Method for adjusting staple pet food, and cooked food

Abstract

To easily improve the taste and flavor of a staple pet food, which is equivalent to a total nutritional food or therapeutic meal for pets such as dogs and cats, during cooking.SOLUTION: Provided is a method for adjusting a staple pet food by mixing a cooked food and supplementary foods with a pre-adjusted constitution ratio of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate. By mixing the cooked food and the supplementary foods according to a mixing ratio explanation indicating a mixing ratio of the supplementary foods, a staple pet food having a specific required nutrition constitution required for maintaining the health of a pet or managing a disease. By mixing a carbohydrate supplementary food and a lipid supplementary food according to the mixing ratio explanation, the taste is improved and a staple pet food equivalent to a total nutritional food or various therapeutic meals for pets can be easily handmade.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pet food that enables owners of pets such as dogs and cats to easily adjust the nutritional composition specific to their pet's health or disease state. [Background technology]

[0002] Food for pets such as dogs and cats includes nutritionally balanced complete nutritional foods intended to be fed as the main daily meal, with the pet food and water alone, to maintain health at a specified stage of growth; therapeutic foods, in which the amounts and ratios of nutritional ingredients are adjusted and which are intended to be used in veterinary care for the dietary management of pets with specific diseases or health conditions, under the guidance of a veterinarian, to provide nutritional support to pets; snacks, which are intended to be fed at any time as a snack, reward or means of communication; general meals (side dish type), nutritional supplements, calorie supplement foods, side dishes, supplements, and other purpose-specific foods, which are intended to be fed to pets to adjust or supplement specific nutrients or to enhance their tastes. Like humans, pets such as dogs and cats need nutrients such as protein, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Healthy pets are fed a complete nutritional diet as their staple food. In addition, when sick dogs and cats require dietary management for treatment, they are given a therapeutic diet with adjusted amounts and ratios of nutrients.

[0003] Pet foods are classified into dry, semi-moist, wet, etc., depending on the moisture content, and each type has different characteristics such as ease of handling, ease of eating, nutritional composition, etc. However, various efforts are being made to make pets eat foods that they like, so that they can actively consume even when their appetite is reduced due to their physical condition (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2). In addition, many varieties of complete nutritional foods that are designed with health in mind, and therapeutic foods with nutritional properties suited to pet diseases and symptoms, are available on the market. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-118735 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2020-89343 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There are a great many types of complete nutritional and therapeutic foods on the market, and the more items produced, the higher the cost and the lower the production efficiency. In addition, improving the taste and flavor of commercially available pet foods is a constant challenge. Since a complete nutritional diet has a balanced nutritional content, it is not possible to excessively increase ingredients that stimulate a pet's appetite, and therapeutic diets have protein and lipid restrictions in order to provide nutritional characteristics suited to the illness. This reduces the proportion of amino acids and lipids that are the source of palatability, and the palatability is also reduced. Pets who are out of shape due to illness have a reduced appetite, so therapeutic diets are required to have even better taste and flavor.

[0006] In addition, because therapeutic diets do not suit pets' tastes, pet owners cannot feed them pet food that has been adjusted for other purposes, and it is difficult to find alternatives, so pet owners may consider making homemade meals. This is because freshly prepared meals made with fresh ingredients have excellent taste and flavor, and are popular with pets. In addition, feeding homemade meals to pets is one way for pet owners to show their love for their pets. However, it is very difficult and troublesome to prepare a balanced diet, and it is very time-consuming to prepare food from scratch every time. Furthermore, in diet therapy, it is very difficult to prepare homemade food that meets special nutritional requirements. Furthermore, adjusting trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals to appropriate amounts in homemade food can be a hassle.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provide a method for preparing a staple pet food that can easily produce a staple pet food with improved taste and flavor equivalent to a complete nutritional diet or therapeutic diet for pets such as dogs and cats. Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooked food that can be used in a method for preparing a staple pet food, which can easily produce a staple pet food with improved taste and flavor equivalent to a complete nutritional diet or therapeutic diet for pets such as dogs and cats. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing a staple pet food that can easily produce a staple pet food with adjusted vitamins and minerals and improved taste and flavor equivalent to a complete nutritional diet or therapeutic diet for pets such as dogs and cats, and to provide a cooked food that can be used in the method for preparing a staple pet food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Such an object can be achieved by the present invention described below in (1) to (13).

