Dry pet food

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a dry pet food which contains a large amount of a raw meat material and has good palatability. This pet food is a dry pet food containing granules of a raw material mixture containing a powder raw material, at least one raw meat raw material selected from the group consisting of animal meat and fish meat, and a fat and oil raw material, the content of the raw meat raw material being more than 36% of the total amount of the raw material mixture, and the content of the fat and oil raw material being less than 30% of the total amount of the raw material mixture. The powder raw material contains soybean protein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to dry pet food.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-089220 filed in Japan on May 31, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Dry pet food is in great demand as daily pet food from the viewpoints of ease of handling and good storage stability. However, compared with pet foods with high water content such as soft dry foods, semi-moist foods, and wet foods, dry pet foods often have a higher proportion of powdered raw materials and are inferior in palatability.

[0004] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for dry pet food that is healthy and highly palatable and uses high-quality ingredients. Raw meat ingredients such as animal meat and fish meat have attracted attention as raw materials for such dry pet food.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 describes the following dry food: a mixture containing 30 to 65% by weight of corn, 5 to 20% by weight of rice, 15 to 35% by weight of edible meat, 10 to 30% by weight of dietary fiber, 0.15 to 2.0% by weight of inorganic salts, 0.01 to 0.2% by weight of vitamins, and 0.01 to 5.2% by weight of minerals is used, the mixture is uniformly ground, and heat-treated to form a mixture.

[0006] Patent Document 2 describes a pet food ingredient that includes at least about 40% by weight of meat and an amount of a cellulosic material effective for extrusion of the ingredient and cutting after passing through an extruder.

[0007] Prior Art Literature

[0008] Patent Literature

[0009] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-274868

[0010] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-518373 Summary of the invention

[0011] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0012] In recent years, the number of products that focus on the ingredients and quality of raw materials has increased in the human food industry. As a result, pet owners are increasingly demanding pet food with high-quality ingredients for their beloved pets, and are seeking products that contain more raw meat as an ingredient.

[0013] However, as a result of research conducted by the inventors of the present application, it has been found that if the amount of raw meat raw materials is increased in the production of dry foods, the food grains themselves cannot be granulated, or even if they can be granulated, the yield rate is greatly reduced. In addition, the produced food grains are sometimes unstable and the taste is deteriorated, or the shape of the food grains themselves cannot be maintained.

[0014] On the other hand, even when the raw meat material contains 40% or more as in Patent Document 2, the above-mentioned problem can be solved by adding dietary fiber such as cellulose, but there is still a problem that the palatability is reduced.

[0015] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide dry pet food that contains a large amount of raw meat ingredients and has good palatability.

[0016] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0017] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following aspects.

[0018] (1) A dry pet food comprising granules of a raw material mixture, wherein the raw material mixture includes a powder raw material, at least one raw meat raw material selected from the group consisting of animal meat and fish meat, and a fat raw material, wherein the content of the raw meat raw material exceeds 36% of the total amount of the raw material mixture, and the powder raw material includes soy protein.

[0019] (2) The dry pet food according to (1) above, wherein the raw meat raw material is a main raw material of the raw material mixture.

[0020] (3) The dry pet food according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the soybean protein content is 5 to 30% of the total amount of the raw material mixture.

[0021] (4) The dry pet food according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the content of dietary fiber in the raw material mixture is 10% or less of the total amount of the raw material mixture.

[0022] (5) The dry pet food according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the powder raw material contains corn as a grain raw material.

[0023] (6) The dry pet food according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the content of the oil and fat raw material is 3.5% or more of the total amount of the raw material mixture.

[0024] (7) A dry pet food, comprising: a first granular material of a first raw material mixture, the first raw material mixture comprising a powdered raw material, at least one raw meat raw material selected from the group consisting of animal meat and fish meat, and a fat raw material; and a second granular material of a second raw material mixture, the second raw material mixture containing less raw meat raw materials than the first raw material mixture, or the second raw material mixture containing no raw meat raw materials, wherein the raw meat raw material content in the first raw material mixture exceeds 36% of the total amount of the first raw material mixture.

[0025] (8) The dry pet food according to (7) above, wherein the content of the first granular material is less than 25% of the total amount of the first granular material and the second granular material.

[0026] (9) The dry pet food according to (7) or (8) above, wherein the first granular material has an arc-shaped corner, and the second granular material has an irregular cross-section.

