Pet food that helps with hair removal and its preparation methods

Abstract

This application discloses a pet food that aids in hair removal and its preparation method, relating to the field of pet food technology. The pet food comprises a crispy outer shell, a core layer, and an outer coating of palatability-enhancing agents. The crispy outer shell contains a dietary fiber source, such as wheatgrass powder; the core layer and the outer coating contain edible oils. This structural design achieves a synergistic effect of "fiber-promoting hair removal" and "oil lubrication," solving the problems of existing technologies having a single hair removal effect and potentially causing gastrointestinal discomfort. Furthermore, each layer contains a complex natural antioxidant system composed of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols, replacing chemically synthesized antioxidants and improving product safety. This application also discloses its preparation method. This invention has the beneficial effects of gentle hair removal, safety, good palatability, and convenient feeding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pet food technology, and in particular to a pet food that helps with hair removal and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Cats have a natural instinct to groom themselves by licking their fur, in which process they ingest some shed hair. Most of this hair is excreted through the digestive tract, but some can accumulate in the stomach, forming hairballs. If these hairballs cannot be expelled through vomiting or excretion, they can cause hairball syndrome, leading to health problems such as loss of appetite, constipation, and even intestinal obstruction in pets.

[0003] To address this issue, existing technologies typically employ products such as hairball remedies, tablets, or powders. Traditional hairball remedies primarily rely on mineral oils and other greases to lubricate the pet's intestines, promoting the expulsion of hairballs with feces. Their mechanism of action is to facilitate expulsion through intestinal lubrication. Long-term use can easily lead to obesity and soft stools in pets, and the dosage is difficult to control precisely. Traditional hairball tablets or powders mainly stimulate intestinal peristalsis and promote hairball expulsion by adding high levels of dietary fiber (such as psyllium husk). However, their effects can be too strong, potentially causing vomiting, diarrhea, and other adverse reactions in some pets with sensitive stomachs. Furthermore, the tablet or powder form presents feeding difficulties, with some pets refusing to eat it.

[0004] In addition, to prevent the high content of oil components in products from oxidizing and deteriorating, some existing pet foods may add chemically synthesized antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Long-term intake of these ingredients poses potential health risks.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a pet food that is gentle and effective at removing hair, has good palatability, is easy to feed, and has safe ingredients is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The primary objective of this invention is to provide a pet food that helps with hair removal, aiming to overcome the shortcomings of existing hair removal products, such as having a single mechanism of action, potentially causing gastrointestinal discomfort, feeding difficulties, and possibly containing chemically synthesized antioxidants.

[0007] A second objective of this invention is to provide a method for preparing the above-mentioned pet food that helps with hair removal.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides a pet food that aids in hair removal, comprising a crispy outer shell, a grouted core layer, and an outer coating of palatability-enhancing agents. The crispy outer shell contains, by weight percentage, 0.1%-5% dietary fiber, including wheatgrass powder. The grouted core layer contains, by weight percentage, 30%-60% edible oil, including soybean oil. The outer coating of palatability-enhancing agents contains, by weight percentage, 30%-60% edible oil, including chicken fat. The crispy outer shell, grouted core layer, and / or outer coating of palatability-enhancing agents also contain a complex natural antioxidant system composed of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols, with the proportions of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols in each layer's formulation being 0.01%-0.1%.

[0009] Optionally, the crispy outer shell formula, by weight percentage, comprises: 30%-45% rice flour, 5%-20% wheat flour, 1%-8% salmon meat, 5%-25% chicken meal, 10%-35% pea protein, 0.1%-1.5% calcium carbonate, 0.5%-3% dicalcium phosphate, 0.1%-1% wheatgrass powder, 0.05%-0.5% peppermint powder, 0.05%-0.5% choline chloride, 0.05%-0.3% salt, 0.05%-0.3% potassium chloride, 0.01%-0.1% zinc sulfate, 0.05%-0.5% taurine, 0.1%-1% natural preservatives, 0.01%-0.1% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.01%-0.1% rosemary extract, and 0.01%-0.1% mixed tocopherols.

[0010] Optionally, the crispy outer shell is formulated by weight percentage as follows: rice flour 39.402%, wheat flour 11.993%, salmon meat 3.993%, chicken meal 14.992%, pea protein 24.986%, calcium carbonate 0.600%, dicalcium phosphate 1.999%, wheatgrass powder 0.500%, peppermint powder 0.200%, choline chloride 0.200%, salt 0.100%, potassium chloride 0.100%, zinc sulfate 0.045%, taurine 0.200%, natural preservatives 0.600%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, and mixed tocopherols 0.030%.

