Pet food product

Abstract

To provide a pet food product prepared from more sustainable materials and improved in palatability.SOLUTION: A pet food product comprises a fat component in an amount from 2.0 mass% to 8.0 mass% based on the total mass of the pet food product, and a proteinaceous component in an amount from 6.0 mass% to 14.0 mass% based on the total mass of the pet food product. The proteinaceous component comprises polypeptides and free amino acids. The ratio of the fat component to the proteinaceous component is from about 0.45:1.0 to about 1.0:1.0. The amount of the free amino acids in the pet food product is at least 0.5 mass% based on the total mass of the pet food product.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the use of a free amino acid-containing proteinaceous additive to improve the palatability of a pet food product, and to a pet food product having a specific fat to protein ratio and comprising a free amino acid-containing proteinaceous ingredient. [Background technology]

[0002] Many companion animals, both canine and feline, can be picky about what they eat. Cats, in particular, are more picky than dogs, making the development of new pet food products especially necessary for cats. Animals often stop eating food that they have accepted for some time, or eat only the minimum amount of food required. This can be due in part to subtle changes in the composition of the feed. Although the human who purchases it may not notice such changes, companion animals, both canine and feline, may be sensitive to these differences due to differences in their olfactory and taste systems. These sensory differences may be due to natural variations in the ingredients used, or due to shortages of ingredients that force the substitution of alternatives, such as sustainable ingredients. This can be quite frustrating for the owner, making the owner believe that the animal is not satisfied and does not enjoy the food. An animal may not get the necessary amount of essential nutrients if it does not consume sufficient amounts of the food offered to it. Thus, there is a need for a method to encourage companion animals to eat the food provided to them. Many commercial pet foods are available in a wide variety of flavors and / or textures, however, companion animal owners may find that their pet suddenly rejects the product they thought it would like most for no apparent reason. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] Pet food products may contain meat, and typically also contain significant amounts of animal by-products and non-animal derived materials to prepare high quality food that provides the nutritional profile required by pets without competing with human meat demand. As the world's population increases, the global demand for high protein foods, including meat, is expected to increase, and therefore the need for pet foods prepared from alternative proteins while meeting the nutritional needs of pets is expected to increase. It is desirable to meet these demands without increasing (and preferably reducing) the environmental impact of population growth, especially with regard to deforestation and climate change. It is also desirable to improve the palatability of pet food products made from more sustainable materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In view of the above problems, it would be desirable to provide new pet food products that at least maintain the palatability of existing products, and in particular improve the palatability of pet food products, without being limited to or dependent on the use of specific raw materials. In particular, it would be desirable to provide new pet food products prepared from more sustainable materials, and to provide a method for improving the palatability of pet food products prepared from more sustainable materials. It would also be desirable for the new products to be prepared within the general framework of existing recipes and using existing processing equipment, and it would also be desirable to provide a method for improving the palatability of existing pet food products.

[0005] The present inventors have studied whether companion animals can distinguish between pet food products with different fat and protein content, and the effect of changing the protein content of pet food products.Surprisingly, the present inventors have found that companion animals can distinguish between products with different fat to protein ratios, and that companion animals prefer products in which part of the protein is or is replaced / substituted with free amino acid-containing proteinaceous additives.Unexpectedly, the present inventors have found that the effect of free amino acids on product palatability depends on the fat to protein ratio of the product. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] The results of the feeding test (Test A) are shown. [Diagram 2] The results of the feeding test (Test B) are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pet food product comprising a fat component in an amount of about 2.0% to about 8.0% by mass, relative to the total mass of the pet food product, and a proteinaceous component in an amount of about 6.0% to about 14.0% by mass, relative to the total mass of the pet food product, the proteinaceous component comprising polypeptides and free amino acids, the ratio of the fat component to the proteinaceous component being 0.45:1.0 to about 1.0:1.0, and the content of free amino acids in the pet food product is at least 0.5% by mass, relative to the total mass of the pet food product.