[0027] (10) The dry pet food according to any one of (7) to (9) above, wherein the first raw material mixture contains fish meat as the raw meat raw material, and the second raw material mixture contains fish meat other than the fish meat contained in the first raw material mixture.

[0028] (11) The dry pet food according to any one of (7) to (10) above, wherein the first granular material has a darker color than the second granular material.

[0029] Effects of the Invention

[0030] According to the present invention, a dry pet food containing a large amount of raw meat ingredients and having good palatability can be obtained. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In this specification, "pet" refers to an animal raised by a person. In a narrower sense, a pet refers to an animal raised by the owner for entertainment. In addition, "pet food" refers to feed for pets. The pet food involved in the present invention can be sold as "animal feed" or "animal bait".

[0032] In this specification, "palatability" is an indicator of whether a pet likes to eat a food, and includes factors such as taste, flavor, and smell.

[0033] In this specification, the moisture content (weight %) of pet food is obtained by a normal pressure heating drying method. The moisture content obtained by this method also includes the moisture in the main ingredients.

[0034] (Normal pressure heating drying method)

[0035] The weight of an aluminum weighing can is measured in advance as a constant value (W1 gram). The sample is placed in the aluminum weighing can and weighed (W2 grams). Next, the sample is dried using a forced circulation warm air dryer at 135°C for 2 hours. After cooling in a dry atmosphere (in a silica gel dryer), the weight is weighed (W3 grams). The moisture content is calculated from each weight obtained using the following formula.

[0036] Water content (unit: weight %) = (W2-W3) ÷ (W2-W1) × 100

[0037] [Method for measuring hardness]

[0038] In this specification, the hardness (fracture hardness) of food grains is a value obtained by the following measurement method.

[0039] The breaking stress of the dried meat pieces when compressed at a certain compression speed was measured under the following conditions using a compression tester (TEXTUROMETER, model: GTX-2, fully developed).

[0040] Plunger: cylindrical plunger with a diameter of 3 mm, platform: flat plate, compression speed: LOW, output: 1 V, plunger lowest point: 2 mm (gap between flat plate and plunger), measurement temperature: 25°C.

[0041] Specifically, a small piece of dried meat to be measured is placed on a flat plate, and a plunger is pressed vertically at a certain speed from directly above the small piece to measure the stress. The peak value (maximum value) of the stress is read as the value of the fracture stress. The measurement is repeated for 10 small pieces and the average value is calculated. The numerical unit of the fracture hardness is converted into Newton (N) by multiplying the numerical value of the fracture stress (unit: kgw) measured by the above-mentioned compression tester by 9.8 (multiplication calculation).

[0042] The hardness of the dried meat pieces is a value measured immediately after the pet food product is opened within 30 days from the date of production, or a value measured under equivalent conditions.

[0043] <Type 1: Dry pet food>

[0044] The dry pet food involved in this embodiment contains granules of a raw material mixture (hereinafter also referred to as "food particles"), which raw material mixture includes: a powder raw material; at least one raw meat raw material selected from the group consisting of animal meat and fish meat (hereinafter also referred to as "raw meat raw material"); and a fat raw material.

[0045] Here, the "granular material of the raw material mixture" refers to food particles obtained by granulating the raw material mixture by an extrusion molding machine such as an extruder. The details of the method for producing dry pet food according to the present embodiment will be described later.

[0046] (Powder raw materials)

[0047] The powder raw materials are not particularly limited, and known raw materials can be used. Specifically, cereals (corn, wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye, etc.), beans (defatted soybeans, whole soybeans, etc.), starches (wheat starch, corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, etc.), vegetable protein source raw materials (corn protein powder, wheat gluten, soy protein, etc.), meat (chicken, beef, pork, venison, meat meal (chicken meal, pork meal, beef meal, mixed meat meal thereof), etc.), marine products (fish, meat meal (fish meal), etc.), vegetables, powdered additives (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, seasoning raw materials, fibers, pigments, taste enhancers, etc.).

[0048] Meat powder refers to powder obtained by compressing and grinding meat or seafood.

[0049] Examples of the taste enhancer include animal raw material extracts, plant raw material extracts, yeast extracts (beer yeast extracts, baker's yeast extracts, torulo yeast extracts), and dried products of yeast (beer yeast, baker's yeast, torulo yeast, etc.).

