Pet food product for small-size dog and medium-size dog

Abstract

To provide a pet food product for a small-size dog and a medium-size dog which can induce a pet to chew a pet food and can be prevented from hastily eating.SOLUTION: A pet food product for a small-size dog and a medium-size dog having a weight of 3 to 18 kg includes at least 10 pet food grains having a same composition and a same form. All of an average value of a major axis, an average value of a minor axis, and an average value of a thickness of 10 of the pet food grains are 8.5 mm or longer. An average value of a hardness of 10 of the pet food grains is 60 N or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pet food product for small to medium sized dogs. [Background technology]

[0002] Pet food can be divided into staple foods and snacks depending on the occasion for which it is given. Staple food is called a "complete nutritional food" and is made so that pets can get all the nutrients they need just by giving them that food and water. On the other hand, "snacks" are pet foods that are intended to be given in limited quantities to pets for training, exercise, or as a reward. They are classified according to purpose into "complete nutritional foods," "snacks," "therapeutic foods," and "foods for other purposes" that do not fall into any of the above categories.

[0003] In terms of the moisture content, pet food is roughly divided into dry food, which has a moisture content of about 10%, soft food, which has a moisture content of about 15-35%, and wet food, which has a moisture content of about 80%. Of these, the demand for dry pet food has been increasing in recent years due to its ease of handling and good storage properties.

[0004] In recent years, pet foods with small outer diameters and thicknesses have become mainstream, particularly for dogs and cats, in order to improve palatability. Pet food with a small outer diameter and thickness is thought to be highly palatable because it is easy to eat. However, if the outer diameter and thickness of pet food is small, pets may swallow it whole without chewing, which can lead to health concerns such as overeating and choking.

[0005] As a method for preventing pets from eating too quickly, Patent Document 1 discloses a pet dish having a lid that takes into consideration preventing pets from eating too quickly and preventing obesity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-130158 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Although there are pet tableware that prevent pets from eating too quickly, such as the pet tableware disclosed in Patent Document 1, no pet food has been developed that can prevent pets from eating too quickly.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs that can induce pets to chew and eat the pet food and prevent them from eating too quickly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Generally, pet foods are designed so that the size of the pet food increases according to the size of the pet. It has been found that pet food products for small and medium-sized dogs weighing 3 to 18 kg have a particularly strong tendency to be eaten quickly. As a result of intensive research, the present inventors have found that by making the major axis, minor axis, and thickness of a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs weighing 3 to 18 kg relatively large and by making the pet food relatively soft, it is possible to induce pets to chew and eat the pet food. More specifically, the present invention employs the following.

[0010] The present invention has the following aspects. [1] A pet food product for small to medium-sized dogs weighing 3 to 18 kg which has at least 10 pet food granules that have the same composition and the same shape, wherein the average major axis length, average minor axis length and average thickness of the 10 pet food granules are all 8.5 mm or more, and the average hardness of the 10 pet food granules is 60 N or less. [2] The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to [1], wherein the pet food granules have a first surface, when the pet food granules are projected in a first direction, that has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa1 of less than 14 μm, and a second surface, when the pet food granules are projected in a direction other than the first direction, that has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa2 of 14 μm or more. [3] The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to [2], wherein the ratio of the major axis of the first surface to the major axis of the second surface (major axis of the first surface:major axis of the second surface) is 1:1 to 2:1. [4] A pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs as described in [2], wherein the average hardness of the first surface is smaller than the average hardness of the second surface. [5] A pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to any one of [1] to [4], which is a complete nutritional pet food product and has a caloric density of 290 kcal / 100 g or more. [6] The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the average bulk density of 10 of the pet food granules is 300 to 400 g / L. [7] The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to any one of [1] to [6], which has an elliptical cylindrical shape. [8] A pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs described in any one of [1] to [7], which contains dried vegetables or dried meat, and soy protein, and the major axis of the dried vegetables, dried meat, or soy protein is 4 mm or more. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs which can induce pets to chew the pet food product and prevent them from eating too quickly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a pet food granule in a pet food product for small to medium-sized dogs according to a first aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing surfaces, projected from each side, of a pet food granule in a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to a first aspect of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] In this specification, "palatability" is an index of whether a food is enjoyed by pets and is determined by the texture, taste, smell, etc.