[0011] Optionally, by weight percentage, the formulation of the grouting core layer comprises: 30%-60% edible oil, 10%-50% corn starch, 0.5%-5% white chicken paste, 0.01%-0.1% carmine, 0.1%-1% natural preservative, 5%-30% pea protein, 0.01%-0.1% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.01%-0.1% rosemary extract, and 0.01%-0.1% mixed tocopherols; wherein the edible oil is soybean oil.

[0012] Optionally, the formulation of the grouting core layer, by weight percentage, is as follows: 48.000% soybean oil, 33.910% corn starch, 2.000% white chicken paste, 0.050% carmine, 0.600% natural preservative, 15.350% pea protein, 0.030% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.030% rosemary extract, and 0.030% mixed tocopherols.

[0013] Optionally, by weight percentage, the formulation of the externally sprayed palatability-enhancing layer comprises: 30%-60% edible oil, 10%-50% hydrolyzed chicken powder, 5%-20% brewer's yeast powder, 0.1%-1% natural preservative, 0.01%-0.1% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.01%-0.1% rosemary extract, and 0.01%-0.1% mixed tocopherols; wherein the edible oil is chicken fat.

[0014] Optionally, the formulation of the external coating palatability layer, by weight percentage, is as follows: 48.210% chicken oil, 39.100% chicken hydrolysate, 12.000% brewer's yeast powder, 0.600% natural preservative, 0.030% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.030% rosemary extract, and 0.030% mixed tocopherols.

[0015] Optionally, in the composite natural antioxidant system, the weight ratio of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract and mixed tocopherols is 1:1:1.

[0016] Optionally, the crispy outer shell also contains 0.05%-0.5% peppermint powder.

[0017] This invention also provides a method for preparing pet food that aids in hair removal, for preparing any of the aforementioned pet food, the method comprising the following steps: Ingredient preparation step: preparing a mixture of a crispy outer shell, a slurry-filled core layer, and an outer coating of palatability-enhancing material; Extrusion and slurry-filling step: feeding the mixture of the crispy outer shell into an extruder for extrusion, while simultaneously injecting the material of the slurry-filled core layer into the interior of the extruded outer shell through an injection machine during the extrusion process to form a sandwich structure, which is then cut by a roll cutter; Drying step: drying the cut sandwiched crispy semi-finished product at 40-60℃; Spraying step: spraying the material of the outer coating of palatability-enhancing material onto the surface of the dried sandwiched crispy semi-finished product; Cooling and packaging step: cooling after spraying, and immediately packaging and storing.

[0018] Optionally, in the puffing extrusion and grouting steps, the temperature zone one of the puffing machine is set to 70-80℃, the temperature zone two is set to 80-90℃, and the temperature zone three is set to 110-130℃; the screw speed is 15-18Hz, the feeding frequency is 8-10Hz, and the grouting frequency is 4-5Hz.

[0019] Optionally, in the ingredient preparation step, the mixture of the crispy outer shell is mixed for 5-15 minutes using a wet mixing granulator; the materials of the grouting core layer and the outer coating appetizer layer are each chopped for 5-8 minutes using a chopper.

[0020] Optionally, in the drying step, the drying temperature is 50°C.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention employs a three-layer structure design: a crispy outer shell, a grouted core layer, and an outer coating of palatability-enhancing agents. Wheatgrass powder, providing dietary fiber, is incorporated into the crispy outer shell to physically encapsulate hairballs and promote intestinal peristalsis. Simultaneously, high-content edible oils, providing lubrication, are incorporated into the grouted core layer and the outer coating of palatability-enhancing agents. This approach achieves a synergistic effect of "fiber-promoting excretion" and "oil-lubricating" pathways, gently and effectively helping pets expel hairballs and avoiding problems such as obesity, soft stools, or gastrointestinal discomfort that may result from relying solely on oils or fiber.

[0022] 2. This invention employs a complex natural antioxidant system composed of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols to replace traditional chemically synthesized antioxidants such as BHA and BHT. This complex natural antioxidant system effectively solves the technical challenge of easy oxidation and deterioration of high-content oils in products, while also improving product safety and meeting the demand for products using naturally derived ingredients.