[0050] In this embodiment, the powder raw material contains soybean protein. The powder raw material contains soybean protein, which makes it easy to absorb water contained in the raw meat raw material and mix the raw materials evenly. Therefore, it is easy to contain a large amount of raw meat raw materials in the raw material mixture, and it is easy to improve the formability of the raw material mixture.

[0051] Examples of the soybean protein include isolated soybean protein and concentrated soybean protein.

[0052] The soybean protein may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0053] When the powder raw material contains soybean protein, the content of soybean protein is preferably 5 to 30% of the raw material of the raw material mixture, more preferably 7 to 25%, and further preferably 10 to 20%. If the content of soybean protein is within the above-mentioned preferred range, it is easy to adjust the protein content in the dry pet food within an appropriate range and easy to mix the raw materials uniformly.

[0054] In this embodiment, it is preferred that the powder raw material includes corn as a cereal raw material. The cereal raw material may be a dry-ground product of corn or a wet-ground product of corn, and is preferably a dry-ground product of corn.

[0055] "Dry-ground corn products" refer to ground corn products that are processed without using substantially any water. Compared to wet-ground products from which a part of corn such as corn starch is extracted, dry-ground corn products have a lower starch content. Therefore, it is easy to prevent grains from sticking to each other during the granulation process, and it is easy to obtain food grains of a desired shape, thereby easily improving the yield rate.

[0056] Examples of the dry-ground corn products include corn grits, corn husk meal, corn flour, corn meal, corn germ, corn bran, etc. Among them, the dry-ground corn products are preferably corn flour and corn meal from the viewpoint of preventing agglomeration of the raw material mixture and preventing grains from sticking together.

[0057] The dry-ground corn product may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0058] When the powder raw material includes dry-ground corn, the content of the dry-ground corn is preferably 10 to 40% of the raw materials in the raw material mixture, more preferably 15 to 35%, and even more preferably 20 to 30%.

[0059] When the content of the dry-ground corn product is within the above-mentioned preferred range, it is easy to adjust the protein content in the dry pet food within an appropriate range, and it is easy to prevent the pellets from sticking together during the pelletizing step.

[0060] The powder raw material may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among them, the powder raw material preferably contains soybean protein and a dry-ground product of corn.

[0061] The content of the powdered raw material is preferably 40% to 60% of the raw material in the raw material mixture, more preferably 50% to 60%, and even more preferably 55% to 60% based on the total amount of the raw material mixture.

[0062] When the content of the powder raw material is within the above-mentioned preferred range, palatability is likely to be further improved.

[0063] (Raw meat ingredients)

[0064] The raw meat material is not particularly limited as long as it is animal meat and / or fish meat, and known raw materials can be used.

[0065] Examples of animal meat include raw meat of cattle, pork, sheep, deer, rabbit, chicken, turkey, quail, and the like.

[0066] Examples of the fish meat include tuna, bonito, mackerel, mackerel, saury, sardines, and the like.

[0067] The form of the raw meat material is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include paste, slurry, and crumbs. Among them, the form of the raw meat material is preferably slurry or paste from the viewpoint of easily mixing the raw materials uniformly.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the raw meat raw material is preferably fish meat. If fish meat is used as the raw meat raw material, a large amount of raw meat is included in the raw material mixture, and the formability is easily improved. In addition, it is easy to improve the preference for pets (especially cats). In addition, in the present embodiment, the content of the raw meat raw material is more than 36% of the total amount of the raw material mixture, so sometimes the dry pet food may contain raw meat raw materials exceeding the standard amount specified by the Pet Food Fair Trade Consultation Council. In this case, the fact that the dry pet food contains raw meat can be indicated on the packaging body containing the dry pet food, so that the purchasing appeal to the demander is easily improved.

[0069] The raw meat material may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0070] The content of the raw meat material exceeds 36% of the raw materials in the raw material mixture, preferably exceeds 36% and is 60% or less, more preferably exceeds 36% and is 55% or less, and further preferably exceeds 36% and is 50% or less.

[0071] If the content of raw meat ingredients exceeds 36%, the dry pet food is likely to be more palatable. In addition, dry pet food may contain raw meat ingredients exceeding the standard amount established by the Pet Food Fair Trade Consultation Council. In this case, the fact that the dry pet food contains raw meat can be indicated on the package containing the dry pet food, thereby easily increasing the purchasing appeal to the demander.