[0014] In this specification, the value of the moisture content is a value obtained by a normal pressure heating and drying method. In the normal pressure heating and drying method, the material to be measured is crushed in a crusher so that it passes through a 1 mm sieve, and this is used as the analytical sample. 2 to 5 g of the analytical sample is accurately weighed and placed in an aluminum weighing dish. The analytical sample is dried at 135°C for 2 hours and allowed to cool in a desiccator. The analytical sample is then accurately weighed and the moisture content is determined from the difference in weight of the analytical sample before and after drying. More specifically, the object to be measured is crushed in a crusher so that it passes through a 1 mm sieve, and this is used as the analysis sample. The mass (W1 gram) of the aluminum weighing can is measured in advance as a constant value. The analysis sample is placed in this aluminum weighing can and its mass (W2 grams) is weighed. Next, the analysis sample is dried at 135°C for 2 hours using a forced circulation hot air dryer. After allowing the analysis sample to cool in a dry atmosphere (in a silica gel desiccator), its mass (W3 grams) is weighed. The moisture content of the analysis sample is calculated from the obtained masses using the following formula. Moisture content of analytical sample (unit: mass%) = (W2-W3) ÷ (W2-W1) × 100 The moisture content shall be the value measured immediately after opening the final product within 30 days from the date of manufacture, or the value measured under equivalent conditions.

[0015] In this specification, the hardness of the pet food granules is a value obtained by the following method. One pet food pellet to be measured is placed on a flat plate (inner diameter 26.5 mm x depth 4 mm), and the stress is measured while pressing a plunger vertically from directly above the center of the pet food pellet at a constant speed. The peak (maximum) value of the stress is read as the breaking stress value. The numerical unit of breaking hardness can be converted to Newtons (N) by multiplying the breaking stress (unit: kgw) measured by the compression tester by 9.8. <Test conditions> Compression tester (Texture analyzer, model number: EZ-SX, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation) Plunger: 10mm diameter canine plunger Platform: Flat plate (inner diameter 26.5mm x depth 4mm) Compression speed: 60mm / min -Plunger lowest point: 4.0mm (compression distance) ·Measurement temperature: 25℃ Break detection start point: 0.035% (0.14N) Test force: Full scale 500N Peak Sensitivity: 0.5% (2.5N)

[0016] In this specification, the arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa is measured by observing the surface of pet food pellets (magnification: 40 times, observation field area: 19 to 20 mm) using a non-contact three-dimensional shape measuring instrument VR-3200 (manufactured by Keyence Corporation, using an L filter with a nesting index of 0.25 mm). 2 ) is carried out, and the arithmetic mean roughness Sa of the surface of the pet food granules is calculated.

[0017] (Pet food products for small and medium-sized dogs) The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment has the same composition and contains at least 10 or more pet food granules of the same shape.

[0018] The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is preferably a complete nutritional food. A "complete nutritional food" is a pet food product that is intended to be fed to dogs or cats as their main daily meal and is nutritionally balanced so that the pet food and water alone can maintain the health of the pet at a specified stage of growth. For example, the standards for complete nutritional food are those established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). In this specification, a "complete nutritional food" may be one that meets the criteria for any of the following stages, regardless of the growth stage: "puppy / kitten stage / growth stage or growth," "adult dog / adult cat stage / maintenance stage or maintenance," or "pregnancy stage / lactation stage," or it may be one that meets the criteria for "all growth stages" or "for all stages" that meets all three of these stages.

[0019] Each parameter (long diameter, short diameter, thickness, hardness, etc.) of the pet food for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment does not mean the value of a single pet food granule, but the average value of the values ​​of 10 pet food granules of the same composition and shape produced under the same conditions. For example, it means the average value of 10 randomly selected pet food pellets from a packaged dry pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs. Therefore, when the average value satisfies each parameter, it becomes a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment.

[0020] In the pet food product for small to medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment, the average major axis, average minor axis and average thickness of the 10 pet food granules are all 8.5 mm or greater.