[0023] 3. This invention integrates hair removal functionality into a snack form. By spraying the outer layer with palatability-enhancing ingredients such as chicken oil and hydrolyzed chicken powder, the product's palatability is greatly improved, solving the problem of feeding difficulties with traditional hairball remedies and tablets. This progressive experience of "palatability-taste-function" increases the pet's willingness to eat and improves the owner's feeding convenience. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a physical image of the pet food that helps with hair removal provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a pet food product that aids in hair removal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for preparing pet food that aids in hair removal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10-Crispy outer shell; 20-Injected core layer; 30-Outer coating appetizing layer; S100-Ingredient preparation step; S200-Expansion and injection step; S300-Drying step; S400-Spraying step; S500-Coating and sealing step. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments should not be considered as limitations on this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the embodiments of this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the embodiments of this application is for the purpose of describing the embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0029] Before providing a further detailed description of the embodiments of this application, some of the nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained. The nouns and terms involved in the embodiments of this application are subject to the following interpretations.

[0030] The crispy outer shell refers to the structural layer surrounding the core of pet food, which is prepared through an extrusion process to create a porous and crispy texture. In the embodiments of this application, this shell not only provides pets with an excellent chewing texture but also serves as a primary carrier for key functional ingredients (such as dietary fiber sources), exerting its function at the physical level.

[0031] The slurry-filled core layer refers to the semi-solid or paste-like filling that is injected into the crispy outer shell using a slurry-filling technique. This core layer is designed to hold high levels of functional or flavorful substances, such as a high proportion of edible oils. This not only greatly enhances the product's palatability but also functionally lubricates the pet's digestive tract.

[0032] The outer coating, also known as the palatability-enhancing layer, is a coating that is evenly applied to the surface of the crispy outer shell of pet food granules after they have been dried and shaped. This coating is typically composed of substances with strong flavors and aromas (such as animal fats and hydrolyzed protein powder). Its core function is to attract pets to eat the food by using its aroma and initial taste, thus solving the problem of some pets resisting new foods or having difficulty feeding them.

[0033] A complex natural antioxidant system refers to a composition made by blending three or more naturally derived antioxidants, such as tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols, in a specific ratio. In this application, this system is used to replace traditional synthetic antioxidants (such as BHA and BHT), aiming to effectively delay the oxidative rancidity process of high-content oils in products, ensuring product shelf life, safety, and flavor stability, while also meeting the preference for products using natural ingredients.

[0034] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This application provides a pet food that aids in hair removal, aiming to solve problems such as poor palatability, feeding difficulties, limited ingredients, or excessively strong effects leading to gastrointestinal discomfort in pets caused by existing hair removal products. This pet food cleverly combines functionality and deliciousness through an ingenious three-layer structure design. Figure 2 As shown, the food product comprises, from the inside out, an injection core layer 20, a crispy outer shell 10, and an outer coating of palatability-enhancing layer 30. This structural design achieves the synergistic effect of two wool-removal pathways: "fiber-promoting" and "oil-lubricating," while ensuring excellent palatability of the product.

[0035] Specifically, the crispy outer shell 10 contains a dietary fiber source, including wheatgrass powder. As a natural, insoluble dietary fiber, wheatgrass powder absorbs water and swells in the pet's intestines, increasing fecal volume. Its physical structure helps to wrap around and remove hair that the pet has licked into its body, and by gently stimulating the intestinal wall, it promotes intestinal peristalsis, thus physically assisting in hair removal. This design aims to expel hairballs by promoting the body's own intestinal motility, avoiding the over-stimulation that can occur with traditional high-fiber products.

[0036] The formula of the core layer 20 contains a high content of edible oils, such as soybean oil. The core function of soybean oil and other oils is to lubricate the intestines. When hairballs accumulate in the intestines, sufficient oil can coat the hairballs and feces, reducing the friction between them and the intestinal wall, allowing them to pass through the digestive tract more smoothly and eventually be excreted. This "lubricating" effect complements the "expelling" effect of the crispy outer shell 10, achieving a synergistic effect of "lubrication" and "expelling," making the hair removal process more gentle and efficient.

