1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to pet treats and, in particular, to treats having rough surface texture and appearance, and methods of producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pet treats can be nutritional products designed for immediate consumption once presented to an animal, or functional products designed, for example, to provide dental cleaning benefits. Natural pet treats include rawhide and real bones. However, rawhide has been known to swell and cause blockages in the digestive tract of an animal, and real bones are able to splinter and cause lacerations. Rawhide and real bones also harbor bacteria that can pose a threat to both humans and animals.
On the other end of the spectrum, synthetic toys and bones, which are made of plastic, avoid many of the problems associated with rawhide and real bones. However, these products are non-consumables that provide no nutritional benefits, and they are generally less appealing to both owners and pets than natural products.
Man-made pet treats are favored by many owners who wish to avoid the potential health problems of natural treats and the artificial characteristics of synthetic toys and bones. Generally, man-made treats contain thoroughly ground and mixed ingredients that are extruded to produce a product with a smooth texture. This smooth texture, however, tends to resemble the unnatural and unappealing texture of the synthetic products described above.
The present instrumentalities advance the art and overcome the problems outlined above by providing pet treats with rough surface texture and appearance and methods for producing the same.
In one aspect, a profile-extruded treat with rough surface texture and appearance includes a matrix binder selected from the group consisting of gelatinized starches, gelatinized flours, wheat gluten, soy protein, casein, caseinates, gelatin, hydrocolloids, gums and mixtures thereof and at least one granular filler having a particle size between 0.1 mm to 6 mm, said granular filler being selected from the group consisting of whole grain fillers, distiller's dried grains and mixtures thereof.
In one aspect, a method of making a profile-extruded pet treat with rough surface texture and appearance includes the steps of mixing ingredients including a matrix binder selected from the group consisting of gelatinized starches, gelatinized flours, wheat gluten, soy protein, casein, caseinates, gelatin, hydrocolloids, gums and mixtures thereof and at least one granular filler having a particle size between 0.1 mm to 6 mm, said granular filler being selected from the group consisting of mill feeds, whole grains, distillers dried grains, pork grind, bird seed and mixtures thereof, and extrusion shaping the pet treat.
Profile-extruded treats with rough surface texture and appearance are described herein. The disclosed treats have a natural look and a rough surface texture that appeals to owners and pets.
Profile-extruded pet treats disclosed herein are created by combining a matrix binder with granular fillers having a particle size between 0.1 mm to 6 mm.
Suitable matrix binders include gelatinized starches, gelatinized flours, wheat gluten, soy protein, casein, caseinates, gelatin, hydrocolloids, gums and mixtures thereof. Matrix binder content is typically from 15%-85% by weight of the final product.
Suitable fillers include mill feed; pork grind (both raw and rendered); whole grains; middling from wheat, corn, or soy; distiller's dried grain (DDG); chopped and dried carrots; roast peanut coarse grits; coarse corn grits; coarse rice grits; oat meal flakes; bird seed; and mixtures thereof. Filler content is typically from 15%-85% by weight of the final product.
Plasticizers, such as glycerine, propylene glycol or mixtures thereof, may be present from 5-25% by weight of the final product. The plasticizer helps control the ductility of the product. Water may be added to the formulation such that the moisture content of the product is from 5-15% by weight.
Other minor ingredients, such as colorants, vitamins, minerals, lubricants, humectants, palatibility enhancers, fibers, dental cleaning ingredients, breath freshening agents, flavoring agents, antioxidants, and emulsifiers, may be included in the formulations disclosed herein. For example, fibers may include cellulose fiber, sisal fiber, nylon/polyester fiber, hemp fiber, wheat bran, innulin and mixtures thereof. Dental cleaning agents may include fillers and/or phosphates. Breath-freshening agents may include chlorophyll, mint, parsley, and/or kelp. Flavoring agents may include garlic flavor, meat flavors, cheese flavors, fruit flavors, and smoke flavors. Antioxidants can be both natural and synthetic. Colorants may include both natural and synthetic dyes or pigments including titanium dioxide. It is preferable that such additional ingredients individually comprise less than 5% by weight of the final product.
Preferred pet treats may contain less than 1% by weight of lubricants. Such lubricants help prevent the products from sticking to one another. The lubricants may include, for example, glycerol monostearate, glycerol monolaurate, hydrolyzed lecithin and derivatives, hydrolyzed vegetable oils, magnesium stearate, and calcium stearate. One preferred lubricant is glycerol monostearate.
Palatability enhancers are used in numerous pet treats to attract the animal to the food item. The palatability enhancer is preferably selected from the group consisting of meat and poultry broth concentrate or spray-dried powder, liver and liver digest broth concentrate or powder, hydrolyzed proteins, and yeast and yeast extract. One particularly preferred palatability enhancer is from a liver source.
In the past, humectants such as sorbitol, mannitol, sugars, and reducing sugars have been utilized in pet treat formulations for helping the products maintain moisture. The use of such humectants is presently undesirable, though their use is not necessarily proscribed.
The profile product is made by extrusion using a single-screw or twin-screw extruder. The temperature of extrusion is controlled from 50-120° C. for the melt mixture inside the barrel. Extrudate coming out the shaping die is cut into lengths of ⅛″ to 12″. The profile is cooled or further cured with heat or steam before being cooled for final packaging. Embossing or additional shaping of three-dimensional features may optionally be performed before or after cutting.
While any type of extrusion apparatus is suitable for use with the disclosed formulations and methods, it is preferable to use a twin-screw extruder. Preferably the mixture is then passed through one or more insert dies thereby forming extrudate strands. The die(s) may be configured so as to produce an extrudate strand having a particular cross-sectional profile, with examples of simple profiles being rectangular, circular, and club-shaped. The strand thickness is specially chosen depending upon the size of pet ultimately intended to consume the pet treat. Preferably, the extrudate strand will have a thickness of about ¼ to 1½ inches and more preferably from about ⅜″ to 1 inch. The extrudate can also be in the form of a curved up sheet to simulate rawhide looking products. The extrudate is placed on a conveying belt for partial cooling. The extrudate strands are cut at the end of conveying belt and transferred to a cooler for cooling to room temperature. After exiting the cooler, the products can be packaged in canisters, zip-lock bags or pouches, hot melt sealed bags, etc.
Proper packaging improves the quality of products delivered to the ultimate consumer. Exemplary packaging materials include aluminum-plastic film laminates, PET, PVC, PS, PP thermoforms, PVP based-laminates, PE, PP films, and the like.
The following examples teach by way of illustration, and not by limitation, to illustrate preferred embodiments of what is claimed.
The above formulation was prepared using a Wenger TX-85 twin screw extruder. The extruder barrel temperature was set at 180° F. with an extrusion rate of 800 lbs/hr and a screw speed of 120 rpm.
The above formulation was prepared using a Wenger TX-57 twin screw extruder. The extruder barrel temperature was set at 180° F. with an extrusion rate of 200 lbs/hr and a screw speed of 100 rpm.
The above formulation was prepared using a Wenger TX-57 twin screw extruder. The extruder barrel temperature was set at 200° F. with an extrusion rate of 200 lbs/hr and a screw speed of 100 rpm.
* Provided by MGP Ingredients, Inc., Atchison, Kans.
** Provided by Rudolph Foods Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio
*** Provided by Applied Food Biotechnology Inc., O Fallon, Mo.
Changes may be made in the above systems and methods without departing from the subject matter described in the Summary and defined by the following claims. It should thus be noted that the matter contained in the above description should be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.
All references cited are incorporated by reference herein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 60/647,113, filed Jan. 26, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60647113 | Jan 2005 | US |