Dried pet food based on minced cod meat and preparation method of dried pet food

Abstract

The invention discloses a dried pet food based on minced cod meat and a preparation method thereof.According to the preparation method, the minced cod meat can be used for processing, efficient utilization of the minced cod meat is achieved, and meanwhile the problems of loose texture and fishy smell residues caused by direct drying of the minced cod meat are solved; the chewiness and palatability of the pet food are improved, and the problems of protein denaturation and nutrition loss caused by high-temperature dehydration are also avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pet food processing technology, and more specifically to a dried pet food based on cod mince and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional dried pet food primarily uses poultry or livestock meat as raw materials, with limited utilization of fish resources. Regarding fish, current technologies mostly process whole fish, failing to effectively utilize the large amount of meat scraps generated during cod processing, resulting in resource waste. For example... Figure 3 As shown, cod mince has a significantly higher water content than whole fish due to its unique physical properties, and its muscle fiber structure is relatively loose. This makes it prone to problems such as loose texture and difficulty in shaping during direct drying. Furthermore, the fishy odor inherent in the raw fish is difficult to completely remove using traditional processing methods, affecting the product's palatability.

[0003] Current drying processes generally employ high-temperature, long-duration dehydration, with drying temperatures typically exceeding 80°C. While this high-temperature treatment achieves rapid dehydration, it causes irreversible protein denaturation, destroying the product's original nutritional components. In particular, the unsaturated fatty acids abundant in fish are highly susceptible to oxidation under high temperatures, resulting in a significant loss of nutritional value. To compensate for the shortened shelf life caused by high-temperature processing, large amounts of chemical preservatives are often added during production, which contradicts the current market demand for natural and healthy pet food.

[0004] Commercially available dried pet food has significant defects in terms of texture, mainly manifested in insufficient hardness and poor chewability, failing to meet pets' palatability requirements. Furthermore, existing products are relatively limited in functionality, lacking the design of functional ingredients tailored to pets' health needs. These issues severely restrict the application value of cod mince in the high-end pet food market. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide a dried pet food based on cod mince and its preparation method.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0007] A dried pet food based on cod mince, comprising the following ingredients in parts by weight:

[0008] 88-92 parts cod mince, 0.01-0.03 parts ozone water, 0.05-0.1 parts protease, 0.02-0.04 parts lipase, 1.2-1.5 parts konjac gum, 6-8 parts pregelatinized cassava modified starch, 0.03-0.05 parts rosemary extract, 0.1-0.3 parts vitamin E, and 0.1-0.3 parts yucca extract.

[0009] In some embodiments, the protease is a flavor protease.

[0010] A method for preparing dried pet food based on cod mince, used to manufacture the aforementioned pet food, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0011] The deodorization process involves soaking cod mince in ozone water at a concentration of 0.8-1.2 ppm for 15 minutes, then removing it and adding the protease and lipase. The mixture is then subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis at 45°C for 40 minutes to obtain the enzymatically hydrolyzed mince.

[0012] In the textural control step of mixing, konjac gum, pregelatinized cassava modified starch, rosemary extract, vitamin E and yucca extract are added to the enzymatically hydrolyzed minced meat, and the mixture is chopped in a chopping pan at 2000-2500 rpm for 8-10 minutes to form a uniform meat paste.

[0013] In the pressing and molding step, the minced meat is pressed into a special shape to obtain high-moisture pet food; in the first drying step, the high-moisture pet food is dried at a temperature of 50-55°C for 4-6 hours to reduce the moisture content to 40%-45% to obtain medium-moisture pet food.

[0014] The second drying step involves drying the medium-moisture pet food at a temperature of 35-40℃ for 8-10 hours until the final moisture content is ≤12%, thus obtaining dried pet food.

[0015] In some embodiments, after the second drying step, the method further includes:

[0016] The packaging step involves packaging the dried pet food to obtain packaged pet food.

[0017] In some embodiments, after the packaging step, the method further includes:

[0018] The radiation sterilization step involves irradiating the packaged pet food to sterilize it, with an irradiation dose of 8.0 kGy.