[0037] The outermost layer of the product features an enticing coating 30, whose formula also contains a high content of edible oils, such as chicken fat. Chicken fat has a rich meaty aroma, a flavor that cats and other pets greatly appreciate. By spraying this chicken fat-rich enticing coating onto the product surface, the product's scent appeal is significantly enhanced, encouraging pets to eat it willingly and happily. This fundamentally solves the technical pain point of feeding traditional hairball remedies and tablets, transforming the process of supplementing functional products into a positive interaction and reward.

[0038] Considering that this product uses a high proportion of edible oils in both the core layer 20 and the outer coating of palatability-enhancing layer 30, and that oils are highly susceptible to oxidative rancidity upon contact with air, leading to a rancid taste, decreased nutritional value, and even the formation of harmful substances, this application innovatively introduces a composite natural antioxidant system into the crispy outer shell 10, the core layer 20, and / or the outer coating of palatability-enhancing layer 30. This system consists of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols. These three components are all naturally derived antioxidants, which, through synergistic action, effectively scavenge free radicals and inhibit oxidative chain reactions, thereby protecting the stability of the oils, extending the product's shelf life, and ensuring the product's safety and flavor. This design avoids the use of partially synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), aligning with the trend in the pet food industry towards natural and safe ingredients.

[0039] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, in order to provide dietary fiber while also possessing balanced nutrition and good processing properties, the formula may contain, by weight percentage: 30%-45% rice flour, 5%-20% wheat flour, 1%-8% salmon meat, 5%-25% chicken meal, 10%-35% pea protein, 0.1%-1.5% calcium carbonate, 0.5%-3% dicalcium phosphate, 0.1%-1% wheatgrass powder, and 0% peppermint powder. The formula contains 0.05%-0.5% choline chloride, 0.05%-0.5% salt, 0.05%-0.3% potassium chloride, 0.01%-0.1% zinc sulfate, 0.05%-0.5% taurine, 0.1%-1% natural preservatives, and components of the aforementioned complex natural antioxidant system, namely tea polyphenol palmitate 0.01%-0.1%, rosemary extract 0.01%-0.1%, and mixed tocopherols 0.01%-0.1%. This scientifically formulated blend not only provides energy, protein, minerals, and essential amino acids (such as taurine), but also ensures an ideal crispy texture after puffing through the combination of various ingredients.

[0040] In a more specific embodiment, the formula for the crispy outer shell 10 can be precisely set as follows: rice flour 39.402%, wheat flour 11.993%, salmon meat 3.993%, chicken meal 14.992%, pea protein 24.986%, calcium carbonate 0.600%, dicalcium phosphate 1.999%, wheatgrass meal 0.500%, peppermint powder 0.200%, choline chloride 0.200%, salt 0.100%, potassium chloride 0.100%, zinc sulfate 0.045%, taurine 0.200%, natural preservative 0.600%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, and mixed tocopherols 0.030%. This precise formula is an optimal ratio obtained through experimental optimization, which can achieve good palatability, shaping effect, and nutritional value while ensuring functionality.

[0041] In another preferred embodiment, the formulation of the core layer 20 may, by weight percentage, include: 30%-60% edible oil (specifically soybean oil), 10%-50% corn starch, 0.5%-5% white chicken paste, 0.01%-0.1% carmine, 0.1%-1% natural preservatives, 5%-30% pea protein, and components of a complex natural antioxidant system, namely 0.01%-0.1% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.01%-0.1% rosemary extract, and 0.01%-0.1% mixed tocopherols. The corn starch and pea protein in this formulation not only provide nutrition but also act as structural stabilizers, forming a stable emulsion system with the high soybean oil content, ensuring that the core layer does not separate during processing and storage, maintaining a soft and smooth texture. The white chicken paste further enhances the flavor of the core layer.

[0042] In a more specific embodiment, the formulation of the core layer 20 can be precisely set as follows: soybean oil 48.000%, corn starch 33.910%, white chicken paste 2.000%, cochineal red 0.050%, natural preservative 0.600%, pea protein 15.350%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, and mixed tocopherols 0.030%. This specific formulation ensures that the core layer has excellent flowability and flavor, while achieving ideal intestinal lubrication function by precisely controlling the content of each component.

