Wet pet food having at least one of enhanced palatability or reduced sugar provided by at least one of spinach or tomato

Abstract

The wet food is formulated for administration to a pet and contains at least one of spinach or tomato in an amount effective to enhance the palatability of the wet food and / or reduce the sugar in the wet food. The wet food may be a chunk-in-gravy composition that may have at least one of the following formulations: (i) at least a portion of at least one of spinach or tomato includes spinach in the gravy; (ii) at least a portion of at least one of spinach or tomato includes tomato in the gravy, and preferably, the gravy further includes free cysteine in addition to the tomato in the gravy; and (iii) at least a portion of at least one of spinach or tomato includes both spinach and tomato included in the chunks. The wet food may be a loaf composition that contains both spinach and tomato.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Background Art]

[0001] There are various methods for enhancing the palatability of edible compositions. The addition of one or more raw materials that provide an attractive aroma or flavor can improve palatability. Raw materials that affect the properties of food, such as aroma, flavor, texture, or mouthfeel, can also affect palatability. For some compositions, an increase in sweetness or an increase in fat or salt content can enhance palatability from some animals. Flavor enhancers such as glutamic acid or its salts, and various nucleotide or ribonucleotide compounds are also known in the art to be palatability enhancers.

[0002]

[0002] Existing solutions for enhancing palatability in wet cat foods such as chunks-in-gravy compositions are typically based on Maillard reaction precursors. These precursors are composed of carbonyl, nitrogen, and sulfur compounds, such as amino acids, vitamins, and reducing sugars, that can be incorporated into the chunks and / or gravy. However, the use of these components at high levels may be viewed negatively by pet owners because they can be classified as non-natural or may be recognized as having the potential to have an adverse effect on the health of the pet.

[0003] [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] To the best of the inventors' knowledge, spinach has not been reported to have properties that enhance the intake or preference of pet food when included therein. Rather, spinach is known to be a food with astringent / biting properties. Oral astringency is perceived as a long-lasting puckering, contraction, roughness, and dryness sensation in the mouth. Typically, this sensation restricts intake and preference. The key astringent compounds in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) are various glycosides and glucuronides of flavanols, and the specific compounds involved are flavon-3-ol-O-glycosides.

[0004]

[0004] Furthermore, spinach is also known to be a bitter food. Peptides, alkaloids, saponins, and oxalates are commonly cited as explanations for the bitterness of spinach; however, growth temperature, fertilizer, and water stress can also significantly affect the perceived bitterness of spinach. Cats are generally known to accept bitterness in food and have a negative response to it.

[0005]

[0005] Furthermore, spinach is known to contain thylakoids. Thylakoid membranes derived from the chloroplasts of green leaves can affect appetite-regulating hormones in animal and human subjects, suppress food intake, reduce blood lipids, and lead to weight loss. Studies support the hypothesis that thylakoids reduce hunger by increasing postprandial cholecystokinin and leptin and decreasing serum ghrelin; this effect has also been shown in model animals. A reduction in the desire for palatable foods has also been shown.

[0006]

[0006] The above three properties (astringency, bitterness, and the presence of thylakoids) result in a decrease in food consumption and preference. Therefore, it was unexpected to the inventors that spinach included in wet cat food achieved higher intake and preference than the control.

[0007]

[0007] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a novel method of enhancing the palatability of chunk-in-gravy wet cat food products by adding dried spinach in powder form or as flakes to gravy and / or chunks. Additionally or alternatively, tomato powder may be added to the gravy and / or chunks. In experimental tests, it was observed that the palatability was increased by spinach and / or tomato in terms of the average intake rate compared to the control and compared to competing products.

[0008] Advantageously, some embodiments of the present disclosure use the addition of natural raw materials to enhance the palatability of wet cat food without increasing the content of Maillard reaction precursors. In some embodiments, dried spinach flakes are added to the gravy of the chunk-in-gravy composition, and the dried spinach flakes are produced by washing fresh leaves harvested and sorted with tap water, air-drying, and cutting without adding any other substances such as anti-caking compounds, colorants, flavorings, preservatives, antioxidants, and / or sugars.