[0072] On the other hand, if the raw meat content is below the upper limit of the above preferred range, the raw material can be easily mixed evenly, the blending balance with other raw materials can be easily achieved, and the nutritional balance of the dry pet food can be easily adjusted. In addition, the formability of the raw material mixture can be easily improved.

[0073] In this embodiment, it is preferred that the raw meat raw material is the main raw material of the raw material mixture. Here, the "main raw material" refers to the raw material with the largest amount of mixing relative to the total amount of the raw material mixture.

[0074] If the raw meat material is the main material of the raw material mixture, it is easier to improve the palatability.

[0075] (Oil and fat raw materials)

[0076] The oil and fat raw materials are not particularly limited, and known raw materials can be used. Specifically, they include: animal oils such as chicken fat (chicken oil), lard (lard), beef tallow (beef tallow), milk fat, and fish oil; and vegetable oils such as olive oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, coconut palm oil, camellia oil, soybean oil, and rapeseed oil.

[0077] Among them, fats and oils that are liquid at room temperature are preferred because of their high melting points and high handleability, and soybean oil is more preferred.

[0078] The fat and oil raw materials may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0079] The content of the fat and oil raw material is preferably 2.5% or more of the raw material in the raw material mixture, more preferably 3% or more, and even more preferably 3.5% or more.

[0080] The upper limit of the content of the fat and oil raw material is not particularly limited, but is preferably 8% or less, more preferably 6.5% or less, and still more preferably 5% or less.

[0081] When the content of the oil and fat raw material is within the above-mentioned preferred range, a large amount of raw meat can be included in the raw material mixture, and the shape of the grains can be suppressed, thereby easily achieving a stable texture.

[0082] (Other raw materials)

[0083] The raw material mixture may contain other raw materials besides the powder raw material, the raw meat raw material and the fat raw material.

[0084] Other raw materials include water, liquid sugar, dietary fiber (cellulose, etc.); herbs; vitamins; minerals; amino acids; sweeteners; pigments; preservatives; thickeners and stabilizers; processed starch; antioxidants; pH adjusters; seasonings; emulsifiers; leavening agents; flavorings, etc.

[0085] In the present embodiment, in the raw material mixture, the content of dietary fiber is preferably less than 10% of the total amount of the raw material mixture, more preferably less than 9%, and further preferably less than 8%. The lower limit of the content of dietary fiber is not particularly limited, but is preferably more than 0%, more preferably more than 3%, and further preferably more than 5%.

[0086] When the content of dietary fiber is within the above-mentioned preferred range, palatability is unlikely to decrease and the raw materials can be easily mixed uniformly.

[0087] In the dry pet food according to the present embodiment, the hardness of the granular material (food grains) of the raw material mixture is preferably 60 to 100N, more preferably 70 to 90N, and still more preferably 75 to 85N.

[0088] When the hardness of the food grains is within the above-mentioned preferred range, palatability tends to be improved.

[0089] In the dry pet food of the present embodiment, the shape of the food grains is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape suitable for pets to eat. From the viewpoint of maintaining the shape of the food grains, it is preferably a shape with arc-shaped corners, preferably a spherical or elliptical shape. Here, "arc-shaped" means a shape like a part of a circle or a curve similar thereto, and is a shape in which the corners of the food grains have roundness.

[0090] In the dry pet food of the present embodiment, the size of the food particles is not particularly limited as long as it is a size suitable for pets to eat. The size of the food particles is preferably 6.0 to 9.0 mm in long diameter, 5.5 to 8.5 mm in short diameter, and 2.5 to 4.5 mm in thickness. When the size of the food particles is within the above range, the pets can eat easily.

[0091] The moisture content of the dry pet food obtained by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is preferably 3.0 to 12% by mass, more preferably 5.0 to 12% by mass, and further preferably 8.0 to 12% by mass in the case of pet food for dogs. It is preferably 2.0 to 10% by mass, more preferably 3.0 to 9.0% by mass, and further preferably 4.0 to 8.0% by mass in the case of pet food for cats.

[0092] When the water content is within the above range, sufficient palatability can be obtained.

[0093] The dry pet food of this embodiment can be directly contained in a package to form a pet food product, or can be mixed with other dry pet foods to obtain mixed pet food, which is then contained in a package to form a pet food product. Specifically, it can be a mixed pet food that uses the dry pet food of this embodiment as an ingredient pellet and other dry pet foods as main pellets.

[0094] The other dry pet foods (main grains) in the mixed pet food are not particularly limited, and any known dry pet foods that meet the comprehensive nutritional dietary standards can be used.