[0019] Based on common knowledge in the field, the above-mentioned preferred conditions can be combined arbitrarily to obtain various preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows: the preparation method of this application can use cod mince for processing, realizing the efficient utilization of cod mince, while solving the problems of loose texture and residual fishy smell caused by direct drying of cod mince, improving the chewiness and palatability of pet food, and this application also avoids the problems of protein denaturation and nutrient loss caused by high temperature dehydration. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a dried pet food based on cod mince and a method for preparing the same, which is an exemplary embodiment of this invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a state diagram of dried pet food based on cod mince, which is an exemplary embodiment of this invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a state diagram of traditional dried pet food based on cod mince. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] It should be noted that in the claims and specification of this patent, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0026] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this application discloses a dried pet food based on cod mince and its preparation method.

[0027] The dried pet food based on cod mince of this application comprises the following ingredients in parts by weight: 88-92 parts cod mince, 0.01-0.03 parts ozone water, 0.05-0.1 parts protease, 0.02-0.04 parts lipase, 1.2-1.5 parts konjac gum, 6-8 parts pregelatinized cassava modified starch, 0.03-0.05 parts rosemary extract, 0.1-0.3 parts vitamin E, and 0.1-0.3 parts yucca extract.

[0028] Cod mince is the primary protein source. Ozone water refers to an aqueous solution with a dissolved ozone concentration of 0.8-1.2 ppm, which decomposes fishy-smelling substances through oxidation. Proteases can be flavor proteases, which break down proteins by cleaving hydrophobic amino acid peptide bonds. Lipases can be animal-derived lipases, which reduce the risk of lipid oxidation by hydrolyzing triglycerides. Konjac gum refers to a colloid with a glucomannan content exceeding 75%, which enhances structural strength by forming a thermally irreversible gel. Pregelatinized cassava modified starch refers to starch with a gelatinization degree exceeding 90%, which improves the binding properties of minced meat through rapid water absorption and swelling. Rosemary extract scavenge free radicals through phenolic compounds. Vitamin E protects unsaturated fatty acids by blocking the lipid peroxidation chain reaction. Yucca extract can be an extract with a saponin content exceeding 10%, which inhibits oxidation reactions by chelating metal ions.

[0029] Through the above technical solution, this application achieves efficient utilization and quality improvement of cod mince by using specific raw material ratios and functional synergy. Cod mince is used as the main raw material, accounting for 88-92 parts, reducing raw material waste. Ozone water is added in trace amounts of 0.01-0.03 parts, achieving preliminary deodorization through its strong oxidizing properties. Protease and lipase work synergistically at ratios of 0.05-0.1 parts and 0.02-0.04 parts respectively, decomposing proteins and fats under mild conditions. The synergistic deodorization by ozone water, protease, and lipase effectively removes fishy odor substances such as trimethylamine. 1.2-1.5 parts of konjac gum and 6-8 parts of pregelatinized cassava modified starch form a composite gel network as a natural binder. Through the synergistic effect of hydrophilic colloids and modified starch, the water retention and shaping stability of the minced meat are enhanced. Rosemary extract (0.03-0.05 parts) and Vitamin E (0.1-0.3 parts) form a natural antioxidant combination, replacing traditional preservatives, inhibiting lipid oxidation while preserving unsaturated fatty acids. The addition of yucca extract (0.1-0.3 parts) chelates metal ions, reducing oxidation.

[0030] In summary, the pet food of this application achieves efficient utilization of cod scraps, resulting in a product with a dense, non-loose texture, good chewability, and excellent palatability for pets. Furthermore, the synergistic deodorization process using ozone water, protease, and lipase significantly reduces the fishy odor of the pet food.

[0031] This application further proposes flavor protease as a key enzyme preparation in the deodorization process.

[0032] Among them, flavor protease refers to a complex enzyme preparation with dual activities of endopeptidase and exopeptidase. The dual enzyme synergistic effect of flavor protease can target myofibrillar protein in cod mince for targeted hydrolysis. While breaking hydrophobic bonds to improve the looseness of the meat, it preserves the structural integrity of heat-sensitive nutrients in the fish meat.