[0009] In some embodiments, the wet cat food further includes soy sauce in addition to at least one of tomato or spinach.

[0010] Additional features and advantages are described herein. These will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the drawings.

[0011] [Detailed Description of the Invention] As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, references to "a gravy" or "the gravy" include one gravy and two or more gravies.

[0012]

[0012] The terms "comprise", "comprises", and "comprising" are to be construed as non-exclusive and capable of including other elements. Similarly, the terms "include", "including", and "or" are all to be construed as capable of including other elements as long as such construction is not clearly precluded by the context. However, there may be cases where no element not specifically disclosed exists in the compositions disclosed herein. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments using the term "comprising" includes the disclosure of embodiments "consisting essentially of" the specified components and embodiments "consisting of" the specified components. Similarly, there may be cases where no step not specifically disclosed herein exists in the methods disclosed herein. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments using the term "including" includes the disclosure of embodiments "consisting essentially of" the specified steps and embodiments "consisting of" the specified steps. Unless otherwise stated, any embodiment disclosed herein may be combined with any other embodiment disclosed herein.

[0013]

[0013] The terms "at least one of X or Y" and "and / or" as used in the context of "X and / or Y" are to be construed as "X without Y" or "Y without X" or "both X and Y". As used herein, the terms "for example" and "such as", especially when followed by a list of terms, are for illustration and exemplification only and should not be regarded as exclusive or inclusive.

[0014]

[0014] All percentages described herein are by total weight of the composition being referred to, unless otherwise specified. As used herein, "about", "approximately", and "substantially" refer to numbers within a numerical range, for example, within -10% to +10% of the reference number, preferably within -5% to +5% of the reference number, more preferably within -1% to +1% of the reference number, and most preferably within -0.1% to +0.1% of the reference number.

[0015]

[0015] The terms "food", "food product", and "food composition / feed composition" mean a product or composition intended for ingestion by an animal and providing at least one nutrient to that animal. The term "animal" or "pet" means any animal that can benefit from or enjoy the food compositions and food products provided by the present disclosure. For example, a pet may be an animal such as a bird, cow, dog, horse, cat, goat, wolf, mouse, sheep, or pig. A pet may be any suitable animal, and the present disclosure is not limited to specific pet animals. The term "companion animal" means a dog or a cat.

[0016]

[0016] The term "pet food" means any composition formulated for ingestion by a pet. A "dry" food composition has less than 10% moisture and / or a water activity of less than 0.64, preferably both. A "semi-moist" food composition has 11% to 20% moisture and / or a water activity of 0.64 to 0.75, preferably both. A "wet" food composition has more than 20% moisture and / or a water activity greater than 0.75, preferably both.

[0017] The term "chunk" means a plurality of separate food bodies, preferably meat slices or reconstituted meat slices, which may have a pellet shape and may imitate a real meat mass. The chunk may contain one or more of meat, meat by-products, cereals, or vegetable proteins. Non-limiting examples of chunks include particulate matter; pellets; small pieces of pet food, dried meat, meat analogs, vegetables, and combinations thereof; and pet snacks such as jerky, low-hides, and biscuits of meat or vegetables. The chunks may vary in size depending on the animal consuming the product, e.g., the type, age, health condition, or size of the animal. For example, the size of chunks for cats typically ranges from 3 mm to 30 mm, preferably 8 mm to 20 mm, in the longest side. "Gravy" is a fluid edible composition preferably containing water and at least one of starch or gum and preferably having the form of a gel or sol.

[0018]

[0018] The terms "loaf" and "mousse" are used interchangeably herein. A loaf composition is a shaped or molded mass of pet food that is preferably substantially homogeneous. The loaf composition may have a structure that is maintained while being removed from and after removal from the packaging at ambient temperature and ambient atmospheric pressure, and its shape is imparted to the loaf composition by the packaging. For example, in some embodiments, a loaf composition removed from a cylindrical can can have a cylindrical shape with a horizontal cross-section that is substantially the same dimensions as the corresponding horizontal cross-section inside the can.