[0095] In the case of mixed pet food, it is preferred that the ingredient particles have arc-shaped corners and the main particles have a shape with a special cross section.

[0096] Examples of the shape of the main particle having an irregular cross section include a heart shape, a clover shape, a star shape, a cross shape, and a donut shape.

[0097] When the ingredient particles and the main particles have the above-mentioned shapes, it is easy to visually confirm that the mixed pet food contains different food particles. In addition, when the ingredient particles and the main particles are mixed, the ingredient particles are not easy to lose shape.

[0098] In addition, the shape of the main particle is not limited to a shape having a special cross section, and may be a circular, elliptical, polygonal, or other shape.

[0099] The hardness of the main grain is not particularly limited, but is preferably 40 to 60 N. If the hardness of the ingredient grains is within the above preferred range and the hardness of the main grains is within the above preferred range, the texture of the ingredient grains and the main grains is different, so the palatability is easily improved.

[0100] The size of the main pellets is not particularly limited as long as it is a size suitable for pet consumption. The main pellets are preferably 5-15 mm in long diameter, 5-15 mm in short diameter, and 2-5 mm in thickness, and more preferably 7-10 mm in long diameter, 7-10 mm in short diameter, and 2-3 mm in thickness.

[0101] In the mixed pet food, the ratio of main grains to ingredient grains is preferably 95:5 to 50:50, more preferably 70:30 to 90:10, and even more preferably 90:10 to 80:20.

[0102] If the ratio of main particles to ingredient particles is within the above preferred range, it is easy to improve the palatability.

[0103] <Manufacturing method of dry pet food>

[0104] The method for producing pet food according to the present embodiment may adopt a known method, and is not particularly limited as long as the above-mentioned configuration of the present embodiment is satisfied. As a known method, the following method for producing pet food in the order of a granulation step, a drying step, and a coating step can be cited.

[0105] [Granulation process]

[0106] In the granulation step, the raw material mixture is granulated to obtain food grains. A known method can be used for the method of mixing the raw materials to form the raw material mixture and the method of shaping (granulating) the raw material mixture into a granular form.

[0107] For example, a method of producing expanded pellets using an extruder can be appropriately used.

[0108] The method for producing expanded pellets using an extruder can be applied to the method described in "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th Edition" (Michael S. Hand, Craig D. Thatcher, Rebecca L. Remillard, Philip Roudebusg, Bruce J. Novotny, ed., published by Mark Morris Associates; 2014; p. 209-p. 215).

[0109] An example of a method for producing expanded pellets using an extruder is described. First, the raw materials of the expanded pellets, except for the external additives, are crushed as needed and then mixed. The crushing and mixing can also be performed using a grinder or the like. In addition, water (not included in the raw material composition) is added as needed to obtain a raw material mixture.

[0110] The obtained raw material mixture is put into an extruder, heated and pressurized, and then extruded from an outlet. A plate with holes of a specified shape and a cutter for cutting the raw material mixture extruded from the plate into a specified length (thickness) are provided at the outlet. The raw material mixture is extruded from the holes of the plate and cut by the cutter to be formed into a specified shape. At the same time, the pressurized state is released to normal pressure, so that the water vapor in the raw material mixture expands, thereby expanding the raw material mixture to obtain porous particles.

[0111] [Drying process]

[0112] If necessary, the particles thus obtained are dried to a predetermined moisture content to obtain expanded particles (food particles). In the case of manufacturing dry food particles, a drying process is essential.

[0113] For example, the moisture content of pellets discharged from the extruder is 10 to 30% by mass. When the pellets contain moisture to this extent, good moldability is easily obtained.

[0114] The temperature of the pellets discharged from the extruder depends on the heating temperature in the extruder and is, for example, 90 to 150°C.

[0115] The method for drying the pellets discharged from the extruder can be appropriately adopted by a known method. For example, a hot air drying method in which hot air is sprayed on the pellets to dry them, a reduced pressure drying method, a method of frying in oil, etc. For example, a hot air drying method using a conveyor-type hot air dryer is preferred.

[0116] The drying conditions (temperature, time) may be any conditions as long as the temperature of the pellets is raised to 100° C. or higher without causing thermal denaturation of the pellet components, and the moisture in the pellets is evaporated, so that the desired moisture content can be adjusted. For example, when drying is performed by a hot air dryer, the temperature of the hot air in contact with the pellets is preferably 100 to 140° C., more preferably 100 to 110° C. The drying time is not particularly limited, and is, for example, about 5 to 20 minutes.

