Edible animal chews comprising concentrated fruit juice, and methods of making and using such edible animal chews

Abstract

An edible pet chew contains an effective amount of a concentrated fruit juice as both a humectant and a plasticizer in the edible pet chew. A method of making an edible pet chew includes extruding a composition containing a concentrated juice present in the composition in an effective amount as both a humectant and a plasticizer in the composition being extruded. A method of cleaning teeth of a pet includes orally administering to the pet an edible chew containing an effective amount of a concentrated juice as both a humectant and a plasticizer in the edible chew. The concentrated juice may replace at least a portion of glycerol and / or propylene glycol in the edible chew while maintaining or increasing at least one of texture or chewing time of the edible pet chew.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 587,499, filed October 3, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The edible pet chews according to this disclosure contain concentrated fruit juice. In some embodiments, the edible pet chews contain an effective amount of concentrated fruit juice as both a humectant and a plasticizer. Humectants such as glycerin can be at least partially replaced by concentrated fruit juice in the edible pet chews, which can significantly improve the texture of the edible chews and significantly increase their chewing time. Background Technology

[0004] Periodontal disease is five times more common in pets than in humans. For example, over 80% of dogs over three years old have periodontal disease. In the wild, many animals eat food that mechanically abrades plaque and tartar from their teeth. In contrast, pets are typically fed commercially available pet food, which provides better nutritional value but usually doesn't subject their teeth to the abrasive forces necessary to clean them. Even dry food only abrades teeth to a very limited extent. This limited abrasion is partly due to the crumbs that dry food breaks down when chewed by the pet.

[0005] Periodontal treatment is painful for dogs and can be very expensive for owners. Therefore, dogs need dental care to prevent periodontal disease. However, most pet owners are unwilling or unable to provide the daily brushing necessary to maintain their pets' good oral health and may welcome alternatives offered through dietary means.

[0006] Various products are designed to improve pets' dental health. Generally, animal chew toys are made of plastic or other materials that animals cannot eat. Animals typically tire of inedible chew toys after a short time and turn to other activities. Furthermore, inedible chew toys provide no nutritional value and have limited effectiveness in providing health benefits. Edible chews have been developed, but they involve complex product designs and are sold at high prices as special treats.

[0007] Current edible chewable formulations typically contain a starch source, such as one or both of natural starch or pregelatinized starch, extruded together with glycerin. Glycerin acts as both a humectant and a plasticizer, and has a positive impact on the product's elasticity, durability, and water activity control. While some consumers consider glycerin undesirable, its significant functionality makes it difficult to replace effectively in edible pet chewables. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This disclosure relates in its entirety to edible pet chews, wherein glycerin can be at least partially replaced by concentrated fruit juice, which acts as a natural moisturizer. This substitution significantly improves the texture of the edible chews and significantly increases the chewing time of the resulting edible pet chews.

[0009] Therefore, in one general embodiment, this disclosure provides an edible pet chew comprising concentrated fruit juice. In some embodiments, the edible pet chew contains an effective amount of concentrated fruit juice as both a humectant and a plasticizer.

[0010] In another embodiment, this disclosure provides a method for preparing edible pet chews. The method includes extruding a composition containing concentrated fruit juice, preferably in an effective amount of both a humectant and a plasticizer, to form edible pet chews, which may optionally be packaged after extrusion.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, this disclosure provides a method for cleaning a pet's teeth. The method includes administering to the pet any of the edible pet chews disclosed herein and / or edible pet chews prepared by any of the methods disclosed herein.

[0012] One advantage of this disclosure is the improved edible chewables for pets.

[0013] Another advantage of this disclosure is that it improves the texture of edible chews for pets while increasing chewing time.

[0014] Another advantage of one or more embodiments of this disclosure is that it is an edible squeezed canine chew that does not contain any chemical humectants (such as glycerin or propylene glycol).

[0015] Another advantage of this disclosure is that it is an edible chewable for pets, wherein the humectant is a natural concentrated fruit juice.

[0016] Another advantage of one or more embodiments of this disclosure is for edible chews for pets, wherein phosphoric acid is at least partially replaced by concentrated lemon juice as a natural acid.

[0017] Another advantage of this disclosure is the use of natural concentrated fruit juice from fruits instead of glycerin, which also improves the mechanical properties of the chewable and increases the chewing time of edible chewables for pets.