[0019]

[0019] The terms "chunk in loaf", "HsCC", "heat-set chunk compound", and "terrine" are used interchangeably herein. These terms refer to a loaf product with chunks added.

[0020] As used herein, the term "enhanced palatability" and similar terms mean that at least one of the spinach or tomato disclosed herein improves the palatability of a food composition as compared to a food composition formulated in the same manner except for the spinach / tomato. "Palatability" refers to the property among the properties of an edible composition that makes the edible composition appealing or pleasant to one or more of the senses of an animal, particularly taste and smell. As used herein, when an animal shows a preference for one of two or more foods, for example, the preferred food is more "palatable" and has a higher "palatability". For companion animals and other non-human animals, the relative palatability of a food compared to one or more other foods can be measured, for example, in a free-choice comparison that is a control comparison, by, for example, the relative intake of the food, or by other suitable measures of preference that are indicators of palatability.

[0021] As used herein, the term "sugar reduction" and similar terms mean that at least one of the spinach or tomato disclosed herein reduces the amount of added sugar in a food composition while maintaining at least approximately the same palatability as a food composition formulated in the same manner except for the spinach / tomato. In some embodiments, a pet food composition having "reduced added sugar" has no more than about 5.0% by weight of added sugar, preferably no more than about 2.0% by weight of added sugar, more preferably no more than about 1.0% by weight of added sugar, and most preferably about 0% by weight of added sugar relative to any sugar contained in at least one of spinach and tomato.

[0022] The methods, compositions, and other improvements disclosed herein are amenable to variation as will be recognized by those skilled in the art and are not limited to specific methods, procedures, and reagents. Further, the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure or the claims.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical, scientific, and specialized terms, as well as acronyms used in this specification, have the meaning commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the field of this disclosure or in the field where the term is used. Any compositions, methods, products, or other techniques or materials similar to or equivalent to those described herein may be used, but the preferred devices, methods, products, or other techniques or materials are described herein.

[0024]

[0024] Preferred embodiments provided by this disclosure are described below. One aspect of this disclosure is a method of enhancing the palatability of wet pet food, such as wet cat food, for example, a chunk-in-gravy composition or a loaf composition. The method includes incorporating into the wet pet food at least one of spinach and tomato in an amount effective to increase the palatability of the pet food as compared to pet food similarly formulated except that it does not contain spinach and / or tomato. Additionally or alternatively, the method includes incorporating into the wet pet food at least one of spinach and tomato in an amount effective to maintain the palatability of the wet pet food at least substantially the same while reducing the sugar content as compared to wet pet food similarly formulated except that it does not contain spinach and / or tomato and has a higher sugar content. In some embodiments, the method further includes incorporating soy sauce into the wet pet food in addition to at least one of tomato or spinach.

[0025]

[0025] A preferred embodiment of the wet pet food disclosed herein is a chunk-in-gravy composition. In other embodiments, the pet food is a loaf composition or a terrine composition.

[0026] Preferably, at least a part of the spinach is added to the wet pet food as dried spinach flakes and / or dried spinach powder (e.g., added to chunks, gravy, and / or loaf). The spinach flakes and / or spinach powder may essentially contain spinach and any residual moisture, or may consist of spinach and any residual moisture.

[0027]

[0027] Preferably, at least a part of the tomato is added to the wet pet food as dried tomato powder (e.g., added to chunks, gravy, and / or loaf). The dried tomato powder may essentially contain tomato, any residual moisture, and any flow aid (such as potato starch) up to about 1.0% by weight, or may consist of tomato, any residual moisture, and any flow aid (such as potato starch) up to about 1.0% by weight.