[0033] Specifically, at an enzymatic hydrolysis temperature of 45℃, the endopeptidase component of the flavor protease preferentially decomposes trimethylamine precursors associated with fishy odor, achieving the degradation of fishy substances by cleaving the peptide bonds of nitrogen-containing compounds; the exopeptidase component continues to act on the hydrolysis products, converting large polypeptide molecules into small flavor peptides. This staged enzymatic hydrolysis mechanism ensures efficient removal of fishy odor while avoiding meat quality deterioration caused by excessive hydrolysis, and forms a meat paste matrix with moderate chewiness by regulating the degree of protein decomposition.

[0034] Through the above technical solution, this application effectively solves the technical problem of insufficient enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency in the deodorization process of cod mince. While eliminating residual fishy smell, it improves the texture of the product through controllable protein decomposition, so that the final pet food has both low fishy smell and palatability, and fully retains the heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids in the fish meat.

[0035] This application further proposes a preparation method including the following steps:

[0036] Deodorization process: Soak cod mince in ozone water with a concentration of 0.8-1.2 ppm for 15 minutes, then remove and add protease and lipase. Perform enzymatic hydrolysis at 45℃ for 40 minutes to obtain enzymatically hydrolyzed mince.

[0037] Texture control steps for mixing: Add konjac gum, pregelatinized cassava modified starch, rosemary extract, vitamin E and yucca extract to the enzymatically hydrolyzed minced meat, and chop in a chopper at 2000-2500 rpm for 8-10 minutes to form a uniform meat paste.

[0038] Compression molding step: The minced meat is compressed into a special shape to obtain high-moisture pet food.

[0039] First drying step: Dry the high-moisture pet food at a temperature of 50-55℃ for 4-6 hours to reduce the moisture content to 40%-45%, thus obtaining medium-moisture pet food.

[0040] The second drying step: Dry the medium-moisture pet food at a temperature of 35-40℃ for 8-10 hours until the final moisture content is ≤12%, thus obtaining dried pet food.

[0041] Ozone water soaking refers to using the strong oxidizing properties of ozone to decompose the fishy-smelling substances in cod scraps. Specifically, an ozone generator can be used to prepare an aqueous solution with a concentration of 0.8-1.2 ppm, and soaking for 15 minutes removes volatile fishy-smelling components such as trimethylamine. Enzymatic hydrolysis refers to the breakdown of protein and fat macromolecules in cod scraps using proteases and lipases. Specifically, a reaction can be carried out at 45°C for 40 minutes to soften the meat and release bound water.

[0042] Chopping refers to shearing and stirring the mixture using a high-speed rotating blade. Specifically, a speed of 2000-2500 rpm can be used for 8-10 minutes to allow the konjac gum and starch to form a uniformly dispersed gel network.

[0043] The first drying step refers to the rapid removal of free moisture under medium temperature conditions, specifically using a temperature range of 50-55℃, and reducing the moisture content to 40%-45% through hot air circulation for 4-6 hours.

[0044] The second drying step refers to slowly removing bound moisture under low temperature conditions, specifically using a temperature range of 35-40℃, and controlling the final moisture content to below 12% through slow dehydration for 8-10 hours.

[0045] Specifically, after soaking cod mince in ozone water, the surface odor substances are oxidized and decomposed. Subsequently, during low-temperature enzymatic hydrolysis, proteases and lipases work synergistically to break down muscle fibers and adipose tissue, releasing bound water and improving texture. In the textural control step of mixing, konjac gum and pregelatinized starch form a three-dimensional network structure under high-speed chopping, encapsulating the water and oil in the minced meat and enhancing its shaping ability. During the staged drying process, the first stage of medium-temperature dehydration at 50-55℃ rapidly removes free water and prevents microbial growth; the second stage of low-temperature dehydration at 35-40℃ gradually removes bound water by extending the drying time, reducing the risk of protein thermal denaturation.