[0117] After drying, the pet food may be coated with a coating agent containing oils, fats, seasonings, fragrances, and the like.

[0118] The coating method is not particularly limited, and can be performed, for example, by vacuum coating. The vacuum coating method is a method in which the heated food particles are in contact with or attached to the coating agent, the pressure is reduced, and then the coating agent is slowly released to the atmosphere. The coating agent can be either liquid or powdered. By the coating, the pet's palatability (compatibility) can be improved.

[0119] <Type 2: Dry pet food>

[0120] The dry pet food according to the present embodiment contains: first granules of a first raw material mixture (hereinafter also referred to as "first food particles"), the first raw material mixture containing a powder raw material, at least one raw meat raw material selected from the group consisting of animal meat and fish meat, and a fat raw material; and second granules of a second raw material mixture (hereinafter also referred to as "second food particles"), the raw meat raw material content of the second raw material mixture being less than the raw meat raw material content of the first raw material mixture, or the second raw material mixture containing no raw meat raw material.

[0121] (1st food grain)

[0122] The powder raw material, raw meat raw material and fat raw material in the first raw material mixture as the raw material of the first food grains are the same as the powder raw material, raw meat raw material and fat raw material in the dry pet food involved in the first embodiment. However, the powder raw material in the first raw material mixture may contain soybean protein or may not contain soybean protein, but preferably contains soybean protein.

[0123] In the first raw material mixture, the content of the above-mentioned raw meat raw material in the first raw material mixture exceeds 36% of the total amount of the above-mentioned first raw material mixture, preferably exceeds 36% and is less than 60%, more preferably exceeds 36% and is less than 55%, and further preferably exceeds 36% and is less than 50%.

[0124] If the content of raw meat ingredients exceeds 36%, the dry pet food is likely to be more palatable. In addition, the dry pet food contains raw meat ingredients exceeding the standard amount established by the Pet Food Fair Trade Consultation Council. Therefore, the fact that the dry pet food contains raw meat can be indicated on the package containing the dry pet food, so that the purchase appeal to the demander is likely to be increased.

[0125] On the other hand, if the raw meat content is below the upper limit of the above preferred range, the raw material can be easily mixed evenly, the blending balance with other raw materials can be easily achieved, and the nutritional balance of the dry pet food can be easily adjusted. In addition, the formability of the raw material mixture can be easily improved.

[0126] (Second food grain)

[0127] The second food particles are not particularly limited as long as they are particles of the second raw material mixture containing less raw meat than the first raw material mixture or containing no raw meat, and known dry pet food that meets the comprehensive nutritional dietary standards can be used.

[0128] In the dry pet food according to the present embodiment, preferably, the first food grains have arc-shaped corners, and the second food grains have a shape with a non-standard cross section.

[0129] The second food grains may have a cross-sectional shape such as a heart, a clover, a star, a cross, a donut, etc. The main grains may be shaped not only to have a cross-sectional shape but also to be circular, oval, polygonal, etc.

[0130] When the first food grains and the second food grains have the above-mentioned shapes, it is easy to visually confirm that different food grains are contained in the dry pet food. In addition, when the first food grains and the second food grains are mixed, the first food grains are difficult to lose shape.

[0131] Furthermore, if the first food grains have arc-shaped corners, the shape of the first food grains can be easily maintained even when the first raw material mixture is prone to becoming non-uniform due to the inclusion of a large amount of raw meat raw materials in the first raw material mixture.

[0132] In the dry pet food according to the present embodiment, the content of the first food grains is preferably less than 25% of the total amount of the first food grains and the second food grains, more preferably 20% or less, and even more preferably 15% or less.

[0133] When the content ratio of the first food grains is within the above-mentioned preferred range, palatability is easily improved.

[0134] In the mixed pet food, the ratio of the second food grains to the first food grains is preferably 95:5 to 50:50, more preferably 70:30 to 90:10, and even more preferably 90:10 to 80:20.

[0135] When the ratio of the second food grains to the first food grains is within the above-mentioned preferred range, palatability is easily improved.