[0018] Another advantage of this disclosure is that it is an edible chew for pets, wherein the amount of natural ingredients is at least about 95% by weight.

[0019] Other features and advantages are described herein and will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description. Detailed Implementation

[0020] As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly specifies otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a chewing substance” includes two or more chewing substances. The term “and / or” as used in the context of “X and / or Y” should be interpreted as “X” or “Y” or “X and Y.”

[0021] Unless otherwise stated, all percentages expressed herein refer to the total weight of the edible chewable material. As used herein, “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially” should be understood to refer to a number within a range of values, such as -10% to +10% of the mentioned number, preferably within -5% to +5%, more preferably within -1% to +1%, and most preferably within -0.1% to +0.1%. Furthermore, all numerical ranges herein should be understood to include all integers or fractions within that range. Additionally, these numerical ranges should be understood to support claims involving any number or subset of numbers within that range. For example, disclosures of 1 to 10 should be understood to support ranges of 1 to 8, 3 to 7, 1 to 9, 3.6 to 4.6, 3.5 to 9.9, etc.

[0022] The term "pet" means any animal that can benefit from or enjoy the compositions provided in this disclosure. For example, a pet can be a bird, a cattle, a canine, a horse, a feline, a goat, a wolf, a rodent, a sheep, or a pig, but it can also be any suitable animal. The term "companion animal" means a dog or a cat.

[0023] The terms "food," "food product," and "food composition" mean a product or composition intended for consumption by animals (including humans) and to provide them with at least one nutrient. The terms "pet food" and "pet treat" refer to any food composition intended for consumption by pets. The term "edible chewable" refers to an edible product that requires a longer chewing time than a standard edible product before it can be ingested. Preferably, edible chewable requires at least one minute of chewing before it can be ingested, for example, one to four minutes of chewing before it can be ingested.

[0024] The compositions disclosed herein may not contain any elements not specifically disclosed herein. Therefore, the disclosure of embodiments using the term "comprising / including" includes disclosures of embodiments that "consist substantially of the specified components" and embodiments that "comprise only the specified components." Similarly, the methods disclosed herein may not contain any steps not specifically disclosed herein. Therefore, the disclosure of embodiments using the term "comprising / including" includes disclosures of embodiments that "consist substantially of the specified steps" and embodiments that "comprise only the specified steps."

[0025] As used herein, “substantially free” means less than 1.00% by weight of the total composition, preferably less than 0.10% by weight, and most preferably less than 0.01% by weight.

[0026] The terms “enhanced,” “added,” “improved,” etc., mean an edible chewable that, according to this disclosure, at least partially replaces glycerol and / or propylene glycol with concentrated fruit juice, and has one or more characteristics, such as texture or chewing time, that are at least substantially similar to (and may be superior to) the corresponding characteristics in a reference edible chewable containing full amounts of glycerol and / or propylene glycol.

[0027] One aspect of this disclosure is an edible pet chew comprising concentrated fruit juice. In some embodiments, the edible pet chew comprises an effective amount of concentrated fruit juice as both a humectant and a plasticizer.

[0028] As used herein, "concentrated fruit juice" is a fruit juice from which at least 65% of the water has been removed, preferably 70% and more preferably 80% of the water has been removed. For example, concentrated fruit juice may have soluble solids derived from fruit, which are at least about 50% by weight of the concentrated fruit juice, such as at least about 60% by weight of the concentrated fruit juice.

[0029] In some embodiments, the concentrated fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of plums, apples, carob, dates, blueberries, strawberries, pears, grapes, peaches, and mixtures thereof. An exemplary non-limiting embodiment of the concentrated fruit juice includes a mixture of apples and carob, such as apple juice and carob juice that have been concentrated in the same composition or separately.

[0030] The concentrated fruit juice can be from about 5% to about 25% by weight of the edible pet chewable, preferably from about 10% to about 15% by weight, and most preferably from about 12% by weight. The edible chewable can be formulated for oral administration to companion animals (such as dogs). In some embodiments, the natural ingredient is at least about 95% by weight of the edible chewable. Preferably, the water activity (Aw) of the edible pet chewable is from about 0.65 to about 0.89, more preferably from about 0.75 to about 0.85, and most preferably about 0.80.

[0031] As described above, an exemplary non-limiting embodiment of concentrated fruit juice includes a mixture of apples and carob, such as apple juice and carob juice that have been concentrated in the same composition or separately. In some embodiments, at least a majority of the solids in the material are derived from at least one of apples or carob; for example, all or substantially all of the solids in the material are derived from at least one of apples or carob.