[0008] The inventors have found that the palatability of pet food products containing fat and protein can be improved by the addition of free amino acids. Thus, the present invention relates to a pet food product comprising a fat component and a proteinaceous component, the proteinaceous component comprising a polypeptide and a free amino acid. The free amino acid comprises one or more free amino acids. The free amino acid is preferably selected from the group consisting of alanine, glycine, histidine, proline, serine and threonine. More preferably, the free amino acid comprises or comprises at least glycine, and optionally one or more other amino acids, preferably selected from alanine, histidine, proline, serine and threonine. In one embodiment, the free amino acid comprises glycine.

[0009] The free amino acids may be derived from or from a protein hydrolysate.Similarly, the free amino acids may be derived from or from a yeast extract.

[0010] The term "proteinaceous" refers to any substance that contains amino acids, including free amino acids and polypeptides. The term "polypeptide" as used herein includes "short polypeptides," sometimes referred to herein as "peptides." The proteinaceous ingredient of the pet food of the present invention includes and may consist of polypeptides and free amino acids.

[0011] The term "proteinaceous additive" as used herein refers to a substance that contains free amino acids. The proteinaceous additive may consist or essentially consist of free amino acids. The proteinaceous additive may be in the form of or derived from a protein hydrolysate or yeast extract. The protein hydrolysate or yeast extract, in particular the yeast extract, may optionally further contain a polypeptide.

[0012] As used herein, the term "protein" refers to a proteinaceous component that may or may not contain free amino acids, for example, the term "protein" may refer to a substance that is made up of polypeptides.

[0013] The term "fat to protein ratio" as used herein refers to the ratio of the total amount of fat components in a pet food product to the total amount of proteinaceous components in the pet food product. The "fat to protein" ratio is sometimes abbreviated herein as "F:P."

[0014] As an example, if the fat content of a pet food product is unchanged, the addition of a proteinaceous additive to the pet food product reduces the fat to protein ratio (F:P) because free amino acids contribute to the total amount of proteinaceous material in the product. The inventors have found that the addition of a proteinaceous additive can change the palatability of a pet food product. However, the inventors have also observed that animals are sensitive to changes in the F:P ratio and that adding a proteinaceous additive to a recipe does not necessarily improve palatability. Unexpectedly, the inventors have found that the palatability of a wet pet food product is significantly improved by replacing a portion of the protein with a free amino acid-containing proteinaceous additive. In this scenario, the addition of the proteinaceous additive does not reduce the F:P ratio because the total amount of proteinaceous material in the product is unchanged by the replacement.

[0015] Most notably, the inventors have found that the palatability is most significantly improved when the pet food product (i) comprises a free amino acid-containing proteinaceous component, and (ii) has a ratio of fat component to proteinaceous component (F:P) of about 0.45:1.0 to about 1.0:1.0. The F:P ratio of the pet food product is preferably less than about 0.9:1.0, preferably about 0.8:1.0 or less, preferably about 0.75:1.0 or less, preferably at least about 0.5:1.0, preferably at least about 0.6:1.0, preferably at least about 0.65:1.0, and preferably the F:P ratio is about 0.7:1.0.

[0016] Substitution of a portion of the protein in a reference or existing pet food product with a free amino acid containing proteinaceous additive results in a pet food product of the invention having a higher proportion of free amino acids in the proteinaceous component compared to the reference / existing one, and more specifically, as described below, the proteinaceous component comprises free amino acids in an amount of 3% to 50% by weight, more preferably 12% to 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the proteinaceous component.

[0017] Pet foods are usually classified based on their moisture content: (1) Dry or low moisture products (defined herein as having a moisture content of less than 15% by weight). These products are typically nutritious and convenient. (2) Semi-moist or semi-dry or soft-dry or medium or moderate moisture content products (defined herein as having a moisture content of 15 to 50% by weight). (3) Wet or high moisture products (defined herein as having a moisture content of greater than 50% by weight). These products are generally the most palatable to pets.

[0018] The term "pet food" as used herein refers to a food composition designed for consumption by pets. The wet pet food described herein is preferably a nutritionally balanced food to provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients required by a pet.

[0019] The pet food may be a pet food beneficial to the health and / or nutrition of a pet, for example a weight management pet food, a satiety pet food and / or a pet food capable of improving renal function in a pet.