[0021] In this specification, "minor axis" means the minor axis or diameter of the surface with the smallest area in the pet food product for small and medium dogs according to this embodiment. "Major axis" means the major axis or diameter of the surface with the smallest area in the pet food product for small and medium dogs according to this embodiment. When the surface with the smallest area in the pet food product for small and medium dogs according to this embodiment is circular, the "minor axis" and the "major axis" are the same. The minor and major axes of the smallest area face can be measured with a vernier caliper. The minimum area of ​​the face can be calculated from the minor axis and major axis values ​​measured with a vernier caliper.

[0022] When the surface with the smallest area in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is a curved surface, the "surface with the smallest area" means the minor axis and major axis of the projection surface of the curved surface projected using a microscope. Specifically, a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is placed on a measurement table so that the surface with the smallest area in a planar view is the top surface (photographed surface), and a digital microscope (product name "VHX-7000", manufactured by Keyence Corporation) is used to capture an image of the top surface of the pet food, which can then be used to measure with the measurement and scale tool of the digital microscope.

[0023] In this specification, "thickness" refers to the maximum height when the surface with the smallest area in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is considered to be the bottom surface. The maximum height of small and medium dog pet food products can be measured with a vernier caliper.

[0024] More specifically, when the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment have an elliptical cylindrical shape, the major diameter (long axis) of the ellipse at the base becomes the "major diameter" of the pet food granule, and the minor diameter (minor axis) of the ellipse at the base becomes the "minor diameter" of the pet food granule. Furthermore, the maximum height of the elliptical cylindrical shape becomes the "thickness" of the pet food granule.

[0025] The average major axis diameter of the 10 pet food granules is 8.5 mm or more, preferably 9 mm or more, more preferably 9 mm or more and 15 mm or less, even more preferably 9.5 mm or more and 13 mm or less, and particularly preferably 9.5 mm or more and 11 mm or less.

[0026] The average minor axis diameter of the 10 pet food granules is 8.5 mm or more, preferably 8.5 mm or more and 14 mm or less, more preferably 8.5 mm or more and 13 mm or less, and even more preferably 8.5 mm or more and 11 mm or less.

[0027] The average thickness of the 10 pet food granules is 8.5 mm or more, preferably 9 mm or more, more preferably 9 mm or more and 15 mm or less, even more preferably 9.5 mm or more and 13 mm or less, and particularly preferably 10 mm or more and 12.5 mm or less.

[0028] When the average major axis, minor axis and thickness of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment are equal to or greater than the above-mentioned preferable lower limit, the dog will find it difficult to scoop up the granules with its tongue when eating, and will chew one granule at a time. The granules are sent to the molars when chewing, which lengthens the time it takes to eat and better prevents the dog from eating too quickly. In addition, the pet will often lift its head when chewing the pet food granules, which gives the owner a sense of security. When the average major axis length, average minor axis length and average thickness of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment are less than or equal to the above preferred upper limits, the pet food becomes easier to chew and is more palatable.

[0029] The ratio of the average major axis length of the ten pet food granules to the thickness of the ten pet food granules (average major axis length:average thickness length) is preferably 1:1 to 2:1. When the thickness of the pet food granules is greater than the major axis, it becomes easier for pets to chew the granules in the thickness direction. For example, when the hardness in the thickness direction is smaller than the hardness in the major axis direction, the pet food granules are easier to chew.

[0030] The pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium dogs according to this embodiment preferably have an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa1 of a first surface, when the pet food granules are projected in a first direction, that is less than 14 μm, and an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa2 of a second surface, when the pet food granules are projected in a direction other than the first direction, that is 14 μm or more. In other words, the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium dogs according to this embodiment preferably have surfaces with different surface roughnesses. By having surfaces with different surface roughness, the pet food granules can enjoy a variety of textures for pets, further improving palatability.

[0031] The arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa1 of the first surface of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is preferably less than 14 μm, more preferably 13 μm or less, and even more preferably 12 μm or less. In the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment, the arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa2 of a second surface, obtained by projecting the pet food granules in a direction other than the first direction of the pet food granules, is preferably 14 μm or more, more preferably 16 μm or more, and even more preferably 18 μm or more.

