX small diameter plastic casings are
the latest in our long history of new products
designed to meet our customers needs.

NOJAX
Cellulose
Casings
NOJAX casings are made of
regenerated cellulose designed for
high speed, automated production of
hot dogs, dry mini salamis, cooked
sausages and coarse ground fresh
sausages. The casings come as shirred
sticks for use on all stuffing equipment,
as-is with no soaking required.

Features
Size Range: Stufng diameters 14 47 mm.
Color Range: NOJAX Casings are offered in
non-transferable Sentry (blue), Sentinel (blue with
clear window), Wedzone (smoke tint) colors or with
stripes for product differentiation as well as to afford a
visual check of complete peeling.
Treatments: NOJAX casings are offered in a variety
of value-added treatments.
Regular NOJAX Casing is a standard product
and does not contain a peeling treatment.

Characteristics
High strength to resist breakage
Outstanding size uniformity
Permeable to smoke and moisture
Excellent end closures
Barrier to microorganisms*
*When casing has not been cut or perforated

E-Z PEEL NOJAX Ensures perfect casing

removal for high speed peeling.
Self-Coloring NOJAX Casings are available in
Dark Cherry and Light Orange to impart food grade
color to the surface of the stuffed product. These
products are for selected markets; contact your
Viskase Representative for availability.
NOJAX Cellulose Casings are available with
closed-ends ideal for automatic stufng equipment
or with open-ends for manual stufng.

Characteristics
Permeability to smoke and water vapor
Exceptional clarity and glossy surface giving
an attractive and shiny appearance to nished
products
Various degrees of stretch: casings adapt to
nished product shape requirements
Barrier to microorganisms*
*When casing has not been cut or perforated

Features
Size Range: Stufng diameters 34 250 mm.

Large
Cellulose
Casings (LCC)
Large Cellulose Casings (LCC)
provide a cylindrical or oval
shape to processed meat products
such as bologna and salami.

Varieties: Low stretch R and Precision casings. High

stretch ZEPHYR, VISREX and HS casings.
Color Range: Large Cellulose Casings are offered in
different colors to meet your product needs. Standard
colors available: Clear and Fum (Hickory).
Treatments: A variety of casing treatments have been
tailored to provide meat adhesion or quick release
after cooking/cooling.
E-Z PEEL is an internal treatment to promote
easy release of the casing from the nal product.
The casing lifts away from the product quickly and
cleanly, leaving no scarring of the product surface.
DS/SL has an inner surface treatment designed to
promote adhesion to proteins.

FIBROUS
Casings
FIBROUS Casings are a unique
combination of regenerated cellulose
applied to a special paper for
exceptional strength and diameter
uniformity. These casings can be
used for a wide range of applications
including pepperoni, salami,
luncheon meats, boneless hams and
other deli-style processed meats.
They are ideal for slicing products
requiring precise diameter control.
FIBROUS Casings can also be used
for processed and smoked cheeses.

Characteristics
Exceptional mechanical strength,
even with presticking
Outstanding size uniformity
Permeable to smoke and moisture
Barrier to microorganisms*
*When casing has not been cut or perforated

Features
Size Range: Stufng diameters 36 200 mm.
Colors: A wide range of standard colors are available
to meet all your product needs.
Treatments: A variety of casing treatments have been
tailored to provide meat adhesion or quick release
after cooking/cooling.
E-Z PEEL FIBROUS is an internal treatment to
promote easy release of the casing from the nal
product. The casing lifts away from the product quickly
and cleanly, leaving no scarring of the product surface.
DS/SL FIBROUS has an inner surface
treatment designed to promote adhesion
to the product surface.
ML FIBROUS is our newest peeling treatment
tailored for dried and semi dried products.
FIBROUS SMOKE MASTER reduces processing
times by adding the liquid smoke color and avor
directly to the nal product.
FIBROUS COLOR MASTER imparts an appealing
golden roasted or traditional dark smoke color to the
product.
MOISTURE PROOF (MP): FIBROUS casings with
a coating applied to the casing surface for moisture
and oxygen barrier properties.

POLYJAX
Plastic
Casings
POLYJAX Plastic Casings are made
from polyamide resins, designed
for the high-speed production
of hot dog, sausage and chorizo
products. Ideal for automated
equipment, POLYJAX Plastic Casings
are offered as shirred sticks with no
soaking required prior to use.

Characteristics
Excellent Shirred Stick Properties: easy handling
with less stick breakage
High Barrier Properties: minimizes weight loss
during cooking/processing as well as extends
product shelf life
Caliber Uniformity: provides exceptional size control
to minimize giveaway
Peeling: allows easy, complete hand peeling
of the casing from the nal product
Packaging: sticks are in an easy to open,
easy to load caddy or in netting
Barrier to microorganisms*
*When casing has not been cut or perforated

Features
Size Range: Casing sizes 16 40 mm.
Color Range: Clear as well as non-transferable
Wedzone (smoke tint), light Wedzone, HT Red
and light Orange.
For other colors, please contact your Viskase
Representative.

VISFLEX
Plastic
Casings
VISFLEX Plastic Casings are
high performance casings for a wide
range of processed meat, poultry and
cheese applications. Manufactured
using multilayer extrusion technology,
VISFLEX Plastic Casings are tailored
to meet the processing and shelf
storage requirements for a variety
of products. Exceptional barrier and
shrink properties make VISFLEX
Plastic Casings ideal for water, steam
and smokehouse processing.