[0136] In the dry pet food according to the present embodiment, it is preferred that the first raw material mixture contains fish meat as a raw meat raw material, and the second raw material mixture contains fish meat other than the fish meat contained in the first raw material mixture. In this case, the first food particles and the second food particles both contain fish meat raw materials, and the dry pet food as a whole can easily achieve a unified feeling. In addition, by containing different fish meat raw materials in the first food particles and the second food particles, for example, when the first food particles use fish meat raw materials with a high flavor effect, the first food particles stand out, and the inducibility can be easily improved.

[0137] In the dry pet food according to the present embodiment, it is preferred that the first food grains have a darker color than the second food grains. In this case, the first food grains having a strong aroma can be easily made more conspicuous.

[0138] In the present embodiment, the hardness, shape, and size of the first food grains are the same as those of the food grains in the first embodiment described above.

[0139] <Manufacturing method of dry pet food>

[0140] The method for producing pet food according to the present embodiment may be a known method, and is not particularly limited as long as the above-mentioned configuration of the present embodiment is satisfied. As a known method, the following method for producing pet food in the order of a granulation step, a drying step, and a coating step can be cited.

[0141] Specifically, the dry pet food according to the present embodiment is obtained by obtaining first food grains and second food grains and mixing the first food grains and the second food grains in the same manner as the method for producing pet food according to the first embodiment.

[0142] In this embodiment, the dry pet food contains raw meat ingredients exceeding the standard amount set by the Pet Food Fair Trade Consultation. Therefore, the fact that the dry pet food contains raw meat can be indicated on the package containing the dry pet food, thereby easily increasing the purchase appeal to the demander. Specifically, a photo of fish or a delicate illustration can be printed on the package, thereby attracting the demander to purchase by indicating that the pet food product is a healthy and highly palatable dry pet food containing fish meat.

[0143] Example

[0144] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0145] [Examples 1 to 3: Production of dry pet food (ingredient pellets)]

[0146] The raw materials shown in Table 1 were mixed to obtain a raw material mixture. The obtained raw material mixture was put into a trial extruder, and was subjected to a heating treatment while being kneaded, and extruded and granulated into granules at the outlet of the trial extruder, and expanded at the same time. The obtained food particles were dried in a dryer to obtain dry pet foods (ingredient particles) of Examples 1 to 3.

[0147] Table 1

[0148]

[0149] (Evaluation of the Agglomeration of the Raw Material Mixture)

[0150] When mixing the raw materials, the presence or absence of agglomeration of the raw material mixture was evaluated by visual inspection according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1 as "Raw material mixing (presence or absence of agglomeration)".

[0151] ◎: Perfectly dispersed.

[0152] ○: Can proceed to the subsequent process without any problems.

[0153] (Evaluation of granulation feasibility)

[0154] The granulation success or failure was evaluated based on the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1 as "granulation success or failure".

[0155] ◎: Can be perfectly formed without adhesion.

[0156] ○: Although some adhesion occurred, production was possible without any problems.

[0157] (Evaluation of the presence or absence of adhesion of particles)

[0158] The presence or absence of adhesion of the pellets was evaluated based on the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1 as "Presence or absence of adhesion of the pellets".

[0159] ◎: Can be perfectly formed without adhesion.

[0160] ○: Although some adhesion occurred, production was possible without any problems.

[0161] (Evaluation of taste)

[0162] The raw material mixture that meets the comprehensive nutritional dietary standards is put into an extruder, and is heated while being kneaded, extruded and granulated into granules at the outlet of the extruder, and expanded at the same time. The obtained food granules are dried in a dryer to obtain dry pet food as the main granules.

[0163] The obtained main particles were mixed with the dry pet food (ingredient particles) of each test example in the ratio shown in Table 1 to obtain mixed pet food.

[0164] The palatability was evaluated by comparing the amount of food intake of each mixed pet food P and the main grain pet food Q. Twenty cats were monitored and the test was conducted for 2 days.

[0165] On the first day, one of pet food P and Q was supplied from the left side and the other from the right side, and a predetermined feeding amount was supplied simultaneously to one cat. When the cat finished eating either one or 30 minutes later, the amount of pet food eaten by the cat was measured.

[0166] The ratio of the amount of pet food Q consumed to the amount of pet food P consumed by the cat on the first day was calculated as a percentage (P:Q, P+Q=100%). The average of the percentages obtained based on the number of cats monitored was used as the result for the first day.

[0167] On the second day, in contrast to the first day, one of the pet foods P and Q was supplied from the right side and the other was supplied from the left side. The same amount of food was supplied to one cat as on the first day, and the amount of pet food eaten by the cat was measured when the cat finished eating either one or one hour later. The result for the second day was obtained by the same calculation method as on the first day.