[0043] In another preferred embodiment, the formulation of the externally sprayed palatability-enhancing layer 30 may, by weight percentage, include: 30%-60% edible oil (specifically chicken fat), 10%-50% hydrolyzed chicken powder, 5%-20% brewer's yeast powder, 0.1%-1% natural preservatives, and components of a complex natural antioxidant system, namely 0.01%-0.1% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.01%-0.1% rosemary extract, and 0.01%-0.1% mixed tocopherols. Hydrolyzed chicken powder is a product obtained by using enzymatic hydrolysis technology to break down large protein molecules in chicken meat into smaller peptides and amino acids, possessing extremely strong umami and palatability-enhancing activity. Brewer's yeast powder is rich in B vitamins and various flavor precursors. The combination of these two components with chicken fat produces a synergistic palatability-enhancing effect, making it highly attractive even to cats with extremely discerning senses of smell and taste.

[0044] In a more specific embodiment, the formulation of the outer coating palatability layer 30 can be precisely set as follows: 48.210% chicken fat, 39.100% hydrolyzed chicken powder, 12.000% brewer's yeast powder, 0.600% natural preservative, 0.030% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.030% rosemary extract, and 0.030% mixed tocopherols. In this formulation, the total content of chicken fat and hydrolyzed chicken powder exceeds 87%, ensuring good palatability.

[0045] In one optional embodiment, to help enhance the efficacy of the complex natural antioxidant system, the preferred weight ratio of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols in the system is 1:1:1. This is because different antioxidants have different mechanisms of action and sites of action (aqueous or oil phase). By using an equal ratio of these antioxidants, their synergistic effects can be utilized to inhibit oxidation from multiple targets and through multiple pathways (such as providing hydrogen atoms and chelating metal ions), thereby achieving a stronger antioxidant effect than a single component or other combinations, and achieving better protection with a lower addition amount.

[0046] In another alternative embodiment, the crispy outer shell 10 may also contain 0.05%-0.5% peppermint powder. The addition of peppermint powder not only brings a refreshing scent to the product and helps improve the pet's breath odor, but its unique flavor can also stimulate the curiosity and eating interest of some cats, further enriching the sensory experience of the product.

[0047] Please see Figure 3 This application also provides a method for preparing the aforementioned pet food that aids in hair removal. This method has a clear process, is easy to industrialize, and ensures the integrity of the three-layer structure and the realization of all functions of the final product. The method mainly includes the following steps: First, the ingredient preparation step S100 is performed. The goal of this step is to prepare homogeneous materials for each part in order to form and process the product. Specifically, it is necessary to prepare mixtures of the crispy outer shell 10, the grouting core layer 20, and the outer coating appetizing layer 30. By accurately weighing and mixing the raw materials of each layer according to the predetermined formula, it is ensured that the content of functional and nutritional components in each final product meets the design standards.

[0048] Next, the puffing extrusion and slurry injection step S200 is performed. This step is crucial for forming the core sandwich structure of the product. The mixture of crispy outer shell 10 prepared in the batching step S100 is fed into the puffing machine. Under high temperature, high pressure, and mechanical shearing, the starch in the material gelatinizes and expands instantly, forming a porous crispy structure. While the puffed outer shell is being extruded through the die, the material of the core layer 20 is precisely injected into the center of the puffed outer shell through a linked slurry injection machine. Subsequently, this continuous strip of sandwich material is cut into independent particles of a preset length by a roll cutter, forming a semi-finished product with a sandwich structure.

[0049] Then, the drying step S300 is performed. The freshly cut, semi-finished sandwich pastries contain high moisture content and are soft in texture, which is not conducive to preservation and achieving the final texture. Therefore, they need to be dried at a temperature of 40-60°C. This relatively mild drying temperature aims to effectively remove excess moisture, allowing the crispy outer shell 10 to reach its final crisp state, while helping to retain heat-sensitive nutrients and flavor compounds in the raw materials and avoiding charring or nutrient loss that may occur during high-temperature baking.

[0050] Subsequently, the spraying step S400 is performed. The dried and appropriately cooled sandwich-filled crispy semi-finished product is fed into the spraying equipment. Here, the material (usually liquid or slurry) prepared in the batching step S100 for the outer coating appetizer layer 30 is evenly sprayed onto the surface of the semi-finished product. This step coats the product surface with an appetizer layer.

[0051] Finally, the cooling and sealing step S500 is performed. The coated product needs to be thoroughly cooled to room temperature to prevent water vapor condensation inside the packaging, which could affect product quality and shelf life. After cooling, the product is immediately sealed to isolate it from air and moisture, maintaining its freshness, crispness, and flavor until it is finally opened and used by the user.