[0032] When the hardness of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is measured, the average hardness is preferably 60 N or less, more preferably 40 N or less, and even more preferably 30 N or less. Generally, as the granule size increases, the granules become harder, which makes them difficult to chew, particularly for small and medium-sized dogs, leading to the dog leaving the food behind (low palatability). On the other hand, even if the granule size is large, as in the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment, if the hardness of the pet food granules is 60N or less, the hardness is equivalent to that of pet food granules of normal size, and the pet food is easy to chew. The hardness of the pet food granules can be controlled by the types and composition ratios of the ingredients, and by extending the expansion time in the production method described below.

[0033] In the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment, the average hardness value of the first surface is preferably smaller than the average hardness value of the second surface.

[0034] The shape of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape suitable for pets to eat. For example, any shape can be applied, such as a sphere, an ellipsoid (go stone shape), a pellet, a cylinder, a polygonal prism, a hexahedron (plate shape), a cloverleaf shape, a heart shape, a star shape, a cross shape, etc. Among these, a cylinder shape or an elliptical cylinder shape is preferable from the viewpoint of more easily achieving the effects of the present invention.

[0035] The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is preferably a complete nutritional food, and preferably has a calorie density of 290 kcal / 100 g or more, more preferably 300 kcal / 100 g or more.

[0036] The bulk density of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is preferably from 300 to 400 g / L, and more preferably from 310 to 340 g / L.

[0037] In this specification, the bulk density of a pet food granule means the average bulk density calculated by allowing 10 randomly selected pet food granules in a pet food product to fall freely from a height of 20 cm into a 1 L cup with a diameter of 11 cm, and using the weight that enters the cup when it is level.

[0038] ≪Raw materials≫ As ingredients for the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment, powder ingredients and liquid ingredients known in the manufacture of pet food can be used. Specific examples of powder raw materials include grains (corn, wheat, flour, wheat bran, rice, bread crumbs, barley, oats, rye, etc.), potatoes (sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.), beans (whole soybeans, etc.), starches (wheat starch, corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, modified starch, etc.), vegetable proteins (corn gluten meal, wheat protein, bean protein, rice protein, potato protein, etc.), meat (beef, pork, sheep, deer, rabbit, etc., chicken, turkey, Examples of ingredients include poultry meat such as quail and poultry; meals (chicken meal, pork meal, beef meal, mixed meals of these), seafood (fish such as tuna, bonito, horse mackerel, etc.; crustaceans such as shrimp and crab; mollusks such as octopus and squid; shellfish such as scallops and turban shells; fish extracts; dried bonito flakes, meals (fish meal), etc.), vegetables, nuts and seeds, mushrooms, eggs, sugars, dairy products, additives (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, flavor ingredients, powdered palatability enhancers, fiber, colorants, phosphates, pH adjusters, seasonings, antioxidants, trehalose, etc.), etc.

[0039] Meal refers to meat or seafood that has been compressed and finely ground into powder. More specifically, powdered palatability enhancers include extracts from animal materials, extracts from plant materials, yeast extracts, dried yeast, and the like. Specific examples of liquid raw materials (including semi-solid raw materials) include water, oils and fats (animal oils and fats such as chicken oil, lard, beef tallow, dairy fat, and fish oil; vegetable oils and fats such as olive oil, cacao oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, coconut oil, and camellia oil), liquid palatability enhancers, liquid sugar, moisturizers, preservatives, emulsifiers, flavorings, colorants, and the like.

[0040] An example of the composition of a pet food product (dry type) for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment is shown below. Grains 40-70%, meat 5-30%, seafood 1-15%, beans 1-15%, fiber 1-10%, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids 1-5%, animal fats and oils 1-10% (total of these is 100%).

[0041] The raw materials for the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs in this embodiment preferably contain dried vegetables, dried meat, or soy protein, and the major axis of the dried vegetables, dried meat, or soy protein is preferably 4 mm or more.

[0042] (Pet food granules in a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to the first aspect) As a specific embodiment of the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment, the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to a first embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0043] In the following explanation, an X, Y, Z Cartesian coordinate system will be used as necessary. In this case, the Z direction indicates the height direction (gravity direction). The two directions perpendicular to the Z direction are the X and Y directions. In the drawings, the arrow side is the plus (+) side, and the opposite side to the arrow is the minus (-) side. For example, the +Z side corresponds to the upper side in the height direction, and the -Z side corresponds to the lower side in the height direction.