[0020] The pet food products and ingredients used therein are selected for consumption by pets and are not intended for human consumption. The term "pet" as used herein preferably refers to domestic animals, preferably companion animals, particularly cats or dogs, and in a preferred embodiment to cats.

[0021] Wet pet food products typically include reconstituted meat ingredients from the reconstitution of animal by-products. The present invention is particularly directed to wet pet foods, of which there are two main types.

[0022] The first type of wet pet food product is known as a "patty" or "loaf" and is typically made by heat-treating a mixture of edible ingredients to produce a homogenous semi-solid mass composed of heat-coagulated proteins. This homogenous mass is typically packed into single-serve or multi-serve containers, which are then sealed and sterilized. The packed homogenous mass takes the shape of the container.

[0023] A second type of wet pet food product is known as "chunk-in-gravy," "chunk-in-jelly," or "chunk-in-mousse," depending on the nature of the sauce ingredient, and these types of products are collectively referred to herein as "chunk-in-sauce" products. The chunks include meat pieces or, more typically, aesthetically pleasing restructured or reconstituted meat chunks. As described in more detail below, reconstituted meat chunks are typically prepared by creating a meat emulsion that includes a thermosetting ingredient and applying heat energy to "set" the emulsion into the desired shape. The product pieces are combined with a sauce (e.g., gravy, jelly, or mousse) in a single-serve or multi-serve container, which is then sealed and sterilized.

[0024] The present invention particularly relates to "chunk in sauce" wet pet food products, and especially "chunk in gravy" and "chunk in jelly" wet pet food products.

[0025] The reconstituted animal ingredients can include any of the ingredients conventionally used in the manufacture of reconstituted meat and wet pet food products, such as fats, antioxidants, carbohydrate sources, fiber sources, additional protein sources (including vegetable proteins), seasonings, colors, flavors, minerals, preservatives, vitamins, emulsifiers, farinaceous ingredients, and combinations thereof.

[0026] Restructured animal materials are sometimes called "meat substitutes."

[0027] The reconstituted animal material can be prepared by an extrusion process at high temperatures according to conventional techniques known in the art.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the reconstituted animal material can be prepared by high moisture extrusion or melting techniques, for example as described in WO 00 / 69276 and WO 2018 / 125615. Another preferred method for producing reconstituted animal material is described in US Pat. No. 4,247,562. Generally speaking, a heated extruder is used to mix the ingredients, usually with water. The mixture is plasticized and heated to form a hot, viscous, at least partially molten mass. The extruder mixes, heats, solidifies, expands, and shears the mixture into a meat-like mass that is then extruded and formed into the desired shape.

[0029] In a further preferred embodiment, the reconstituted animal material is prepared by a method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a minced animal material, suitably prepared by grinding pieces of animal material to prepare the minced animal material, the animal material being selected from meat, animal by-products, and combinations thereof; (b) mixing the minced animal material with a thermosetting binder and, optionally, additional ingredients, such as those conventionally used in the manufacture of the aforementioned restructured meat and wet pet food products, to form a slurry; (c) subjecting the slurry to shear conditions to form an emulsion; (d) forming an emulsion layer; (e) heating the emulsion layer to an internal temperature of 70° C. or higher (preferably about 80° C. or higher); and (f) cutting or shredding said layer into discrete pieces of reconstituted animal material. This is the preferred method of making the pet food products of the present invention.

[0030] The materials can be mixed using any suitable equipment commonly used in the art, such as a heated extruder or a jacketed paddle mixer, combining the materials with water as needed.

[0031] In the above method, the slurry preferably comprises about 50 to about 99% by weight (preferably about 60 to about 99% by weight, preferably about 65 to about 99% by weight, and preferably about 95% or less by weight, or about 90% or less by weight, or about 85% or less by weight) of minced animal material.

[0032] Emulsification of the slurry can be carried out in any conventional apparatus including a combination of rotating knives and a die plate having holes of a given diameter (e.g., about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm) through which the material passes, such as a bowl chopper or meat grinder. If desired, the resulting material can then be transferred to a mixer to which water, dry ingredients (e.g., vegetable protein powder) and liquid ingredients can be added.