[0028]

[0028] In some embodiments, the chunks-in-gravy composition may be made by including dried spinach powder and / or dried spinach flakes in the gravy in a total amount of about 0.1% to about 5.0% by weight of the gravy, preferably about 0.1% to about 2.5% by weight of the gravy, more preferably about 0.2% to about 2.0% by weight of the gravy, even more preferably about 0.5% to about 1.5% by weight of the gravy, and most preferably about 1.0% by weight of the gravy.

[0029]

[0029] Additionally or alternatively, the chunks-in-gravy composition may be made by including tomato powder in the chunks in an amount of about 0.1% to about 5.0% by weight of the gravy, preferably about 0.1% to about 4.0% by weight of the gravy, more preferably about 0.2% to about 3.0% by weight of the gravy, even more preferably about 0.5% to about 2.5% by weight of the gravy, and most preferably about 1.0% to about 2.0% by weight of the gravy.

[0030]

[0030] Additionally or alternatively, the chunk-in-gravy composition may be made by including both (i) at least one of dried spinach powder or dried spinach flakes and (ii) tomato powder in the chunks in an amount of about 0.1 wt% to about 5.0 wt% of the chunks, preferably about 0.1 wt% to about 4.0 wt% of the chunks, more preferably about 0.2 wt% to about 3.0 wt% of the chunks, even more preferably about 0.5 wt% to about 2.5 wt% of the chunks, and most preferably about 1.0 wt% to about 2.0 wt% of the chunks, respectively.

[0031]

[0031] In some embodiments, the chunk-in-gravy composition may be made by optionally including in the gravy tomato powder and free cysteine, e.g., about 0.05 wt% to about 0.5 wt% free cysteine in the gravy, preferably about 0.1 wt% free cysteine in the gravy, together with the amount of tomato powder in the gravy as disclosed hereinabove.

[0032]

[0032] In some embodiments, the loaf composition may be made by including dried spinach powder and / or dried spinach flakes in the loaf in a total amount of 1%. Additionally or alternatively, the loaf composition may be made by including tomato powder in the loaf in a total amount of 1%.

[0033]

[0033] In some embodiments, the wet pet food composition has a polyphosphoric acid compound or monophosphoric acid compound of about 2.0 wt% or less, preferably a polyphosphate or monophosphate of about 1.0 wt% or less, more preferably a polyphosphate or monophosphate of about 0.5 wt% or less, and most preferably about 0 polyphosphate or monophosphate. Such monophosphoric acid compounds and polyphosphoric acid compounds include disodium diphosphate (or pyrophosphate), trisodium diphosphate (or pyrophosphate), tetrasodium diphosphate (or pyrophosphate) or tetrapotassium, disodium phosphate, trisodium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, potassium polyphosphate, sodium polyphosphate, trisodium triphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, and pentasodium tripolyphosphate, and other compounds known in the art.

[0034]

[0034] The pet food disclosed herein may be any food formulated for ingestion by pets such as dogs or cats. In one embodiment, the pet food provides complete nutrition as defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and according to the type of animal for which the composition is intended (e.g., dog or cat). In another embodiment, the composition may be a nutritional supplement. Such nutritional supplements can be added to a food composition, administered with a food composition, or administered separately.

[0035] A pet food (e.g., chunk-in-gravy or loaf) containing at least one of spinach or tomato may be filled and sealed within a package. Non-limiting examples of suitable packaging types include cans, pouches, glass containers, and plastic containers. The process of packaging a pet food containing at least one of spinach or tomato may include retorting the pet food within the package under time and temperature conditions sufficient for commercial sterilization. Typically, a commercially sterile product is produced at a retort temperature of about 100°C to 150°C for about 5 to 90 minutes. In some embodiments, the chunks or loaf may be mixed with one or more of gravy, gel, or seasoning within the package prior to retorting.

[0036]

[0036] In one embodiment, a suitable gravy may be prepared by heating a mixture of water, a hydrocolloid (e.g., starch or gum), and a seasoning. The chunks and gravy may then be filled into the package in a desired ratio. The ratio of chunks to gravy is preferably from about 30:70 to about 70:30, such as from about 40:60 to about 60:40.