[0044] 1, the surface of pet food grain D10 projected onto the +X side of the first direction is the first surface D1. Additionally, the surface of pet food grain D10 projected onto the -X side of the first direction is the fourth surface D4. In pet food grain D10, the surface where pet food grain D10 is projected onto the +Z side of the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is the fifth surface D5. Additionally, the surface where pet food grain D10 is projected onto the -Z side of side B of the second direction perpendicular to the first direction is the sixth surface D6. In pet food grain D10, the surface of pet food grain D10 projected onto the +Y side of a third direction perpendicular to the first direction is the second surface D2. Additionally, the surface of pet food grain D10 projected onto the -Y side of a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is the third surface D3.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the surfaces of pet food grain D10 projected in each direction, ie, the first surface D1 to the sixth surface D6. Pet food particle D10 has a first surface D1 to a fourth surface D4 each having an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa1 of less than 14 μm, and a fifth surface D5 and a sixth surface D6 each having an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa2 of 14 μm or more.

[0046] The preferred parameters and ingredients of the pet food granules D10 are as described above.

[0047] Specifically, the thickness of the first surface D1 to the fourth surface D4 (the thickness of the pet food grain) is 8.5 mm or more, and the major axis and minor axis of the fifth surface D5 and the sixth surface D6 are both 8.5 mm or more.

[0048] (Manufacturing method for pet food products for small and medium-sized dogs) [Granulation process] The granulation step is a step of granulating the raw material mixture to obtain granules. The granulation step may be carried out by mixing raw materials to prepare a raw material mixture, and then forming the raw material mixture into granules (granulation). A specific example of the granulation step is a method of producing granules (expanded granules) using an extruder. The method for producing granules using an extruder can be, for example, the method described in "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th Edition" (Michael S. Hand, Craig D. Thatcher, Rebecca L. Remillard, Philip Roudebusg, Bruce J. Novotny, eds., published by Mark Morris Associates; 2014; pp. 209-215).

[0049] An example of a method for producing granules using an extruder will be described. First, the raw materials for the granules are crushed as necessary and then mixed. They may be mixed while being crushed using a grinder or the like. Water (which evaporates during the manufacturing process and is not included in the final raw material composition) is added as necessary to obtain a raw material mixture. The obtained raw material mixture is put into an extruder, heated and pressurized, and then extruded from the outlet. At the outlet, a plate with holes of a specified shape and a cutter that cuts the raw material mixture extruded from the plate to a specified length (thickness) are provided. The raw material mixture is extruded from the holes in the plate and cut by the cutter to be molded into a specified shape, and at the same time, the pressure is released from the pressurized state to normal pressure, causing the water vapor in the raw material mixture to expand, which causes the raw material mixture to expand and obtain porous particles.

[0050] [Drying process] The drying step is a step of drying the granules obtained by the above granulation step. Methods for drying the granules include known methods such as natural drying, drying by blowing hot air, drying under reduced pressure, and freeze-drying.

[0051] The temperature of the particles during drying and the temperature of the hot air blown onto the particles are not particularly limited. For example, the temperature of the hot air is preferably 150° C. or less. The lower limit of the hot air temperature is not particularly limited, and is usually a temperature above room temperature, preferably 30° C. or more. When drying is performed within this temperature range, the time of the heat treatment is preferably 1 minute to 120 minutes. If the temperature and time are equal to or higher than the lower limit of the above range, the granules can be dried in a relatively short time. If the temperature and time are equal to or lower than the upper limit of the above range, the granules can be prevented from being excessively heated.

[0052] For example, when the raw material mixture is extruded from the plate in the above-mentioned granulation process, it is not cut immediately with a cutter, but is cut after allowing time for expansion, thereby producing a highly expanded pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to this embodiment. Highly expanded pet food has many voids inside, so it can be made relatively soft even when it is large in size. In addition, the cut surface is porous, so the surface is rougher. EXAMPLES

[0053] The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0054] (Manufacture of pet food products for small and medium-sized dogs) Example 1 The ingredients of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs of Example 1 were mixed according to the composition shown in Table 1. The resulting raw material mixture was fed into an extruder, and while kneading, was subjected to a heat treatment to gelatinize the starch component, and was extruded and granulated into granules at the outlet of the extruder, which were expanded for 0.04 seconds and then cut to obtain granules (expansion time: 0.04 seconds). The resulting granules were dried using a dryer to produce the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs of Example 1 having at least 10 pet food granules of the same composition and shape. The shape of the pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs in Example 1 is the same as pet food granules D10 shown in FIG.