[0033] The layer of emulsion formed in this manner can be in the form of, for example, a sheet, slab, ribbon or string.

[0034] The layer of emulsion is suitably heated from below by applying steam to the underside of a continuous belt carrying the layer, and / or from above by directly contacting the layer with steam. Preferably, the emulsion is cooked in a steam tunnel, which typically comprises a conveyor system (such as a conveyor belt) and blanches or cooks the emulsion with saturated or superheated steam injected from above or below, thereby continuously and uniformly exposing the emulsion to steam until it is thoroughly cooked and set. The emulsion may be in the form of separate chunks during the heating step, but is typically cut into chunks after the heating step.

[0035] The term "emulsion" as used herein refers to a thick mixture of water and other substances derived from raw materials such as meat or meat by-products. Such "emulsions" are dispersions of fat particles and air bubbles in a complex phase composed of water, solubilized meat proteins, cellular components, and other materials. The emulsions are also referred to as meat "dough" or meat "slurry." These terms are well understood in the art and are used interchangeably. Emulsions typically consist of a continuous phase of aqueous medium containing soluble proteins, soluble muscle components, muscle fiber fragments, connective tissue fibers, bone, etc., and optionally ingredients such as plant-derived proteins and / or starches and / or fibers and / or minerals, as well as additives conventional in the art.

[0036] The total protein content of the reconstituted animal material is preferably in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 40% by weight, preferably at least about 10% by weight, preferably at least about 15% by weight, typically not more than about 36% by weight, preferably about 25% to about 36% by weight. The protein may comprise animal protein, vegetable protein, or any combination thereof. The animal protein, based on the total weight of the protein fraction of the reconstituted animal material, preferably comprises at least 50% by weight of animal protein, preferably at least about 60% by weight, preferably at least about 70% by weight, preferably at least about 80% by weight, preferably at least about 90% by weight of animal protein. Animal protein includes any animal source protein (including vertebrate and invertebrate proteins), such as proteins derived from mammals, poultry, fish, and insects. Examples of suitable animal proteins include those derived from chicken, turkey, beef, sheep, pork, deer, buffalo, duck, kangaroo, shellfish, crustaceans, salmon, tuna, white fish, etc. They are suitably obtained from muscle meat, organs, tendons, bones, etc. Further suitable animal proteins include proteins from milk or eggs. Vegetable proteins include proteins from wheat, corn, peas, lupin, potato, beans, lentils, etc., such as wheat gluten, and proteins from seed and nut press cakes for oil production, such as sunflower, pumpkin, rapeseed, peanut, hazelnut, walnut, hemp, etc. The proteins may be in any suitable form, isolated or partially isolated, concentrated or minced, without particular limitation.

[0037] The advantage of the present invention is that for various products containing different protein sources, the improvement of palatability is observed by replacing part of the protein with proteinaceous additives.Thus, the present invention provides a method for improving the palatability of products made from more sustainable raw materials (e.g., to reduce the use of meat materials that are in high demand in the human food chain or for environmental reasons).The present invention is also particularly useful for improving the palatability of products that benefit from improved palatability, such as fish-free cat food products.

[0038] The fat content of the reconstituted animal material is preferably less than about 15% by weight, preferably not more than about 13% by weight, preferably not more than about 12% by weight, preferably not more than about 10% by weight, preferably not more than about 8% by weight, preferably at least about 2% by weight, preferably at least about 4% by weight. The term "fat" as used herein refers to esters of fatty acids such as triglycerides, diglycerides, monoglycerides and phospholipids. The fat preferably comprises at least 50% by weight, more preferably at least 70% by weight of triglycerides. The fat may suitably comprise animal fats, vegetable oils, marine oils and combinations thereof. The fat typically comprises at least 10% by weight, more preferably at least 30% by weight and most preferably at least 50% by weight of animal fat. The animal fat is preferably derived from an animal selected from beef, pork, sheep, goat, poultry, fish and combinations thereof.

[0039] The moisture content of the reconstituted animal material is typically at most about 75%, or at most about 65%, and typically at least about 20%, or at least about 30%, or at least about 40%, or at least about 50%, and preferably in the range of about 50 to about 55%, by weight, based on the total weight of the reconstituted animal material.