[0032] As used herein, "apple juice" means any material in which at least a portion of the solids is derived from apples (the fruit of the apple tree, Malus domestica). In some embodiments, concentrated apple juice contains one or more of the following: fructose, glucose, sucrose, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides (e.g., starch), malic acid, quinic acid, citric acid, tannins (i.e., polyphenols), amides, other nitrogenous compounds, soluble pectin, vitamin C, minerals, ethyl isovalerate, methyl isovalerate, and any mixtures thereof.

[0033] As used herein, "carob juice" means any material in which at least a portion of the solids is derived from apples (the fruit of the carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua). In some embodiments, concentrated carob juice contains one or more of the following: sucrose, glucose, fructose, polyphenols (e.g., tannins, flavonoids, phenolic acids), minerals (e.g., K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn), and any mixtures thereof.

[0034] In some embodiments, the concentrated juice includes concentrated plum juice. As used herein, "plum juice" means any material in which at least a portion of the solids are derived from plums (the fruit of the European plum (Prunus domestica L.)). In some embodiments, at least a majority of the solids in the material are derived from plums; for example, all or substantially all of the solids in the material are derived from plums. In some embodiments, the concentrated plum juice contains sorbitol and / or xylitol. In some embodiments, the concentrated plum juice contains one or more polyphenolic compounds selected from the group consisting of: neochlorogenic acid, 3-O-p-coumarylquinic acid, chlorogenic acid, 3-feruloylquinic acid, methyl 3-caffeoylquinic acid, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin-3-O-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-(6′′-acetylgalactoside), anthocyanin-3-O-glucoside, anthocyanin-3-O-rutinoside, paeoniflorin-3-O-rutinoside, and any mixture thereof.

[0035] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the edible pet chews are substantially free of glycerin and / or substantially free of propylene glycol. In a non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the edible pet chews do not contain any glycerin and do not contain any propylene glycol.

[0036] Furthermore, some embodiments of edible pet chews do not contain any butylene glycol and / or any polydextrose. Preferably, the edible pet chews are substantially free of any polyols other than those present in concentrated fruit juice, such as any polyols other than sorbitol and / or xylitol in concentrated plum juice. In one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the only polyol in the edible chews is present in the concentrated fruit juice, such as sorbitol and / or xylitol in concentrated plum juice.

[0037] In some embodiments, the edible pet chew is a substantially homogeneous single integral piece. The edible pet chew may include a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a length defined by the distance between the first and second ends, and a cross-section whose shape remains substantially the same along most of the length of the edible chew, preferably along approximately the entire length of the edible chew, and most preferably along the entire length of the edible chew. The length can be from about two inches to about ten inches, such as about five inches.

[0038] In some embodiments, the edible chew includes a body having a substantially cylindrical shape and radial ridges extending from the body, these radial ridges being substantially parallel to each other along at least a portion of the length of the edible chew, preferably along a large portion of the length of the edible chew, more preferably along approximately the entire length of the edible chew, and most preferably along the entire length of the edible chew. However, edible pet chews can have any shape and are not limited to a particular shape.

[0039] In some embodiments, the edible chewable also comprises starch or pregelatinized starch, such as wheat starch, corn starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, pea starch, a pregelatinized form of any of these starches, or any mixture thereof. In one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the edible chewable comprises pregelatinized rice starch.

[0040] Another aspect of this disclosure is a method for preparing edible pet chews. The method involves extruding a composition containing concentrated fruit juice, preferably in an effective amount as both a humectant and a plasticizer. The composition is preferably extruded in an extruder comprising or connected to a die having an opening that shapes the extrudate to form an edible chew, which may optionally be subsequently packaged after extrusion. The edible chew can be formulated for oral administration to companion animals, such as dogs.

[0041] In one exemplary, non-limiting embodiment, extrusion is performed on an extruder with a specific die design for canine chews. The canine chews are cut, cooled, and then packaged after extrusion. Concentrated fruit juice, along with water and any other liquids, is pumped into the extruder. Powder is prepared separately prior to extrusion, dried ingredients are weighed, and the blend of dried ingredients is then mixed and ground, and then the powder is weighed and added into the extruder via a continuous metering device.