[0009] (1) A method for preparing a staple pet food by mixing a prepared food in which the composition ratio of protein, lipids, and carbohydrates as nutritional components that produce energy has been adjusted in advance with a supplementary food, the method comprising mixing the prepared food with the supplementary food in accordance with a mixing ratio description showing the mixing ratio of the supplementary food, thereby preparing a staple pet food having a composition of the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining the health or managing the disease of a pet.

[0010] (2) The mixing ratio description indicates the respective mixing ratios for maintaining the health of a pet or managing multiple diseases, and by mixing the cooked food with the supplementary foods in accordance with the respective mixing ratios, a composition of the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining the health or managing the disease of each pet is obtained.

[0011] (3) A method for preparing a staple pet food according to (1) or (2), wherein the composition ratio of the cooked food is, by dry matter weight, 40% or more protein, 25% or less fat, and 60% or less carbohydrate.

[0012] (4) A method for preparing a staple pet food according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the supplementary food is selected from a carbohydrate supplementary food selected from edible grains, potatoes, and starches, and a lipid supplementary food selected from edible vegetable and animal fats and oils, and optionally contains a mixture of non-energy producing trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

[0013] (5) A method for preparing a staple pet food according to (3) or (4) above, wherein the lipid content is 20% or less by weight of dry matter.

[0014] (6) A method for preparing a staple pet food according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the cooked food contains a predetermined ratio of non-energy producing trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

[0015] (7) A method for preparing a staple pet food as described in any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the mixing ratio explanation is obtained from the packaging of the cooked food, from something packaged together with the cooked food, or is provided by a seller or a veterinarian.

[0016] (8) Prepared foods in which the composition of energy-producing nutrients, namely protein, lipids and carbohydrates, by dry matter weight, is 40 percent or more protein, 25 percent or less lipid, and 60 percent or less carbohydrate.

[0017] (9) A cooked food according to (8) above, in which the lipid content is 20% or less by weight of dry matter.

[0018] (10) A cooked food according to (8) or (9) above, in which the supplementary food can be mixed in a predetermined mixing ratio according to the maintenance of a pet's health or the respective state of multiple diseases to provide the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining the pet's health or managing each of multiple diseases.

[0019] (11) The cooked food according to (10), wherein the supplementary food is selected from a carbohydrate supplementary food selected from edible grains, potatoes, and starches, and a lipid supplementary food selected from edible vegetable and animal fats and oils, and optionally contains a mixture of non-energy producing trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

[0020] (12) A cooked food according to any one of (8) to (11) above, which contains trace elements selected from vitamins and minerals, which are nutritional components that do not produce energy, in a specified ratio.

[0021] (13) A cooked food product according to any one of (8) to (12) above, having a mixing ratio description in which the mixing ratio is displayed. Effect of the Invention

[0022] In the present invention, by mixing a general-purpose carbohydrate supplement food and a general-purpose lipid supplement food according to the mixing ratio described above, the taste and flavor can be improved, and a staple pet food equivalent to a complete nutritional diet for pets or various therapeutic diets can be easily handmade. Furthermore, the present invention can reduce the number of types of commercially available complete nutritional foods and various therapeutic foods for pets. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the concept of a method for preparing a staple pet food of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] In the present invention, the terms related to pet food are based on the usage listed in the "Pet Food Guidelines for Pet Owners" (issued by the Ministry of the Environment, August 2018, 3rd edition). In addition, the terms related to therapeutic diets are based on the usage listed in the "Therapeutic Diet Guidelines" (General Incorporated Association Veterinary Therapeutic Diet Evaluation Center, July 2016 revised edition).