[0040] The fiber and carbohydrate content of the reconstituted animal material is typically up to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the reconstituted animal material. The reconstituted animal material preferably contains no more than about 10% fiber by weight, preferably no more than about 5% by weight, preferably no more than about 2% by weight, usually no more than about 1% by weight, and preferably at least about 0.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the reconstituted animal material.

[0041] When the pet food product is a wet pet food product, the reconstituted animal materials forming the loaves or chunks typically exhibit a density of from about 0.8 to about 1.2 g / ml.

[0042] The size of the reconstituted animal material varies depending on the animal consuming the pet food and / or the format of the pet food. The longest dimension of the reconstituted animal material is usually about 5 mm to about 200 mm, preferably at least about 10 mm, preferably about 150 mm or less. When the reconstituted animal material is in chunks suitable for a chunk-in sauce, the longest dimension is preferably about 50 mm or less, more preferably about 40 mm or less, more preferably about 30 mm or less, and in a preferred embodiment, about 5 mm to 25 mm, preferably about 8 to about 16 mm.

[0043] The wet pet food of the present invention may be a loaf (or pate) product. As mentioned above, such products are typically in the form of a single piece of reconstituted animal material packaged in a container such as a can, pouch, tray, etc. Such pieces of reconstituted animal material are typically in the form of a single piece of loaf (or pate) product, such as a single piece of reconstituted animal material packaged in a container such as a can, pouch, tray, etc. The volume of the piece is typically about 20 to about 2,000 cm when the wet pet food product is intended for dogs. 3 More preferably, about 30 to about 1,500 cm 3 For example, about 500 to about 1200 cm 3 In addition, when the wet pet food product is intended for cats, the average diameter is usually about 35 to about 450 cm. 3 After packaging or sealing, the product is preferably sterilized in the package, for example by retort sterilization.

[0044] The wet pet food product of the present invention is preferably a chunk-in sauce. As used herein, the term "sauce" encompasses gravies, jellies and mousses, and preferably refers to a composition in the form of a liquid, paste, gel or mousse. The sauce comprises a liquid carrier, such as water, a fat or oil. The composition is preferably an aqueous composition. The chunk-in sauce is prepared by mixing reconstituted animal material pieces with a sauce, filling the mixture into a package, sealing and sterilizing the package, for example by retort sterilization. The reconstituted animal material pieces may be added to the package while a sauce, for example a heated sauce, which warms the pieces and allows trapped gas to escape before sealing the package, is poured onto the pieces. Alternatively, each ingredient is added to the reconstituted animal material and packaged, where each ingredient is in the form of a sauce mixed with the reconstituted animal material in the package during normal sterilization processes.

[0045] Sealing of the package can be accomplished using ultrasonic, heat or vacuum sealing, preferably using ultrasonic or heat sealing.

[0046] Retort sterilization is preferably carried out at a retort temperature in the range of about 115° C. to about 130° C. for a period of preferably about 20 to 120 minutes to produce a commercially sterile product.

[0047] The packaging can be a can (or tin) or jar (eg, glass), or plastic, metal, foil pouch, or flexifoil.

[0048] The wet pet food product may comprise up to 100% by weight of reconstituted animal material, preferably at least about 5% by weight of reconstituted animal material, based on the total weight of the wet pet food product. In other words, the wet pet food product may contain, consist essentially of, or consist of reconstituted animal material. The loaf product suitably consists essentially of, or consists of reconstituted animal material. The chunk-in sauce product preferably comprises a reconstituted animal material:sauce ratio of about 20:80 to about 90:10, preferably at least about 30:70, preferably at least about 40:60, preferably at least about 50:50, preferably at least about 60:40.

[0049] The sauce component of the wet pet food product may be any suitable sauce commonly used in the wet pet food art, and typically has a moisture content of at least about 80% by weight, typically at least about 90% by weight, typically no more than about 98% by weight, based on the total weight of the sauce. The sauce typically includes a thickening agent used to adjust its viscosity. Thickening or gelling agents that may be used in preparing the sauce include carrageenan, xanthan, guar gum, cassia gum, starch, gelatin, locust bean gum, tara gum, konjac gum, carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, and combinations thereof. The sauce is typically a coating that covers the reconstituted animal material.