[0042] In some embodiments, the composition comprising concentrated fruit juice and subjected to extrusion also comprises starch or pregelatinized starch, such as wheat starch, corn starch, rice starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, pea starch, pregelatinized form of any of these starches, or any mixture thereof.

[0043] Optionally, edible pet chews and / or extruded compositions may contain other components besides concentrated fruit juice and optional starch, such as one or more of protein sources, cereals, cereal by-products, vitamins, minerals, preservatives, antioxidants, colorants, flavor enhancers, or flavoring agents. In one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the edible chew contains concentrated fruit juice, starch (e.g., pregelatinized rice starch), insoluble fiber (e.g., malachite fiber), soluble fiber, emulsifier (e.g., monoglycerides), preservative (e.g., one or both of potassium sorbate or calcium propionate), flavoring agent (e.g., wild boar meat), and water (e.g., the remainder of the edible chew is water).

[0044] Non-limiting examples of suitable vitamins include any one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, including various salts, esters, or other derivatives of the foregoing. Non-limiting examples of suitable minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron, chlorine, boron, copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, iodine, selenium, etc. In a particularly preferred embodiment, tricalcium phosphate can be used as a calcium source and a tartar control agent.

[0045] Non-limiting examples of suitable preservatives include potassium sorbate, sorbic acid, sodium methylparaben, calcium propionate, propionic acid, tricalcium phosphate, and combinations thereof. Non-limiting examples of suitable antioxidants include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), vitamin E (tocopherol), and combinations thereof. Antioxidants can provide aesthetic benefits and influence the odor of edible pet chews, particularly over extended shelf life.

[0046] Non-limiting examples of suitable colorants include FD&C pigments such as Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, etc.; natural pigments such as roasted malt powder, caramel coloring, annatto, chlorophyll, cochineal, betaine, turmeric, saffron, paprika, lycopene, elderberry juice, pandan, butterfly pea flower, etc.; titanium dioxide; and any suitable food coloring known to a person skilled in the art. Non-limiting examples of suitable flavor enhancers and flavoring agents include yeast, tallow, animal melt powders (e.g., poultry, beef, lamb, and pork), flavor extracts or blends (e.g., roast beef), animal digests, etc.

[0047] Edible pet chews and / or extruded compositions may contain emulsifiers and stabilizers such as soy lecithin, monoglycerides, diglycerides, etc.

[0048] Edible pet chews and / or extruded compositions may contain gelatin and / or gums. Non-limiting examples of suitable gums are gellan gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan (e.g., κ, ι and / or λ), cellulose gum, gum arabic, etc., and combinations thereof.

[0049] Edible pet chews and / or extruded compositions may contain oils. Non-limiting examples of suitable oils are soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, high-oleic sunflower oil, olive oil, low-erucic acid rapeseed oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, palm oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, grapeseed oil, and combinations thereof.

[0050] Edible pet chews and / or extruded compositions may contain one or both of insoluble fibers, such as cellulose or fenestrated fibers, and / or soluble fibers. Edible pet chews and / or extruded compositions may contain, for example, an effective amount of concentrated lemon juice replacing at least a portion of any of the phosphoric acid present.

[0051] Another aspect of this disclosure is a method for reducing or eliminating glycerin and / or propylene glycol in edible pet chewables. A first edible chewable formulation contains a first amount of glycerin and / or propylene glycol. The method includes adjusting the first edible chewable formulation into a second edible chewable formulation. In the second edible chewable formulation, at least a portion of the first amount of glycerin and / or propylene glycol is replaced with concentrated fruit juice, for example, the amount of concentrated fruit juice is approximately equal to the amount of glycerin and / or propylene glycol removed. The amounts of components other than glycerin, propylene glycol, and concentrated fruit juice in the second edible chewable formulation are substantially the same as those in the first edible chewable formulation.

[0052] This method can be used to maintain or increase at least one of the texture or chewing time (preferably both) of an edible pet chewable by replacing at least a portion of glycerol and / or propylene glycol with concentrated fruit juice. Preferably, the method also includes producing the edible chewable according to a second edible chewable formulation. The edible chewable can be formulated for oral administration to companion animals, such as dogs.

[0053] In some embodiments of the method, phosphoric acid in the first edible chewable formulation is at least partially replaced by concentrated lemon juice in the second edible chewable formulation.