[0037]

[0037] Additionally or alternatively, the composition may be processed by one or more of refrigeration, freezing, frying, drying, aseptic processing, and / or another method that enables the product to be stored at room temperature. The product may then be packaged in any of a variety of different packaging materials.

[0038]

[0038] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of providing nutrition to a pet is provided. The pet may be a companion animal, preferably a cat. The method includes administering a wet pet food produced by any of the embodiments of the methods disclosed herein. For example, the method may include removing the pet food disclosed herein from the packaging material and then administering the pet food to the pet.

[0039]

[0039] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the tomato is tomato pomace.

[0040]

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the tomato is spray-dried tomato powder. For example, fresh ripe tomatoes may be dipped in a vat and then transferred to a spray wash vat; after washing, the tomatoes may be sorted and crushed with a chopper to obtain tomato pulp.

[0041]

[0041] The tomato pulp may then be processed by "hot break" or "cold break". When "hot break" is used, the tomatoes are preferably heated above 85°C to 95°C or above 90°C before crushing, and the seeds and skins are removed before particle size refinement. However, the preferred embodiment uses "cold break" processing which holds the tomato pulp at a temperature of about 66°C to 77°C for less than 1 minute to obtain pectin.

[0042]

[0042] The juice or paste provided by the processed pulp may be concentrated by an evaporator and then provided to a supply tank and pumped to a spray dryer, which may spray the juice or paste into a stream of hot air (e.g., 140°C to 150°C) and then cooled to form a dry powder. In some embodiments, the moisture content of the dried tomato powder is further reduced by a fluidized bed.

[0043]

[0043] As described above, the preferred embodiment of the pet food disclosed herein is a chunk-in-gravy composition. In other embodiments, the pet food is a loaf composition or a terrine composition.

[0044]

[0044] In a chunk-in-gravy composition, preferably, the chunks are distributed substantially uniformly throughout the composition, and the gravy may be distributed substantially uniformly throughout the composition. For example, the chunk-in-gravy composition may be substantially uniform such that similarly sized sections of the composition have substantially the same volume amount of chunks and / or substantially the same volume amount of gravy. The chunks and gravy may be present throughout the composition; for example, the chunks may be visually distinguishable from the gravy, but in some embodiments, the composition does not have clearly distinguishable layers.

[0045]

[0045] In some embodiments, the chunks in the composition may be in the form of an emulsion of meat and / or plant protein sliced into separate pieces. Non-limiting examples of meat emulsions for use as chunks in the composition are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 10,993,445; 10,470,470; 7,736,686; 7,344,745; 6,767,573; 6,692,787; 6,649,206; 6,436,463; 6,379,738; 5,567,466; and 4,781,939; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0208689 (A1); and International Publication Nos. 2008 / 085293 (A2) and 2012 / 057826 (A1); all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Other non-limiting examples of suitable chunks include chunks of real meat, such as skeletal and non-skeletal muscle of mammals, poultry, and fish, such as chunks of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, fish, or combinations thereof.

[0046]

[0046] In some embodiments, the chunks in the composition may optionally include non-rendered clean parts other than meat, such as meat by-products derived from slaughtered mammals, poultry, or fish. In some embodiments, the chunks may include any meat by-products approved for use in animal food, such as mechanically deboned beef, chicken, or fish; beef and pork livers; lungs; and kidneys. Thus, as used herein, the term "meat" refers to non-dried meat and / or meat by-products, including frozen materials. The present disclosure is not limited to specific meats or combinations of meats, and any meat known to those skilled in the art for use in the manufacture of food compositions may be used in the chunks.

[0047]

[0047] In addition to any meat, the chunks may include other raw materials. For example, additives used in conventional meat emulsion products may be included in the chunks by mixing them with the meat before and / or after emulsification. These additives include salts, spices, seasonings, and sugars in amounts sufficient to provide a product with desired flavor characteristics.