[0050] The sauce can include additive ingredients conventionally used in the manufacture of wet pet food products, such as fats, antioxidants, carbohydrates, seasonings, colorants, flavors, minerals, preservatives, vitamins, emulsifiers, farinaceous ingredients, and combinations thereof.

[0051] In the present invention, the free amino acid-containing proteinaceous additive is preferably added to and contained in the sauce of the chunk-in sauce. When the pet food product of the present invention is a loaf product, the proteinaceous additive is preferably added to and contained in the reconstituted animal material. However, the preferred pet food product of the present invention is a chunk-in sauce wet pet food product in which the free amino acid-containing proteinaceous additive is added to and contained in the sauce. Thus, the free amino acid of the proteinaceous additive is preferably present in the sauce of the chunk-in sauce wet pet food product.

[0052] The total fat content of the pet food product is preferably in an amount ranging from about 2.0% to about 8.0% by weight, preferably less than about 7.0% by weight, preferably not more than about 6.0% by weight, preferably at least about 3.0% by weight, preferably at least about 4.0% by weight, preferably from about 4.0% to about 7.0% by weight.

[0053] The total protein content of the pet food product is in the range of about 6.0 to about 14.0% by weight, preferably at least about 6.5% by weight, preferably more than 6.5% by weight, preferably at least about 7.0% by weight, preferably not more than about 12.0% by weight, usually not more than about 11.5% by weight, preferably not more than about 10.0% by weight, preferably about 6.0% to about 12.0% by weight, preferably about 6.5% to about 12.0% by weight, preferably more than 6.5% to about 12.0% by weight, particularly preferably about 6.0% to about 10.0% by weight, preferably about 6.5% to about 10.0% by weight, preferably more than 6.5% to about 10.0% by weight, especially the pet food product is produced by an SFM process. Advantageously, a protein content of at least 6.0% by weight, preferably at least 6.5% by weight or more, of the pet food product of the present invention provides a complete nutritional product.

[0054] The content of free amino acids in the pet food product is at least 0.5% by mass, based on the total mass of the pet food product. The content of free amino acids in the pet food product is preferably at most about 6.0% by mass, or at most about 4.0% by mass, preferably more than about 0.5% by mass, preferably at least 0.6% by mass, preferably at least 0.7% by mass, and preferably in the range of about 0.7% to about 2.5% by mass, based on the total mass of the pet food product. When the free amino acid includes glycine, the content of glycine in the pet food product is usually at most about 3.5% by mass, or at most about 2.5% by mass, or preferably at most about 2.0% by mass, preferably at least about 0.5% by mass or at least about 0.7% by mass, and preferably in the range of about 1.0% to about 1.5% by mass, based on the total mass of the pet food product.

[0055] The amount of free amino acids present in the proteinaceous components of the wet pet food product is preferably at least about 4% by weight, preferably at least about 5% by weight, preferably at least about 10% by weight, preferably at least about 12% by weight, preferably at least about 14% by weight, preferably at least about 15% by weight, and preferably about 50% by weight or less, preferably 45% by weight or less, preferably about 40% by weight or less, preferably about 30% by weight or less, preferably about 25% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the proteinaceous components of the pet food product. A preferred range is about 5% to about 50% by weight, about 5% to about 30% by weight, preferably about 10% to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the proteinaceous components of the pet food product. A more preferred range is about 12% to about 50% by weight, preferably about 14% to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the proteinaceous components of the pet food product.

[0056] For preferred chunk-in-sauce wet pet food products, the free amino acid containing proteinaceous additive is preferably present in the sauce in an amount to provide the pet food product with free amino acids in an amount of from 0.5% to 6.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food product, or in the preferred amount set out immediately above.

[0057] Preferably at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 60% by weight, preferably at least 70% by weight, preferably at least 80% by weight, preferably at least 90% by weight, preferably at least 95% by weight, preferably at least 98% by weight, preferably at least 99% by weight of the free amino acids in the pet food product are provided by the proteinaceous additive. Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the chunk-in-sauce wet pet food product, at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 60% by weight, preferably at least 70% by weight, preferably at least 80% by weight, preferably at least 90% by weight, preferably at least 95% by weight, preferably at least 98% by weight, preferably at least 99% by weight of the free amino acids in the pet food product are provided by the proteinaceous additive added to and contained in the sauce.