[0046] Compared to existing technologies, traditional processes employ single-stage high-temperature (not lower than 80℃) drying for extended periods, leading to excessive shrinkage of cod mince fibers, protein denaturation, and oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. This solution, however, combines ozone pretreatment with low-temperature enzymatic hydrolysis to remove the fishy odor while preserving nutrients; staged gradient dehydration reduces the loss of heat-sensitive components while controlling microbial activity; and the synergistic effect of konjac gum and starch compensates for the loose fibers of the cod mince, resulting in a uniform and dense texture.

[0047] Through the above technical solution, the preparation method of this application can use cod mince for processing, realizing the efficient utilization of cod mince, while solving the problems of loose texture and fishy smell caused by direct drying of cod mince, improving the chewiness and palatability of pet food, and this application also avoids the problems of protein denaturation and nutrient loss caused by high temperature dehydration.

[0048] This application further proposes adding a packaging step after the second drying step to seal the dried pet food in a packaged form, thus obtaining packaged pet food.

[0049] The packaging step refers to the operation of packing dried pet food with a moisture content of no more than 12% into a barrier packaging material and sealing it.

[0050] Specifically, the packaging process takes place when the moisture content of the dried pet food drops below 12%, at which point the internal water activity of the product is within a range where microorganisms cannot easily multiply. The sealed packaging forms a physical barrier, preventing the penetration of oxygen and moisture, as well as secondary contamination by external microorganisms. This step works synergistically with the preceding low-temperature drying process, utilizing the barrier properties of the packaging material to replace traditional preservatives while avoiding protein denaturation caused by high temperatures, and preserving the activity of natural antioxidants such as rosemary extract and vitamin E.

[0051] Through the above technical solution, this application solves the problem of spoilage of cod mince products due to microbial contamination and oxidation during long-term storage, and reduces the dependence on chemical preservatives.

[0052] This application further proposes that, after the packaging step, a radiation sterilization step is included, in which the packaged pet food is sterilized by irradiation with a sterilization dose of 8.0 kGy.

[0053] Radiation sterilization refers to a physical sterilization method that uses ionizing radiation to inactivate microorganisms. The irradiation sterilization dose of 8.0 kGy refers to the radiation energy absorbed per unit mass of product. This dose range can penetrate packaging materials to kill internal microorganisms while avoiding excessive damage to proteins and vitamins.

[0054] Specifically, after the pet food packaging process is completed, the sealed packaged products are sent to an irradiation device for sterilization. By controlling the irradiation dose to 8.0 kGy, residual microorganisms inside the packaging can be killed without opening the seal. This dose range has been experimentally verified to balance sterilization effectiveness with the retention of nutrients, avoiding lipid oxidation or the generation of radioactive odors due to excessive doses. Furthermore, since sterilization is performed after final packaging, the risk of secondary microbial contamination in subsequent processing stages is eliminated, extending shelf life without relying on high-temperature treatment or the addition of additional chemical preservatives.

[0055] The sterilization experiment in this application was conducted according to ISO 11137-2:2006, Radiation sterilization of medical and health products – Part 2 – Method for setting sterilization dose 1: Dose setting using bioburden information. Radiation sterilization dose setting and verification were performed on the pet food product of this application. This experiment included the following:

[0056] Initial contamination determination: Samples were inoculated with different gradients of microorganisms. A total of 100 samples with 7 gradients were tested. The microorganisms tested in this experiment were Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and total bacterial count. The initial values ​​of bacteria at different gradients were then detected, and the samples were packaged in their original packaging.

[0057] Determination of validation dose: Validation was performed using 8 kGy. Irradiation was conducted at a validation dose of 8.0 kGy ± 10%, followed by sterility testing.

[0058] The purpose of this experiment was to establish the electron beam sterilization dose for dried cod in pet food and to confirm its sterilization effectiveness. The experimental principle was based on the ISO 11137 method. First, the initial contamination microorganisms of the product before irradiation were determined, and then a validation dose was selected. The product was then irradiated with the validation dose, and the number of surviving microorganisms in the sample was measured to determine the minimum sterilization dose (SAL = 10⁻⁶).