[0048]

[0048] One or more dry proteinaceous materials may be added to the meat before and / or after emulsification to improve emulsion stability and binding, impart flavor, and / or reduce formulation costs. Non-limiting examples of suitable dry proteinaceous materials are wheat gluten, soy flour, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, egg albumin, non-fat dry milk, and combinations thereof. Inclusion of one or more dry proteinaceous materials in the emulsion can be advantageous since it allows processors to use meat that, on its own, has a protein-to-fat ratio and a myosin-to-total protein ratio close to the tolerance limits for use in chunk preparation.

[0049] However, in some embodiments, the chunks do not contain any meat. For example, vegetable proteins such as pea protein, corn protein (e.g., ground corn or corn gluten), wheat protein (e.g., ground wheat or wheat gluten), soy protein (e.g., soybean meal, soy concentrate, or soy isolate), and rice protein (e.g., ground rice or rice gluten) may be added to or used in place of meat.

[0050]

[0050] Gravy may further contain dextrose and / or xylose, and may also contain a coloring agent if desired. Raw materials for adding flavor and / or aroma to the gravy may also be included if desired. The starch in the gravy may be natural starch, processed starch, or a combination thereof, and suitable gums include locust bean gum, guar gum, and xanthan gum.

[0051]

[0051] In various embodiments, the chunks and / or gravy may contain additional raw materials such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleic acids, fillers, palatability enhancers, binders, flavorings, stabilizers, emulsifiers, sweeteners, coloring agents, buffering agents, salts, coatings, seasonings, and preservatives known to those skilled in the art. The additional raw materials may be included in the chunks by mixing with the meat before and / or after emulsification.

[0052]

[0052] Non-limiting examples of vitamins for supplementation include vitamin A, any of the B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, and various salts, esters, or other derivatives of the aforementioned vitamins are included. Non-limiting examples of minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron, chloride, boron, copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, iodine, and selenium. Additional dietary supplements such as any form of niacin, pantothenic acid, inulin, folic acid, biotin, and amino acids, as well as salts and derivatives thereof, may also be included.

[0053]

[0053] Stabilizers include substances that tend to improve the shelf life or the structure of the pet food, such as preservatives, synergists, and sequestering agents, packaging gases, emulsifiers, thickeners, gelling agents, and plasticizers. Examples of emulsifiers and / or thickeners include gelatin, cellulose ether, starch, starch esters, starch ethers, and modified starches.

[0054]

[0054] Examples of suitable flavorings include yeast, tallow, rendered animal meals (e.g., poultry, beef, lamb, pork), flavor extracts or blends (e.g., roasted beef), and the like. Suitable colorants that can be used in meat analogue chunks and / or gravy include FD&C colorants, such as Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, etc.; natural colorants, such as caramel color, annatto, chlorophyllin, cochineal, betanin, turmeric, saffron, paprika, lycopene, nori juice, pandan, and adzuki bean, etc.; titanium dioxide; iron oxide; and any suitable food colorants known to those skilled in the art. Suitable spices that can be used in meat analogue chunks and / or gravy include parsley, oregano, sage, rosemary, basil, thyme, and chives, and the like.

[0055]

[0055] The selection of additional raw materials and their amounts are known to those skilled in the art. The specific amount of each of the additional raw materials will depend on various factors such as the raw materials included in the composition; the species of animal; the age, weight, health status, sex, and diet of the animal; the intake rate by the animal; the purpose of administering the food composition to the animal, etc. Thus, the components and raw material amounts may vary widely and may deviate from the preferred ratios described herein.

[0056]

[0056] In one embodiment, the chunks may be manufactured by emulsifying one or more of meat, a dry proteinaceous material, water, and any additional raw materials. Optionally, the emulsion further includes flour, whereby the emulsion becomes dough. Examples of suitable flours include wheat flour, amaranth flour, bean flour, white or brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, chestnut flour, chickpea flour, potato flour, corn flour, nut flour made from grinding fatty nuts, pea flour, peanut flour, rye flour, tapioca flour, soybean flour, and the like. The chunks are not limited to a specific flour, and any flour known to those skilled in the art for dough production can be used.