[0058] The total fiber content of the pet food product is preferably no more than about 5%, preferably no more than about 2%, preferably no more than about 1%, preferably at least about 0.1%, by weight, based on the total weight of the product.

[0059] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a use of a free amino acid containing proteinaceous additive to improve the palatability of a wet pet food product comprising reconstituted animal material chunks and a sauce, wherein said wet pet food product comprises a fat component in an amount of 2.0% to 8.0% by weight and a proteinaceous component in an amount of 6.0% to 14.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the wet pet food product, the proteinaceous component comprising polypeptides and free amino acids, the ratio of fat component to proteinaceous component being from about 0.45:1.0 to about 1.0:1.0, the content of free amino acids in the pet food product is at least 0.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food product, and the proteinaceous component containing free amino acids is present in a sauce.

[0060] In a second aspect of the invention, the proteinaceous additive is preferably used to improve the palatability of an existing pet food product by replacing part of the proteinaceous ingredients of an existing recipe of a wet pet food product with the proteinaceous additive, resulting in the wet pet food product of the invention.

[0061] According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of improving the palatability of a wet pet food product comprising reconstituted animal material chunks and a sauce, the method comprising the step of providing the reconstituted animal material chunks and a sauce, the method further comprising the step of adding a proteinaceous additive to the sauce such that the wet pet food product comprises a fat component in an amount of from 2.0% to 8.0% by weight and a proteinaceous component in an amount of from 6.0% to 14.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the wet pet food product, wherein the ratio of the fat component to the proteinaceous component is from about 0.45:1.0 to about 1.0:1.0, the content of free amino acids in the pet food product is at least 0.5% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food product, and the proteinaceous component comprises polypeptides and free amino acids.

[0062] In a third aspect of the invention, the step of adding a proteinaceous additive to a sauce to improve the palatability of a wet pet food product is preferably carried out by replacing a portion of the proteinaceous ingredients of an existing recipe for the wet pet food product with the proteinaceous additive, resulting in the wet pet food product of the invention.

[0063] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of preparing a wet pet food product according to the first aspect of the present invention comprising the step of adding a free amino acid containing proteinaceous additive to a product comprising reconstituted animal material, preferably the proteinaceous additive is added to the sauce component of the chunk-in-sauce wet pet food product.

[0064] The comments and preferences for the first aspect of the invention also apply to the second, third and fourth aspects of the invention.

[0065] The invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting examples. EXAMPLES

[0066] Feeding Study Protocol The palatability of the test products (Examples 1-6) was evaluated using a ranking test. The intake (g) of each test product was measured and the average intake (g) of each test product was determined and analyzed.

[0067] Examples 1-4 (Figure 1: Test A) Wet cat food products (Examples 1-4) containing reconstituted animal ingredients and gravy, i.e. chunk-in-sauce type products, were prepared using typical recipes and conventional preparation techniques. Example 2 is an example according to the present invention. Examples 1, 3 and 4 are reference examples.

[0068] Example 1 had a fat to protein (F:P) ratio of 0.7, calculated as the F:P ratio in the total composition of the pet food product. This F:P ratio in the wet cat food products was altered by increasing the amount of proteinaceous material through the addition of protein (Example 3) or the addition of the proteinaceous additive glycine (Examples 2 and 4). The proteinaceous additive was added in the sauce.

[0069] The palatability of four wet cat food products (Examples 1-4) was compared in a feeding test by measuring the amount of product consumed by the cats according to the feeding test protocol described above. The results, shown in FIG. 1, indicate that there is no direct correlation between improved palatability, increased amounts of proteinaceous material, and reduced F:P ratios. Surprisingly, however, the data show that there was a statistically significant preference for the product of Example 2 over Example 3, indicating that reducing the total protein content in combination with the addition of a proteinaceous additive improves palatability. The statistically significant preference of Example 2 over Example 4 indicates that the proteinaceous additive must be added at a relatively high F:P ratio to significantly improve palatability.