[0055] The long diameter, short diameter and thickness of 10 randomly selected pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs in Example 1 were measured with a vernier caliper and the average values ​​were calculated to be 9.5 mm in long diameter, 8.5 mm in short diameter and 11 mm in thickness. An example of the major axis, minor axis and thickness of a pet food granule is shown below. The following numerical values ​​represent major axis x minor axis x thickness. 9.8×8.8×13.3 10.9×9.6×8.5 10.9×9.3×11.7 9.4×8.4×10.8 10.2×8.6×12.4 10.1×9.5×11.7

[0056] The average hardness of 10 randomly selected pet food granules in the pet food product of Example 1 was 27 N, and the bulk density was 320 g / L.

[0057] In addition, the arithmetic mean surface roughness of 10 randomly selected pet food pellets in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs in Example 1 was measured by observing the surfaces of the pet food pellets (magnification: 40 times, observation field area: 19 to 20 mm) using a non-contact three-dimensional shape measuring device VR-3200 (manufactured by Keyence Corporation, using an L filter with a nesting index of 0.25 mm). 2 ) was carried out to determine the average value of the arithmetic mean roughness Sa for the surfaces of the pet food granules, and the average arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa1 of the first surface D1 to the fourth surface D4 of the pet food granules was 13.1 μm. Furthermore, the average of the arithmetic mean surface roughness of the fifth surface D5 and sixth surface D6 was 19.6 μm.

[0058] The caloric density of the pet food product of Example 1 was 365 Kcal / 100 g.

[0059] Comparative Example 1 A pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs having a major axis of 9.5 mm, a minor axis of 8.8 mm, and a thickness of 6.4 mm was prepared as a pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs in Comparative Example 1.

[0060] The average hardness of 10 randomly selected pet food granules in the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs in Comparative Example 1 was 82 N.

[0061] [Table 1]

[0062] [Evaluation of the effect of preventing fast eating] The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs of Example 1 and the pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs of Comparative Example 1 were each given to 30 dogs for 5 days, and the time from when the dogs started to eat the food until they finished it was measured. In addition, the dogs' eating was filmed on video, and the number of times they lifted their heads and chewed was measured. The average values ​​of the results are shown in Table 2.

[0063] [Table 2]

[0064] As shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that the pet food products for small and medium-sized dogs of the embodiment allowed the dogs to raise their heads and chew more frequently and slow down the pace of their meals compared to the pet food products for small and medium-sized dogs of the comparison example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] D10: Pet food granules

Claims

1. A pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs weighing 3 to 18 kg, the pet food product having at least 10 pet food granules of the same composition and the same shape, the average major axis length, the average minor axis length, and the average thickness length of 10 of the pet food granules are all 8.5 mm or more; A pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs, wherein the average hardness of ten of the pet food granules is 60 N or less.

2. 2. The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to claim 1, wherein a first surface of the pet food granules projected in a first direction has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa1 of less than 14 μm, and a second surface of the pet food granules projected in a direction other than the first direction has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Sa2 of 14 μm or more.

3. The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the average major axis of 10 of the pet food granules to the thickness of the 10 of the pet food granules (average major axis:average thickness) is 1:1 to 1:

2.

4. 3. The pet food product for small and medium sized dogs according to claim 2, wherein the average hardness of the first side is less than the average hardness of the second side.

5. 2. The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to claim 1, which is a complete nutritional pet food product and has a caloric density of 290 kcal / 100 g or more.

6. 2. The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to claim 1, wherein the average bulk density of ten of the pet food granules is 300 to 400 g / L.

7. 2. The pet food product for small and medium sized dogs according to claim 1, which is in the shape of an elliptical cylinder.

8. 2. The pet food product for small and medium-sized dogs according to claim 1, comprising dried vegetables, dried meat, or soy protein, the major axis of which is 4 mm or more.

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