[0025] The method for preparing a staple pet food of the present invention is a method for preparing a staple pet food by mixing a prepared food in which the composition ratio of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates as nutritional components that produce energy is adjusted, with a supplementary food, and by mixing the supplementary food with the prepared food in accordance with a mixing ratio description indicating the mixing ratio of the supplementary food, a composition of the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining the health or managing the disease of a pet is obtained. Staple pet food is pet food, such as complete nutritional food or therapeutic food, that is given to pets such as dogs and cats as their main daily meal.

[0026] The supplementary food is selected from a carbohydrate supplementary food selected from general-purpose carbohydrate foods such as edible grains, potatoes, and starches, and a lipid supplementary food selected from general-purpose vegetable and animal edible oils and fats, and optionally contains a mixture of non-energy-producing trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Either the carbohydrate supplementary food or the lipid supplementary food is necessarily included in the description of the mixing ratio, and the mixture of non-energy-producing trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals does not have to be included in the description of the mixing ratio.

[0027] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the concept of the method for preparing the staple pet food of the present invention. Each outer frame represents the entire food to be given to a pet, and each area inside the frame represents the cooked food, carbohydrate supplement food, and lipid supplement food of the present invention. The area ratio of each area represents the mixing ratio of each food, which is described in the mixing ratio explanation. The outer boxes represent, from the left, A: equivalent to a complete nutritional diet, B: equivalent to a low-fat therapeutic diet used in the nutritional management of pancreatitis, a digestive disease, C: equivalent to a therapeutic diet used in the nutritional management of kidney disease, a state of chronic renal dysfunction, and D: equivalent to a therapeutic diet used in the nutritional management of skin diseases (skin diseases). B does not contain lipid supplement foods as it is used for the nutritional management of pancreatitis, and C has a reduced proportion of cooked foods containing protein as it is used for the nutritional management of kidney disease. D has a high proportion of the cooked foods containing protein and reduced carbohydrates.

[0028] As can be seen from Figure 1, the cooked food of the present invention has a predetermined nutritional composition, so that by mixing each supplementary food in accordance with the mixing ratio explanation showing the mixing ratio based on the cooked food and the specific required nutritional composition for each use, it is possible to easily achieve the specific required nutritional composition required for maintaining a pet's health or managing multiple diseases, and to prepare a staple pet food equivalent to a complete nutritional diet for maintaining health and a therapeutic diet tailored to the state of multiple diseases. The present invention is an excellent method for preparing staple pet food, which can provide a food equivalent to a complete nutritional diet and a therapeutic diet tailored to the condition of multiple diseases by mixing the cooked food and the supplementary food according to the mixing ratio description.

[0029] The cooked food of the present invention has an adjusted composition ratio of protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and optionally vitamins and minerals. Specifically, the composition ratio is, by dry matter weight, 40% or more protein, 25% or more lipid, and 60% or less carbohydrate. Preferably, the composition ratio is 40% or more protein, 20% or less lipid, and 60% or less carbohydrate. When feeding a pet, the cooked food of the present invention can be made into a staple pet food equivalent to a complete nutritional diet and a therapeutic diet for multiple diseases by mixing at least one of a general-purpose carbohydrate supplement food and a general-purpose lipid supplement food in a specified ratio.

[0030] The cooked food of the present invention can be obtained by selecting ingredients from all kinds of food materials, such as meat, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms, beans, and algae, taking into consideration the ratio of each nutritional component of each material, so that the weight composition ratio of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate in the dry matter amount is the above-mentioned specified ratio, cutting them into appropriate sizes, adding water, and cooking by heating, etc. Water can be added or removed depending on the properties of the product. In addition, in order to adjust the vitamins and minerals, purified simple substances of each can be added.

[0031] The cooked food can be packaged and stored in various ways during the packaging process, such as by being frozen in a sealed plastic container, by being retort-sterilized in a can or a sealed plastic container and stored at room temperature, or by being freeze-dried and stored in a sealed container at room temperature.