[0059] 1. Determination of initial contaminating bacteria

[0060] Testing dates: December 21, 2024 to December 26, 2024

[0061] Quantity: 100

[0062] Sample share (SIP): 21

[0063] Culture conditions: Salmonella, Escherichia coli, total bacterial count: incubator 36℃±1℃ and 28℃±1℃.

[0064] 2. Initial contamination test

[0065] 2.1 Test Method

[0066] This experiment randomly selected 21 samples from 100 samples across 7 gradients for testing.

[0067] Test methods refer to: GB 4789.4-2016, GB 4789.2-2016, GB 4789.36-2016

[0068] 2.2 Test Results

[0069] Table 1 Results of initial contamination bacteria test

[0070]

[0071] 3. Verify the determination of dosage

[0072] Validation was performed using 8 kGy. Irradiation was conducted at a validation dose of 8.0 kGy ± 10%, followed by sterility testing.

[0073] 4. Verify the dose irradiation results

[0074] Irradiation date: 2024-12-20

[0075] Irradiation dose: 8.09 kGy~11.79 kGy

[0076] Twenty-one samples were randomly selected from 100 samples across seven gradients for testing, as shown in the table below:

[0077] Table 2. Test results after sterilization

[0078]

[0079] 5. Results Analysis

[0080] According to ISO 11137-2:2006, after irradiation and sterility testing of 21 samples at a defined validation dose, if the number of positive samples is 0 or the total bacterial count is less than 1.0 x 10⁻⁶, the sample is considered sterile. 4 The verification is acceptable. Otherwise, it is unacceptable. The results of this experiment are: 0 out of 21 samples showed positive results and the total bacterial count was higher than 1.0*10^2. 4 The results showed that the sterilization requirements were met under the experimental conditions of 8KGY irradiation.

[0081] Therefore, it can be seen that through the above technical solution, this application solves the problems of protein denaturation and vitamin destruction caused by traditional high-temperature sterilization, reduces the amount of chemical preservatives used, and at the same time blocks secondary microbial contamination through post-packaging irradiation treatment, significantly extending the shelf life of the product.

Claims

1. A dried pet food based on cod mince, characterized in that, Including the following parts by weight of raw materials: 88-92 parts cod mince, 0.01-0.03 parts ozone water, 0.05-0.1 parts protease, 0.02-0.04 parts lipase, 1.2-1.5 parts konjac gum, 6-8 parts pregelatinized cassava modified starch, 0.03-0.05 parts rosemary extract, 0.1-0.3 parts vitamin E, and 0.1-0.3 parts yucca extract.

2. The dried pet food based on cod mince as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protease is a flavor protease.

3. A method for preparing dried pet food based on cod mince, used to manufacture the pet food as described in any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The deodorization process involves soaking cod mince in ozone water at a concentration of 0.8-1.2 ppm for 15 minutes, then removing it and adding the protease and lipase. The mixture is then subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis at 45°C for 40 minutes to obtain the enzymatically hydrolyzed mince. In the textural control step of mixing, konjac gum, pregelatinized cassava modified starch, rosemary extract, vitamin E and yucca extract are added to the enzymatically hydrolyzed minced meat, and the mixture is chopped in a chopping pan at 2000-2500 rpm for 8-10 minutes to form a uniform meat paste. The pressing and molding step presses the minced meat into a special shape to obtain high-moisture pet food; The first drying step involves drying the high-moisture pet food at a temperature of 50-55°C for 4-6 hours to reduce the moisture content to 40%-45%, thus obtaining medium-moisture pet food. The second drying step involves drying the medium-moisture pet food at a temperature of 35-40℃ for 8-10 hours until the final moisture content is ≤12%, thus obtaining dried pet food.

4. The method for preparing the dried pet food based on cod mince as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Following the second drying step, the process further includes: The packaging step involves packaging the dried pet food to obtain packaged pet food.

5. The method for preparing dried pet food based on cod mince as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Following the packaging step, the following steps are also included: The radiation sterilization step involves irradiating the packaged pet food to sterilize it, with an irradiation dose of 8.0 kGy.

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