[0168] Finally, the results of the first and second days were averaged to determine the final result, the ratio of the amount of pet food P to the amount of pet food Q consumed, "P:Q". The higher the value of P or Q, the more the cat being monitored likes to eat it. If the value of P is higher than 50%, it indicates that the cat has a higher preference than pet food Q. The results are shown in Table 1 as "Preference Evaluation Results".

[0169] The results shown in Table 1 confirmed that in Examples 1 to 3, the agglomeration of the raw material mixture can be suppressed, granulation can be performed, and the adhesion of the pellets after extrusion from the extruder can be suppressed. It was also confirmed that the mixed pet food obtained by mixing the dry pet food obtained in Examples 1 to 3 as the ingredient pellets was more palatable than the pet food consisting of only the main pellets. It was confirmed that in Example 3 in particular, the effects of suppressing the agglomeration of the raw material mixture and suppressing the adhesion of the pellets after extrusion from the extruder were high.

[0170] [Examples 4 to 6: Production of dry pet food (ingredient pellets)]

[0171] The raw materials shown in Table 2 were mixed to obtain a raw material mixture. The obtained raw material mixture was put into an extruder, and was subjected to a heating treatment while being kneaded, and extruded and granulated into granules at the outlet of the extruder, and expanded at the same time. The obtained food particles were dried in a dryer to obtain dry pet foods (ingredient particles) of Examples 4 to 6.

[0172] Table 2

[0173]

[0174] Regarding Examples 4 to 6, the evaluation of “whether the raw material mixture is agglomerated”, “whether granulation is possible”, “whether the pellets are agglomerated” and “whether the taste is good” were performed in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 3. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0175] The results shown in Table 2 show that in Examples 4 to 6, agglomeration of the raw material mixture can be suppressed, granulation can be performed, and adhesion of granules after extrusion from the extruder can be suppressed. It is also confirmed that the mixed pet food obtained by mixing the dry pet food obtained in Examples 4 to 6 as the ingredient granules is more palatable than the pet food consisting only of the main granules.

[0176] Industrial Applicability

[0177] The present invention provides dry pet food which contains a large amount of raw meat ingredients, has good palatability and is highly attractive to recipients, and a method for producing the same.

Claims

1. A dry pet food, comprising a granular material of a raw material mixture, wherein the raw material mixture comprises a powder raw material, at least one raw meat raw material selected from the group consisting of animal meat and fish meat, and a fat raw material, wherein: The raw meat material contains more than 36% of the total amount of the raw material mixture. The powder raw material contains soybean protein.

2. The dry pet food according to claim 1, wherein The raw meat material is the main material of the raw material mixture.

3. The dry pet food according to claim 1, wherein The content of the soybean protein is 5 to 30% of the total amount of the raw material mixture.

4. The dry pet food according to claim 1, wherein The dietary fiber content in the raw material mixture is 10% or less of the total amount of the raw material mixture.

5. The dry pet food according to claim 1, wherein The powder raw material includes corn as a grain raw material.

6. The dry pet food according to claim 1, wherein The content of the above-mentioned oil and fat raw material is 3.5% or more of the total amount of the above-mentioned raw material mixture.

7. A dry pet food, comprising: a first granular material of a first raw material mixture, the first raw material mixture comprising a powder raw material, at least one raw meat raw material selected from the group consisting of animal meat and fish meat, and a fat raw material; and The second granular material of the second raw material mixture, wherein the content of raw meat raw material in the second raw material mixture is less than the content of raw meat raw material in the first raw material mixture, or the second raw material mixture does not contain raw meat raw material, wherein: The content of the raw meat material in the first raw material mixture exceeds 36% of the total amount of the first raw material mixture.

8. The dry pet food according to claim 7, wherein: The content ratio of the first granular material is less than 25% of the total amount of the first granular material and the second granular material.

9. The dry pet food according to claim 7, wherein: The first granular object has an arc-shaped corner portion, and the second granular object has an irregular cross section.

10. The dry pet food according to claim 7, wherein: The first raw material mixture contains fish meat as a raw meat raw material, and the second raw material mixture contains fish meat other than the fish meat contained in the first raw material mixture.

11. The dry pet food according to claim 7, wherein: The first granular material has a darker color than the second granular material.

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