[0032] The carbohydrate supplement foods of the present invention are general-purpose foods that are easily available in everyday life, and include edible grains such as cooked rice, rice cakes, rice porridge, udon noodles, buckwheat noodles, bread, and corn, edible tubers such as sweet potato, taro, and potato, and starch powders. In addition, the lipid supplement food of the present invention includes edible oils and fats that are easily available in everyday life, such as vegetable oils such as linseed oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and sesame oil, and animal oils and fats such as beef tallow and lard. In addition, bone powder, shell powder, various food additives, etc. can be used as the non-energy producing trace nutrient component mixture of the present invention for adjusting vitamins and minerals.

[0033] Furthermore, in the present invention, for a mixture of non-energy-producing trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, which are nutrients that do not produce energy, if the content of the trace nutrients contained in the ingredients of the cooked food is insufficient, an appropriate amount of trace nutrients such as minerals and vitamins can be added in advance to produce a cooked food. In addition, in accordance with the required amount of the applied complete nutritional food or therapeutic food, as a supplementary food, the mixing ratio of a mixture of non-energy-producing trace nutrient components, which is a general-purpose food ingredient containing trace components such as necessary minerals and vitamins, can be described in the above-mentioned mixing ratio description. A superior cooked food can be produced by adding the necessary trace ingredients in advance in a predetermined ratio, and by adopting a mixing ratio description that describes the necessary mixture of non-energy producing trace nutrients. Specific examples of the mixture of non-energy producing trace nutrients include bone powder, shell powder, and various food additives.

[0034] The mixing ratio instructions of the present invention may be obtained from the packaging of the ready-to-eat food, may be packaged together with the ready-to-eat food, may be provided by the seller, or may be provided by a veterinarian. "Learned from packaging" includes a case where the mixing ratio explanation is directly written or a printed sticker is attached to any of the containers or packaging such as plastic, paper, or metal bags, boxes, or containers in which the cooked food is directly or superimposed. "Packed together" includes a case where an item other than the container or packaging of the cooked food, on which the mixing ratio is printed or otherwise indicated, is packaged together with the cooked food. "Learned" includes a case where the mixing ratio explanation is literally written, and also includes a computer-readable display or a website address from which the mixing ratio explanation can be obtained is displayed. Here, the computer-readable display includes an image in which information such as a barcode that can be read by a personal computer having an image reading device, an electronic device such as a smartphone, is embedded, or an IC tag capable of communication by electromagnetic induction is attached, which can be read by the electronic device, etc., so that the mixing ratio explanation can be displayed. Also, it includes a website address where the mixing ratio explanation is posted is written.

[0035] "Provided by the seller" includes the above-mentioned mixing ratio explanation provided to the purchaser or user by the provider of the cooked food of the present invention, such as a seller or delivery company, when the cooked food of the present invention is distributed, sold, etc., and provided as written material or electronic information via electronic device. In addition, "items provided by a veterinarian" includes prescriptions, instructions, etc. provided by a veterinarian when your pet is examined at a veterinary clinic or other animal medical institution and a veterinarian prescribes a therapeutic diet.

[0036] The mixing ratio description may include the name of the cooked food, the species of the pet, the corresponding food category (complete nutritional food, specific disease or health condition for which dietary therapy is applicable, etc.), the cooked food corresponding to the corresponding food type, the weight or ratio of the carbohydrate supplement food and the lipid supplement food, the type of the carbohydrate supplement food, and the type of the lipid supplement food. In some cases, the weight or ratio and type of the mixture of non-energy-producing trace nutrients may also be described.