[0057]

[0057] The emulsion can be formed using devices commonly used for meat emulsification, such as mixers, blenders, grinders, silent cutter choppers, emulsion mills, and the like. The other raw materials of the chunks may be added to the meat before and / or after meat emulsification. Then, in a second emulsion step where the emulsion is thermally gelled by rapid heating, the emulsion may be processed by a high-speed emulsion mill. Then, the heated emulsion may be cooled. For example, the heated emulsion may be discharged from the mill to a heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the emulsion and solidify the emulsion into a striated meat-like structure.

[0058]

[0058] The striated meat-like structure may be sliced into small pieces to produce meat analogue chunks. For example, the product can be cut into small pieces of a desired size by a dicer, a rotary cutting knife, a water jet knife, or a knife grid. In one embodiment, a part of the striated meat-like structure may be processed differently to produce small pieces of different sizes.

[0059]

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, the gravy is prepared separately from the chunks. For example, before mixing the gravy with the chunks, the gravy may be mixed by standard means well-known in the art. In one embodiment, the gravy may be formed by adding the non-aqueous components of the gravy to water during continuous mixing, such as by a high-speed mixer, and the gravy may be formed at ambient temperature. In another embodiment, the non-aqueous components of the gravy are mixed into a portion of the water at ambient temperature to form a slurry, the remaining portion of the water is heated, and then the slurry is added to the heated water while continuously stirring, such as by a stirrer, to form the gravy.

[0060]

[0060] In view of the above disclosure, embodiments provided herein are methods of making a wet food formulated for administration to a pet, the method comprising incorporating into the wet food at least one of spinach or tomato in an amount effective to enhance the palatability of the wet food and / or reduce the sugars in the wet food.

[0061]

[0061] In some embodiments, the wet food is a chunks-in-gravy composition. Preferably, the wet food has at least one formulation selected from the group consisting of: (i) at least a portion of at least one of spinach or tomato comprises spinach in the gravy; (ii) at least a portion of at least one of spinach or tomato comprises tomato in the gravy, and preferably, the gravy further comprises free cysteine in addition to the tomato in the gravy; and (iii) at least a portion of at least one of spinach or tomato comprises both spinach and tomato included in the chunks.

[0062]

[0062] In some embodiments, the wet food is a loaf composition. Preferably, the loaf composition comprises both spinach and tomato.

[0063]

[0063] In some embodiments, the wet food does not contain any added sugars for any sugars present in at least one of spinach or tomatoes, and / or the wet food does not contain or substantially does not contain any added phosphates or polyphosphates, such as diphosphates, for example, trisodium diphosphate, etc.

[0064]

[0064] In some embodiments, the wet food is formulated for administration to cats, preferably for the complete nutrition of cats. In some embodiments, the wet food further contains soy sauce.

[0065]

[0065] Another embodiment is a product comprising a container and wet food, wherein the wet food is retort processed and sealed within the container.

[0066]

[0066] Yet another embodiment is a method of providing nutrition to a pet, the method comprising the step of administering wet food to the pet. Preferably, the pet is a cat. In some embodiments, the pet has or is at risk of having kidney failure, and the wet food does not contain or substantially does not contain added phosphates or polyphosphates, such as diphosphates, for example trisodium diphosphate.

[0067] [Examples]

[0067] The following non-limiting examples further support the compositions and methods disclosed herein. The formulations and results are shown in Tables 1-5. "GiG" refers to chunks having the appearance of cooked meat and made by one or more of the methods disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 10,993,445 and 10,470,470, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, and includes the commercial product FANCY FTEAST® ("FF"). "CiG" refers to chunks of real meat that do not contain artificial additives (except vitamins and minerals). "Loaf" refers to mousse products. "HsCC" refers to terrine products.