[0054] Another aspect of this disclosure is a method for cleaning the teeth of a pet (e.g., a companion animal, such as a dog). The method includes oral administration of any embodiment of the edible chewable disclosed herein and / or an edible chewable prepared by any embodiment of the method disclosed herein to the pet.

[0055] Example

[0056] By way of example and not limitation, the following embodiments illustrate implementation schemes of the edible chewables provided in this disclosure.

[0057] Example 1

[0058] As shown in Table 1, the edible chewables prepared unexpectedly showed improved texture in experimental testing, specifically an increase of 114% in the F(N) value (Table II), and increases in chewing time of 43%, 52%, and 38% for small, medium, and large dogs, respectively (Table III). Furthermore, the results demonstrated that replacing glycerol with a substantially similar amount of plum juice provided substantially similar geometry in the resulting chewables.

[0059] Table I

[0060]

[0061] For texture analysis, the force required to penetrate edible chewable material, expressed in Newtons, is determined using the following procedure: An Instron 5965 texture analyzer is used, featuring a pyramidal metal probe (with a 60-degree main angle, a 30-degree secondary angle, and a 1 mm radius tip) and a base plate with a 10 mm diameter hole. The probe is positioned on the Instron axis, and the base plate is placed on the Instron base. The edible chewable material is placed on the base plate, and the probe is lowered at a texture analyzer speed of 1 mm / s to compress the chewable material. Texture analysis measurements are continued until the force reaches 800 Newtons or travels 10 mm from the point of contact.

[0062] Table II

[0063]

[0064] For chewing time, provide each dog with edible chewables and observe the dog until the edible chewables are completely chewed and swallowed.

[0065] Table III

[0066]

[0067] Example 2

[0068] The edible chewables prepared as shown in Table IV were tested experimentally and unexpectedly achieved the results shown in Table V, indicating that increasing the amount of concentrated plum juice enhanced the texture of the edible chewables (measured as described in the previous embodiment).

[0069] Table IV

[0070]

[0071] Table V

[0072]

[0073] Example 3

[0074] The edible chewables prepared as shown in Table VI were tested and unexpectedly achieved the results shown in Table VII, indicating that the concentrated carob and apple juice further enhanced the texture of the edible chewables (measured as described in the previous examples; higher force represents longer chewing time).

[0075] Table VI

[0076]

[0077] Table VII

[0078]

[0079] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the currently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. These changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter of the invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. Therefore, such changes and modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An edible pet chew, comprising concentrated fruit juice in an effective amount of both a humectant and a plasticizer.

2. The edible pet chewable according to claim 1, wherein the edible chewable is substantially free of glycerin and substantially free of propylene glycol.

3. The edible pet chew according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the edible pet chew further comprises starch.

4. The edible pet chewable according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the concentrated fruit juice is selected from the group consisting of: plums, apples, carob, dates, blueberries, strawberries, pears, grapes, peaches, and mixtures thereof.

5. The edible pet chewable according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the concentrated juice is a mixture of apple and carob.

6. The edible pet chewables according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, relative to a reference edible pet chewables containing glycerol and / or propylene glycol instead of the concentrated fruit juice but otherwise formulated identically, the edible pet chewables have at least one of the characteristics of improved texture or increased chewing time.

7. A method of making an edible pet chew, the method comprising: An extrusion comprises a composition containing concentrated fruit juice, the concentrated fruit juice being present in the composition in an effective amount as both a humectant and a plasticizer in the composition being extruded.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the extrusion is carried out in an extruder comprising or connected to a die having an opening that imparts shape to the extruded composition to form the edible pet chew.

9. The method of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the edible pet chew is formulated for oral administration to dogs.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the edible chewable is substantially free of glycerol and substantially free of propylene glycol.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein a reference edible pet chewable is formulated in place of the concentrated fruit juice but otherwise identical, the edible pet chewable having one or both of the characteristics of improved texture or increased chewing time.

12. A method for cleaning a pet's teeth, the method comprising orally administering to the pet an edible chewable, the edible chewable containing a concentrated fruit juice in an effective amount of both a humectant and a plasticizer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the edible chewable is substantially free of glycerol and substantially free of propylene glycol.

14. The method of claim 12 or claim 13, wherein a reference edible pet chewable is formulated in the same manner as the concentrated fruit juice but otherwise contains glycerol and / or propylene glycol instead, and the edible pet chewable has at least one of the properties of improved texture or increased chewing time.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the pet to which the edible chewing is applied is a dog.

Images