[0037] (Example 1 of a prepared food) The ingredients of the cooked food were 100g of chicken thighs, 50g of minced pork, 10g of dried sardine powder, 40g of pumpkin, 40g of carrots, 40g of broccoli, 25g of shimeji mushrooms, and an appropriate amount of water. All the raw materials were cut into appropriate sizes, placed in a cooking container, mixed, and cooked until the ingredients were hard enough to be eaten. Once cooking was complete, the water was evaporated by heating, leaving the product with a water content of 70%. The water content was adjusted in the prototype stage by controlling the heating temperature and time while checking the properties of the food. After cooking the food, the water content and other ingredients were analyzed and the manufacturing conditions were determined. In actual production, the product was manufactured under the conditions determined in the prototype stage.

[0038] Once the moisture content was adjusted, the cooked food was packed in plastic containers, sealed, and quickly frozen to prepare the cooked food for sale.

[0039] Table 1 shows the nutritional composition ratios of the cooked foods produced using the above method, calculated based on the 2020 edition (8th revision) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. 100g of cooked food with a moisture content adjusted to 70% contains 17.4g of protein, 6.1g of fat, and 5.0g of carbohydrates, with a dry matter composition of 57.9% protein, 20.4% fat, and 16.6% carbohydrates.

[0040] [Table 1]

[0041] Table 2 shows the mixing ratio of the cooked food, carbohydrate supplement, and lipid supplement of this embodiment, which is set according to the specific nutritional requirements of the pet's health or disease state. Rice is selected as the carbohydrate supplement, and flaxseed oil is selected as the lipid supplement, and the calculation is based on the daily food amount for a dog or cat weighing 4 kg. The mixing ratios for each purpose are as follows: A: Example of dog health food (for adult dogs) B: An example of a formula with limited lipid content for nutritional management of dogs with pancreatitis, etc. C: Example of a formula with limited protein content for nutritional management of dogs with kidney disease, etc. D: Example of a formula with enhanced essential fatty acids for nutritional management of dog skin diseases E: Example of cat health maintenance food (for adult cats) F: An example of a formula with limited protein content for nutritional management of cats with kidney disease, etc.

[0042] [Table 2]

[0043] Table 3 shows the nutritional composition of the mixture of prepared meals, carbohydrate supplements and lipid supplements on a dry matter basis.

[0044] [Table 3]

[0045] (Prepared Food Example 2) The ingredients of the cooked food were 140g chicken thighs, 20g minced pork, 40g pumpkin, 40g carrots, 20g broccoli, 20g shimeji mushrooms, 10g potato starch, 4g bone powder, 1.5g salt, and an appropriate amount of water. The rest was the same as in Example 1.

[0046] Table 4 shows the nutritional composition ratios of the cooked foods produced using the above method, calculated based on the 2020 edition (8th revision) of the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. 100g of cooked food with a moisture content of 70% contains 15.4g protein, 4.4g fat and 7.5g carbohydrates, giving a dry matter composition of 51.5% protein, 14.5% fat and 24.9% carbohydrates.

[0047] [Table 4]

[0048] Table 5 shows the mixing ratio of the cooked food, carbohydrate supplement, and lipid supplement of this embodiment, which is set according to the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining the health or managing diseases of pets. Rice is selected as the carbohydrate supplement, and flaxseed oil is selected as the lipid supplement, and the calculation is based on the daily food amount for a dog or cat weighing 4 kg. Each usage classification is the same as that in Table 2.

[0049] [Table 5]

[0050] Table 6 explains the mixing ratio when a carbohydrate supplement other than that in Example 2 of Table 5 is used in the cooked food of this embodiment. Sweet potato is selected as the carbohydrate supplement, and flaxseed oil is selected as the lipid supplement, and the calculation is based on the daily food amount for a dog or cat weighing 4 kg. If the type of carbohydrate supplement is changed, the mixing ratio changes as follows.

[0051] [Table 6]

[0052] Table 7 shows the nutritional composition of the prepared food, carbohydrate supplement and lipid supplement mixture of Example 3 on a dry matter basis.

[0053] [Table 7]

[0054] Table 8 shows the nutritional composition of commercially available pet foods on a dry matter basis. In the case of dog pet food, U is a health maintenance food for adult dogs, V is a low-fat therapeutic food used for nutritional management of pancreatitis etc., W is a therapeutic food used for nutritional management of kidney disease, X is a therapeutic food used for nutritional management of skin diseases etc., and for cats, Y is a health maintenance food for adult cats and Z is a therapeutic food used for nutritional management of kidney disease.