[0052] Furthermore, to ensure the process effectiveness of the extrusion and slurry injection steps S200, the parameters of the extruder were optimized. In a preferred embodiment, the temperature zone one of the extruder is set to 70-80℃, the temperature zone two to 80-90℃, and the temperature zone three to 110-130℃. This stepped heating setting allows the preheating, melting, gelatinization, and extrusion processes of the material to proceed smoothly. Simultaneously, the screw speed is controlled at 15-18Hz, preferably 16Hz, the feeding frequency is controlled at 8-10Hz, preferably 9Hz, and the slurry injection frequency is controlled at 4-5Hz, preferably 4.4Hz. The coordinated operation of these parameters ensures the degree of extrusion of the outer shell, the filling amount of the core layer, and the stability of their bonding, which are key process control points for producing qualified products.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the mixing process in the ingredient preparation step S100 is also refined. The mixture of materials for the crispy outer shell 10, since it contains various powdery and granular solid raw materials, is preferably mixed using a wet mixing granulator for 5-15 minutes, preferably 10 minutes, to ensure that all components, especially trace additives, are uniformly dispersed. The materials for the grouting core layer 20 and the outer coating applicator layer 30, since they contain a high proportion of oils and liquids, are preferably separately chopped at high speed using a chopper for 5-8 minutes, preferably 6 minutes, to form a stable, fine, and uniform emulsified slurry, facilitating subsequent grouting and spraying operations.

[0054] In another preferred embodiment, the drying temperature in drying step S300 is specifically set to 50°C. Choosing 50°C as the drying temperature is a compromise that, while ensuring drying efficiency and meeting the final moisture content of the product, also protects the activity of various functional components (such as vitamins and natural antioxidants) and flavor substances in the product as much as possible. This reflects the consideration of nutrient retention during product processing.

[0055] The following section will provide a specific and optimal implementation example, combining all the aforementioned preferred technical solutions. This example aims to fully demonstrate a complete implementation process of the present invention, from raw material formulation to preparation technology.

[0056] This embodiment provides a pet food that helps with hair removal, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, it includes a crispy outer shell 10, a grouting core layer 20, and an outer sprayed appetizing layer 30. Figure 1 The image shows a photograph of the actual product manufactured using the method described in this embodiment.

[0057] In this embodiment, the formula for the crispy outer shell 10, by weight percentage, is as follows: rice flour 39.402%, wheat flour 11.993%, salmon meat 3.993%, chicken powder 14.992%, pea protein 24.986%, calcium carbonate 0.600%, dicalcium phosphate 1.999%, wheatgrass powder 0.500%, peppermint powder 0.200%, choline chloride 0.200%, salt 0.100%, potassium chloride 0.100%, zinc sulfate 0.045%, taurine 0.200%, natural preservative 0.600%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, and mixed tocopherols 0.030%.

[0058] The formula of the core layer 20 by weight percentage is as follows: soybean oil 48.000%, corn starch 33.910%, white chicken paste 2.000%, carmine 0.050%, natural preservative 0.600%, pea protein 15.350%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, and mixed tocopherols 0.030%.

[0059] The formula of the externally sprayed palatability-enhancing layer 30, by weight percentage, is as follows: 48.210% chicken oil, 39.100% chicken hydrolysate, 12.000% brewer's yeast powder, 0.600% natural preservative, 0.030% tea polyphenol palmitate, 0.030% rosemary extract, and 0.030% mixed tocopherols.

[0060] It is worth noting that in the three-tiered formulations of this embodiment, the addition amount of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract and mixed tocopherols is 0.030%, which fully meets the preferred weight ratio of 1:1:1, thus forming a highly efficient compound natural antioxidant system.

[0061] The preparation method of this pet food is as follows: Figure 3 The process is shown below, with the specific steps as follows: Step 1, Ingredient Preparation Step S100: Weigh all the raw materials of the above-mentioned crispy outer shell 10 formula, put them into a wet mixing granulator and mix for 10 minutes. After mixing, remove and set aside. Weigh all the raw materials of the above-mentioned grouting core layer 20 formula, put them into a chopper and chop for 6 minutes to form a uniform slurry. Remove and set aside. Weigh all the raw materials of the above-mentioned outer spray coating appetizer layer 30 formula, put them into another chopper and chop for 6 minutes to form a uniform coating liquid. Remove and set aside.