[0068] Example 1

[0068] Table 1 shows the formulations of the GiG chunks-in-gravy compositions using Purina Gourmet® Perle Les Filettines, 85 g pouch, chicken variety, for control (no tomato powder in gravy) and treatment (spray-dried tomato powder added to gravy at 1% by weight of the gravy).

[0069]

Table 1

[0070]

[0069] Furthermore, the test formulations in Table 1 resulted in significantly enhanced palatability (p ≦ 0.05) with preferences of 67%, 71.6%, and 69.3% over three tests compared to the control formulation. When tomato powder was added only to the chunks, the enhancement of palatability was limited, non-systematic, and not overall significant.

[0071] Example 2

[0070] Dried spinach was tested in two forms, flakes or powder, and added to the gravy at 1%.

[0072]

Table 2

[0073]

[0071] Comparative Test 1 and Comparative Test 2, compared to the chunks-in-gravy control, repeatedly showed that the palatability was significantly enhanced for products containing spinach flakes or spinach powder. The preference was 68% for spinach flakes (Test 1) and 66% for spinach powder (Test 2) (p < 0.05).

[0074]

[0072] Even when 4% spinach flakes were added to the chunks, there was no significant positive effect on palatability (p > 0.05). However, as shown in Table 3, when 1% and 2% of spinach flakes and tomato powder were combined in the chunks, the palatability was significantly improved compared to the control (Purina Gourmet® Perle Les Filettines, 85g pouch, chicken variety). Surprisingly, tomato powder had no effect on palatability when added alone at 4% in the chunks (the results were not statistically significant), but when combined with spinach flakes, an enhancement of palatability occurred (statistically significant, p < 0.05). When both tomato powder and spinach flakes were added at 1%, an improvement in palatability was also shown compared to the competing product (Sheba® Mini filets 85g pouch (France) (CiG)). These results suggest that the combination of the above two raw materials has an effect when added to the chunks.

[0075]

Table 3

[0076] Example 3

[0073] When 1% tomato powder in the gravy of chunk-in-gravy cat food and tomato and spinach (0.5% each) in HSCC cat food were used as sugar substitutes (Table 4), an enhancement of preference was brought about compared to the baseline product without added sugar (HSCC having 78% moisture, 12% protein, 5.5% fat, 2.7% ash, and 0.05% crude fiber).

[0077]

Table 4

[0078] As also shown in Table 5, when tomato powder (1%) and cysteine (0.1%) were combined in gravy, a synergistic preference effect in chunk-in-gravy was observed. The control did not contain added sugar.

[0079]

Table 5

[0080] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter and without sacrificing the intended advantages. Accordingly, such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wet food formulated for administration to a pet, the wet food comprising at least one of spinach or tomato in an amount effective to enhance the palatability of the wet food and / or reduce sugars in the wet food.

2. The wet food according to claim 1, wherein the wet food is a chunk-in-gravy composition.

3. The wet food according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the spinach or tomato comprises spinach in the gravy.

4. The wet food according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the spinach or tomato comprises tomato in the gravy.

5. The wet food according to claim 4, wherein the gravy further comprises free cysteine in addition to the tomato in the gravy.

6. The wet food according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the spinach or tomato comprises both spinach and tomato included in the chunks.

7. The wet food according to claim 1, wherein the wet food is a loaf composition.

8. The wet food according to claim 7, wherein the loaf composition comprises both spinach and tomato.

9. The wet food according to claim 1, wherein the wet food does not contain any added sugars relative to any sugars present in at least one of the spinach or tomato.

10. The wet food according to claim 1, wherein the wet food is formulated for administration to cats.

11. The wet food according to claim 1, further comprising soy sauce.

12. A product comprising a container and the wet food according to claim 1, wherein the wet food is retort processed and sealed within the container.

13. A method of providing nutrition to a pet, the method comprising the step of administering the wet food according to claim 1 to the pet.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pet is a cat.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pet has renal insufficiency or is at risk of renal insufficiency and the wet food does not contain or substantially does not contain added phosphate or polyphosphate.

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