[0055] [Table 8]

[0056] The cooked food of the present invention can be adjusted by focusing on the composition of carbohydrate supplement food and lipid supplement food as in Example 1. Also, it can be adjusted by adding vitamins and minerals as in Example 2. Even in this case, the content of non-energy producing trace nutrients such as sodium, calcium, and phosphorus may be low when comparing the nutritional components of commercially available pet foods. In such cases, appropriate amounts of minerals and vitamins can be added at the time of use based on the mixing ratio instructions provided for each intended use. Table 9 shows the mixing ratios when a carbohydrate supplement and a lipid supplement are mixed with a non-energy producing trace nutrient mixture to the cooked food of Example 2. The calculations are based on the daily food amount for a dog or cat weighing 4 kg, when rice is selected as the carbohydrate supplement, flaxseed oil is selected as the lipid supplement, and bone powder and shell powder are used as the non-energy producing trace nutrient mixture.

[0057] [Table 9]

[0058] [Table 10]

[0059] As shown in B, C, D, and F of Table 10, the nutritional composition is the same as that of commercially available therapeutic diets.

[0060] As described above, the present invention can provide a cooked food that can be used to prepare a staple pet food equivalent to a complete nutritional diet for pets or various therapeutic diets, with improved taste and flavor, which is an excellent feature of homemade foods, by mixing a general-purpose carbohydrate supplement food, a general-purpose lipid supplement food, and optionally a mixture of non-energy-producing trace nutrient components according to the mixing ratios described. In addition, the present invention can provide a method for preparing a staple pet food, which can easily prepare a staple pet food equivalent to a complete nutritional diet or therapeutic diet for pets such as dogs and cats, with improved taste and flavor, by using the above-mentioned cooked food and the above-mentioned mixing ratio description.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1. Conceptual diagram showing foods equivalent to complete nutritional foods 2. Conceptual diagram of foods equivalent to medical diet for pancreatitis 3. Conceptual diagram of therapeutic foods for kidney disease 4. Conceptual diagram of therapeutic foods for skin diseases 6. Prepared Foods 7. Carbohydrate replacement foods 8 Lipid-supplemented foods

Claims

1. A method for preparing a staple pet food, in which the pet food is prepared by mixing a prepared food, the composition ratio of which has been adjusted in advance for the nutritional components that produce energy, namely, protein, lipids, and carbohydrates, with a supplementary food, wherein the supplementary food is mixed with the prepared food in accordance with a mixing ratio description showing the mixing ratio of the supplementary food, thereby preparing a staple pet food having a composition of the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining the health or managing a disease of a pet.

2. The method for preparing a staple pet food as described in claim 1, wherein the mixing ratio description indicates respective mixing ratios for maintaining the health of a pet or managing multiple diseases, and by mixing the cooked food with the supplementary food according to each mixing ratio, a composition of the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining the health or managing the disease of each pet is obtained.

3. 2. The method for preparing a staple pet food according to claim 1, wherein the composition ratio of the cooked food is, by dry matter weight, 40% or more protein, 25% or less fat, and 60% or less carbohydrate.

4. 2. The method for preparing a staple pet food as described in claim 1, wherein the mixing ratio description is obtained from the packaging of the cooked food, from something packaged together with the cooked food, or is provided by a seller or a veterinarian.

5. A cooked food product in which the composition ratio of energy-producing nutrients (protein, lipids, and carbohydrates) is, by dry matter weight, 40% or more protein, 25% or less lipids, and 60% or less carbohydrates.

6. The cooked food product described in claim 5 can be mixed with the supplementary food in a predetermined mixing ratio corresponding to the maintenance of a pet's health or each of multiple disease states to provide the specific nutritional requirements required for maintaining a pet's health or managing each of multiple diseases.

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