[0062] Step 2, Extrusion and Slurry Injection Step S200: Start the extruder and set temperature zones 1, 2, and 3 to 75℃, 85℃, and 120℃ respectively. After the temperature stabilizes, set the screw speed to 16Hz and the feeding frequency to 9Hz, and begin adding the mixture of crispy outer shell 10 into the extruder. After the material extrusion morphology stabilizes, start the slurry injection machine, set the slurry injection frequency to 4.4Hz, and inject the slurry of the core layer 20 into the extruded outer shell. The continuous sandwich strip is cut into granular semi-finished products with a length of approximately 1cm by a roll cutter.

[0063] The third step, drying step S300: The cut semi-finished product is evenly spread on the drying tray and sent into the drying room to be dried at a temperature of 50°C until the product moisture content drops to below 8%.

[0064] Step 4, Spraying step S400: Take out the dried semi-finished product and spray the prepared external coating attractant layer 30 evenly onto the product surface in a roller spraying machine.

[0065] Step 5, Cooling and Sealing Step S500: The coated product is cooled to room temperature on the conveyor belt, then weighed using an automatic packaging machine, and sealed with nitrogen-filled aluminum-plastic composite bags.

[0066] This embodiment achieves excellent technical results by combining all the aforementioned specific technical features. Firstly, through a dual-path synergistic design of "fiber-promoting expulsion + oil-lubricating," the combination of 0.5% wheatgrass powder in the crispy outer shell 10 and 48% soybean oil in the slurry core layer 20 achieves a gentle yet effective hairball expulsion effect, minimizing discomfort symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea in pets when expelling hairballs. Secondly, the "three-layer structure" design, particularly the combination of 87.31% chicken fat and hydrolyzed chicken powder in the outer sprayed palatability layer 30, gives the product extremely high palatability. Testing showed that over 95% of the experimental cats exhibited a strong willingness to eat, effectively improving feeding difficulties. Furthermore, by adding a complex natural antioxidant system composed of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols in a 1:1:1 ratio to each layer, the oxidation of the high-content oils in the product is effectively prevented. During an 18-month shelf-life test, the product's peroxide value remained at an extremely low level, ensuring product safety and flavor. Finally, by precisely controlling the preparation process parameters, we ensure that the quality of each batch of products is consistent and stable, with uniform particle size, crisp outer shell, and no overflow of the core layer.

[0067] This invention provides a pet food that aids in hairball removal. As a functional snack, it has a wide range of applications. It can be used as a daily snack for cats of all breeds and ages, and is particularly effective for long-haired cats (such as Persians and Ragdolls), cats in molting season, or cats with mild hairball gagging symptoms. Feeding is simple and convenient; pet owners can feed it daily as a reward or supplemental nutrition, depending on the cat's weight and condition. Unlike hairball remedies, it doesn't require applying it to the cat's nose or force-feeding, and it avoids the potential resistance to medication that hairball remedies might cause. Due to its snack form, it can be fed anytime, anywhere. Whether as a training reward or to soothe the cat, it provides a delicious treat while subtly promoting hairball removal. Its scientific formula and gentle mechanism of action make it suitable for long-term, daily feeding as a regular health food for preventing hairballs, transforming the management of hairball problems into daily dietary management, aligning with modern scientific pet care principles.

Claims

1. A pet food that helps with hair removal, characterized in that, It includes a crispy outer shell, a grouted core layer, and an outer coating that attracts appetite. The formula for the crispy outer shell contains, by weight percentage: 0.1%-5% dietary fiber source, including wheatgrass powder; The formulation of the grouting core layer contains, by weight percentage: 30%-60% edible oil, including soybean oil; The formula of the externally sprayed palatability-enhancing layer contains, by weight percentage: 30%-60% edible oil, including chicken fat; The crispy outer shell, the grouting core layer, and / or the outer sprayed palatability layer also contain a complex natural antioxidant system composed of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols, and the addition ratio of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols in the formulation of each layer is 0.01%-0.1%.

2. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The recipe for the crispy outer shell, by weight percentage, comprises: Rice flour 30%-45%, wheat flour 5%-20%, salmon meat 1%-8%, chicken meal 5%-25%, pea protein 10%-35%, calcium carbonate 0.1%-1.5%, dicalcium phosphate 0.5%-3%, wheatgrass powder 0.1%-1%, peppermint powder 0.05%-0.5%, choline chloride 0.05%-0.5%, salt 0.05%-0.3%, potassium chloride 0.05%-0.3%, zinc sulfate 0.01%-0.1%, taurine 0.05%-0.5%, natural preservatives 0.1%-1%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.01%-0.1%, rosemary extract 0.01%-0.1%, mixed tocopherols 0.01%-0.1%.

3. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 2, characterized in that, The specific formula for the crispy outer shell, by weight percentage, is as follows: Rice flour 39.402%, wheat flour 11.993%, salmon meat 3.993%, chicken meal 14.992%, pea protein 24.986%, calcium carbonate 0.600%, dicalcium phosphate 1.999%, wheatgrass powder 0.500%, peppermint powder 0.200%, choline chloride 0.200%, salt 0.100%, potassium chloride 0.100%, zinc sulfate 0.045%, taurine 0.200%, natural preservatives 0.600%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, mixed tocopherols 0.030%.

4. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The formulation of the grouting core layer comprises, by weight percentage: Edible oil 30%-60%, corn starch 10%-50%, white chicken paste 0.5%-5%, carmine 0.01%-0.1%, natural preservatives 0.1%-1%, pea protein 5%-30%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.01%-0.1%, rosemary extract 0.01%-0.1%, mixed tocopherols 0.01%-0.1%; The edible oil is soybean oil.

5. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 4, characterized in that, The specific formulation of the grouting core layer, by weight percentage, is as follows: Soybean oil 48.000%, corn starch 33.910%, white chicken paste 2.000%, carmine 0.050%, natural preservatives 0.600%, pea protein 15.350%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, mixed tocopherols 0.030%.

6. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The formulation of the external coating palatability-enhancing layer comprises, by weight percentage: Edible oil 30%-60%, hydrolyzed chicken powder 10%-50%, brewer's yeast powder 5%-20%, natural preservatives 0.1%-1%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.01%-0.1%, rosemary extract 0.01%-0.1%, mixed tocopherols 0.01%-0.1%; The edible oil mentioned is chicken fat.

7. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 6, characterized in that, The specific formulation of the externally sprayed palatability-enhancing layer, by weight percentage, is as follows: Chicken fat 48.210%, hydrolyzed chicken powder 39.100%, brewer's yeast powder 12.000%, natural preservatives 0.600%, tea polyphenol palmitate 0.030%, rosemary extract 0.030%, mixed tocopherols 0.030%.

8. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the aforementioned composite natural antioxidant system, the weight ratio of tea polyphenol palmitate, rosemary extract, and mixed tocopherols is 1:1:

1.

9. The pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 1, characterized in that, The crispy outer shell also contains 0.05%-0.5% peppermint powder.

10. A method for preparing a functional pet food that aids in hair removal, characterized in that, The method for preparing the pet food according to any one of claims 1-9 comprises the following steps: Preparation steps: Prepare mixtures of crispy outer shell, grout core layer, and outer spray-coated appetizer layer separately; Extrusion and grouting steps: The mixture of crispy outer shell is fed into an extruder for extrusion. At the same time, during the extrusion process, the material of the grouting core layer is injected into the interior of the extruded outer shell through a grouting machine to form a sandwich structure, which is then cut by a roll cutter. Drying step: Dry the cut-up sandwich crispy semi-finished product at 40-60℃; Spraying step: Spray the material for the outer coating of palatability onto the surface of the dried sandwich crispy semi-finished product; Cooling and sealing steps: After spraying, cool the product and immediately seal and store it.

11. The method for preparing pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 10, characterized in that, In the extrusion and grouting steps, the temperature zone one of the extruder is set to 70-80℃, the temperature zone two is set to 80-90℃, and the temperature zone three is set to 110-130℃; the screw speed is 15-18Hz, the feeding frequency is 8-10Hz, and the grouting frequency is 4-5Hz.

12. The method for preparing pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 10, characterized in that, In the ingredient preparation step, the mixture of the crispy outer shell is mixed in a wet mixing granulator for 5-15 minutes; the materials of the grouting core layer and the outer coating appetizing layer are respectively chopped in a chopper for 5-8 minutes.

13. The method for preparing pet food that aids in hair removal according to claim 10, characterized in that, In the drying step, the drying temperature is 50°C.

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