Characteristics
High Oxygen Barrier: extends the shelf life of the
product
Moisture Barrier: minimizes water migration through
the lm, maximizes product yield during cooking,
and prevents weight loss during storage
Diameter Control: provides diameter uniformity at
stufng, consistent product dimensions enable
optimum productivity and reduced product
giveaway
Meat adhesion to minimize purge, while allowing
peeling of nal product

Features
Size Range: Stufng diameters 38 206 mm.
Color range: A wide selection of colors is available
to meet your specic product needs.

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Characteristics
Exceptionally High Oxygen Barrier: maximizes
product shelf life, protects against surface oxidation
and discoloration
Moisture Barrier: virtually eliminates water migration,
maximizes product yield during cooking, and
prevents weight loss during storage
Optimized shrink: tailored specically for molded
products to maximize slicing yields and enables
D-shaped products to maintain shape during
cooking
Meat adhesion to minimize purge, while allowing
peeling of nal product

Features
Size Range: Available in at widths 115 400 mm.
Color Range: A wide selection of colors are
available to meet your specic product needs.

VISMAX
Plastic
Casings
VISMAX Plastic Casings are maximum
performance multilayer casings for
molded and formed processed meat
and poultry application. Manufactured
using multilayer extrusion technology,
VISMAX Plastic Casings are designed
to maximize moisture and oxygen
barrier for optimum cooking yield
and product shelf stability.

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Characteristics
Purge Resistance: guards against excessive purge
during processing

VISCOAT
Casings
and Films
VISCOAT Casings and Films from
VISKASE are a unique combination
of a multi-layer plastic with an inner
paper layer treated specifically to
impart natural colors or smoke to the
finished products. They provide all the
benefits of a barrier casing without
limiting product quality or taste.

Diameter Control: ensures optimum productivity and

reduces product giveaway
Moisture Barrier: minimizes the transfer of moisture,
maximizes product yield during cooking, and limits
product weight loss during storage
Oxygen Barrier: extends the shelf life of the product

Features
VISCOAT is now available as a seamed casing or a
at lm VISCOAT F.
Size Range:
VISCOAT Casing: Flat widths 90 280 mm.
VISCOAT F: Flat width available to accommodate all
sizes of forming shoulders.
For additional sizes and flavors contact your
Viskase Representative.
VISCOAT SMOKE MASTER is ready to stuff
VISCOAT product, treated with natural liquid smoke
that will transfer smoke avor and color to the surface of the stuffed item. VISCOAT SMOKE MASTER
products are available in low to strong smoke avors
as well as light to dark transfer colors.
VISCOAT COLOR MASTER is a pre-moisturized
VISCOAT product that imparts a caramel color to the
surface of the stuffed item. Caramel colors range from
golden to dark brown.

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Printing
Capabilities
As our customer requirements have
changed, Viskase has continued to
invest in the latest printing technology to provide high quality 8-color
continuous and process printing capabilities.

We are uniquely experienced at offering high

quality exographic printing to distinguish your
quality products at the point of sale.
To ensure our clients needs are consistently being
met, we have invested in the latest software, hardware
and plate making equipment available. Our ability to go
directly from concept to press allows us to produce
high quality prints quickly and efciently.
Our In-house Artwork Professionals work closely with
our customers and Viskase Press Specialists to ensure
your unique designs and logos go to press accurate,
on time and looking their best!

PRINTING COLOR CAPABILITIES

Front & Back Side

Maximum Numbers
of Colors

NOJAX Casing

FIBROUS Casing

LCC / ZEPHYR

POLYJAX Casing

VISFLEX Casing

VISMAX Casing

PRODUCTS

Process Printing

EZ-SIGN

Please contact our Viskase Representative for additional printing options.

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Since 1925

Sales Locations
United States
Worldwide Corporate Headquarters
Viskase Companies, Inc.
Darien, IL U.S.A.

France
European Headquarters
Viskase S.A.S.
Paris, France

Poland
Viskase Polska Sp z o.o.
Warsaw, Poland

Canada
Viskase Companies, Inc.
Ontario, Canada

Germany
Viskase GmbH
Dormagen, Germany

South America
Viskase Brasil
Atibaia, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Italy
Viskase SpA
Caronno Pertusella (VA), Italy

Philippines
Asia Pacic Headquarters
Viskase Asia Pacic Corp.
Clark (CFZ) Philippines

Manufacturing Facilities
North America
Osceola, Arkansas
Loudon, Tennessee
Monterrey, Mexico

South America
Atibaia, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Europe
Thaon-les-Vosges, France
Beauvais, France

For contact information visit us at www.viskase.com

VISKASE Casing, VISKASE Design (Logo), CASING SOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE, VISKASE Products,
SHIRMATIC Casing, E-Z PEEL Casing, E-Z PEEL NOJAX Casing, E-Z SMOKE Casing, E-Z SMOKE
Fibrous Casing, NOJAX Casing, POLYJAX Casing, SENTINEL Casing, SHIRMATIC Casing, SHIRMATIC
System, SMOKE MASTER Casing, VISCOAT Casing, VISFLEX Casing, VISMAX Casing, ZEPHYR Casing
are registered trademarks of Viskase Companies, Inc.
COLOR MASTER Casing, EZ-SIGN Casing, MP Casing, VISREX Casing are trademarks of Viskase
Companies, Inc.

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Viskase Companies, Inc.

8205 S. Cass Avenue, Suite 115
Darien, IL 60561
Telephone (Intl): 630.874.0700
T. (USA): 1.800.VISKASE (847-5273)
Fax: 630.874.0176
www.viskase.com