[0070] The properties of each pet food product are shown below in Table 1. All examples had the same appearance.

[0071] [Table 1]

[0072] Example 5-6 (Figure 2: Test B) Chunk-in-sauce wet cat food products (Examples 5 and 6) were prepared in a similar manner as described above. Example 5 is an example according to the present invention. Example 6 is a reference example.

[0073] The product of Example 5 corresponds to Example 1, except that a portion of the proteinaceous material of Example 1 has been replaced with glycine. Since the total amount of proteinaceous component is the same as Example 1, the F:P ratios of Examples 1 and 5 were the same. Similarly, the product of Example 6 corresponds to Example 3, except that a portion of the proteinaceous material of Example 3 has been replaced with glycine. Since the total amount of proteinaceous component is the same as Example 3, the F:P ratios of Examples 3 and 6 were the same.

[0074] In this study, Examples 1, 3, 5 and 6 were evaluated and the palatability of the four wet cat food products was compared in the feeding test described above. The results, shown in Figure 2, indicate that replacing part of the protein with free amino acids improves the palatability of the products. However, unexpectedly, the effect of improving palatability by replacing part of the protein with free amino acids was only statistically significant when the F:P ratio was 0.7 (Example 5) compared to 0.35 (Example 6), indicating that cats can distinguish between products with different F:P ratios and that the F:P ratio is important. The data also show that the product of Example 5 was significantly preferred over Example 3, indicating that reducing the total protein content in combination with the addition of a proteinaceous additive improves palatability. Notably, the improvement in palatability from Example 3 to Example 5 was improved compared to the improvement in palatability observed in Study A between Examples 3 and 2, indicating that the increased F:P ratio contributes to the improvement in palatability.

[0075] The properties of each product are shown below in Table 2. All examples had the same appearance.

[0076] [Table 2]

Claims

1. A pet food product comprising a fat component and a proteinaceous component, the proteinaceous component comprising the free amino acid glycine; The fat component is present in an amount of 5.5 to 6.7% by weight, the protein component is present in an amount of 8.0 to 9.5% by weight, and the glycine is present in an amount of 1.0 to 2.0% by weight, based on the total weight of the pet food product; A pet food product wherein the ratio of said fat component to said proteinaceous component is about 0.

68.

2. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the proteinaceous ingredient comprises a polypeptide derived from an animal protein and / or a plant protein.

3. A pet food product as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pet food product is a wet pet food product.

4. The pet food product of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pet food product comprises reconstituted animal materials.

5. The pet food product of claim 4, wherein the reconstituted animal materials include fat, antioxidants, a carbohydrate source, a fiber source, additional protein sources (including vegetable protein), seasonings, colorants, fragrances, minerals, preservatives, vitamins, emulsifiers, farinaceous materials, and combinations thereof.

6. The pet food product of claim 4 or 5, wherein the reconstituted animal material comprises in the range of about 5 to about 40% by weight protein and in the range of about 5 to about 40% by weight fat, based on the total weight of the reconstituted animal material.

7. The pet food product of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pet food product is a chunk-in-sauce wet pet food product comprising chunks of reconstituted animal material and a sauce.

8. The pet food product of claim 7, wherein the ratio of reconstituted animal material to sauce is from about 20:80 to about 90:

10.

9. A pet food product as described in claim 7 or 8, wherein the sauce comprises a liquid carrier.

10. A pet food product as described in any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the sauce has a moisture content of at least about 80% by weight, based on the total weight of the sauce.

11. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the pet food product is chunk-in gravy or chunk-in jelly.

12. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the pet food product contains 0.1 to 5 mass% of fiber relative to the total mass of the pet food product.

13. The pet food product of claim 7, wherein the chunks comprise meat pieces or reconstituted meat chunks.

14. The pet food product of claim 4, wherein the reconstituted animal material exhibits a density of 0.8 to 1.2 g / ml.

15. The pet food product of claim 4, wherein the longest dimension of the reconstituted animal material is between 5 and 25 mm.

16. A pet food product as claimed in any preceding claim which is a loaf or pate product in the form of a single piece pet food product.

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