High meat pet food compositions

Details High meat pet food compositions High meat pet food compositions

1999-12-28

2002-06-25

Sayala, Chhaya D. (Department: 1761)

Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products

Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...

Animal derived material is an ingredient other than extract...

C426S657000, C426S807000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06410079

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pet diets, particularly dog and cat food diets, strive to be highly nutritional. In doing so these diets, both dry and wet, utilize nutritionally appropriate materials in the proper balance. However, these materials often differ from the natural diet of carnivorous mammals such as dogs and cats. Generally the meat content of these pet foods, particularly in dry diets, is no more than about 25 to 30 wt % of the diet. Diets having more meat are potentially advantageous due to such parameters as appearance, palatability and overall acceptability to the pet. However, such meat quantities are not normally found in pet diets because the standard method of manufacturing these diets, extrusions followed by cutting into chunks and/or particles with standard knife blades, cannot prepare a diet with substantially higher meat content, for example, a meat content minimum of about 40 or 45 wt % of the composition. Although not wishing to be bound by this theory, it is thought that the higher water content accompanying the higher meat content makes the diet difficult to form in the extruder as well as essentially noncuttable at an economically attractive rate by the standard knives post extruder.
It has now been discovered that the problems can be seriously ameliorated or solved by adding cellulose or cellulose-like material to the diet. The presence of this material(s) permits standard extrusion and cutting apparatus to manufacture a diet having a minimum of about 40 to 45 wt % meat content. This discovery is particularly advantageous since it eliminates the necessity of having expensive meat chunk forming and processing equipment available for processing. Additionally, it also adds a nutritious material to the diet as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, there is a pet diet composition comprising at least about 40 wt % meat with cellulosic material in quantities effective to allow extrusion and cutting of the composition post extruder, the composition having the said meat wt % minimum in the extruder.
A further aspect of the composition is a process for producing a pet diet composition having at least about 40 wt % meat which comprises extruding and post extrusion cutting the composition having the said wt % meat minimum wherein the composition has cellulosic material in quantities sufficient to allow effective extrusion and post extrusion cutting of the composition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The usual method of making pet foods, particularly for dogs and cats, is generally well-known. For dry diets, components are combined in a preconditioner and then fed into an extruder where they are mixed, heated (cooked) and expanded. The extrudate is then emitted from the extruder and cut using standard knife blades, into the proper sized particles for packaging. These diet components include meat, grain, carbohydrate, various adjuvants such as vitamins and minerals, as well as moisture and the like. Wet diets are prepared in the same manner and the meaty “chunk” that is chunk or slice which is a discrete meaty particle which is added to a liquid gravy for packaging is prepared in the extruder and sliced or further treated to obtain the desired size prior to mixing with the gravy.
Meat is meant to include any proteinaceous material obtained from an animal source. Meat includes beef, pork, lamb, fish, chicken, turkey, veal, and the like and mixtures thereof. In accordance with the teaching of this invention, meat can now be at least about 40 wt % of the dry pet diet composition, particularly that for dogs and cats. Desirably it can be more than about 45 or 50 wt %. The upper limit of meat in the dry diet depends upon the nutritional needs met by the components of the diet as well as the quantity of cellulosic materials present in the diet, the palatability of the diet and the processability of the diet as well as the diet cost. Generally quantities above about 65 wt % are not employed, desirably about 60, 55 or 50 wt % can be a maximum. When used in a wet diet, the meat in the “chunk” itself is at least about 40, 45 or 50 wt % of the chunk with 65, 60, 55 or 50 wt % of the “chunk” being the maximum.
The cellulosic fibrous component used in the diet is cellulose fiber and other plant fibers or fibrous microbial polysaccharides. Examples of such latter materials include hemicellulose, lignins and other pectic substances found naturally in the supporting structure of seed-bearing plants. The particle size of these materials can be those as normally manufactured that is in the powder form or larger. Although they can be smaller, these particles generally have minimum particle sizes of at least about 5 microns, desirably at least about 10 microns and more desirably at least about 20 microns. The maximum size is that which can be reasonably processed and bring about the processability of the increased meat in the diet composition. Generally a particle size of about 5000 microns need not be exceeded, desirably about 2000 or 1000 microns need not be exceeded. The quantity of cellulosic fiber content is an amount sufficient to bring about extrudability of a formed composition and cutting of that composition post extruder with standard knife equipment, the composition having a minimum of about 40 wt % meat content. Generally the minimum of cellulosic fiber is about 5 or 6 wt % of the diet composition, desirably a minimum of about 7, 8 or 9 wt %. The maximum quantity of cellulosic fiber is the amount compatible with the diet, palatable to the mammal, generally dog or cat, and consistent with the nutritional needs and components of the remainder of the diet. Generally, the maximum does not exceed about 25 wt % of the diet and generally not more than about 20 wt % of the diet.
The invention process is advantageous because ordinary extruder equipment can be employed. Lengthier than usual extruder barrel for retexturization to coagulate protein generally followed by longer land length than normal dies to cool the extrudate are not necessary. Example(s) of such ordinary extruders include commercially manufactured single screw extruders, twin screw extruders such as a Wenger TS-52 twin screw extruders system, Clexpral Bc45 V, Wenger TS-52 twin screw extruders, and the like.
Dry diets, generally those having not more than about 30 wt % water are readily prepared through the inventive process. Such a process prepares an essentially homogeneous strand which is cut by a standard knife. Examples of such knives include rotating die face knife, rotating drum knife, and guillotine knife. This is in contrast to the wet diets of the “chunk and gravy” type where the meat is in discrete “chunks” and post extruder with standard knife equipment, the composition having a minimum of about 40 wt % meat content. Generally the minimum of cellulosic fiber is about 5 or 6 wt % of the diet composition, desirably a minimum of about 7, 8 or 9 wt %. The maximum quantity of cellulosic fiber is the amount compatible with the diet, palatable to the mammal, generally dog or cat, and consistent with the nutritional needs and components of the remainder of the diet. Generally, the maximum does not exceed about 25 wt % of the diet and generally not more than about 20 wt % of the diet.
The invention process is advantageous because ordinary extruder equipment can be employed. Lengthier than usual extruder barrel for retexturization to coagulate protein generally followed by longer land length than normal dies to cool the extrudate are not necessary. Example(s) of such ordinary extruders include commercially manufactured single screw extruders, twin screw extruders such as a Wenger TS-52 twin screw extruders system, Clexpral Bc45 V, Wenger TS-52 twin screw extruders, and the like. Dry diets, generally those having not more than about 30 wt % water are readily prepared through the inventive process. Such a process prepares an essentially homogeneous strand which is cut by a standard knife. Examples of such knives include rotating die face knife, rotating drum knife, and guillotine kni

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

High meat pet food compositions does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with High meat pet food compositions, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and High meat pet food compositions will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2937185