Complete and balanced pet food

Abstract

We offer a complete and balanced pet food that encourages pets to chew their food properly, preventing them from eating too quickly. [Solution] A complete and balanced pet food having a thickness of 5-8 mm, a thickness-to-minor-diameter ratio (thickness:minor-diameter) of 1:1-1:2, a hardness of 70 N or less, and 3-5 through-holes that penetrate in the thickness direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a complete and balanced pet food. [Background technology]

[0002] Pet food can be divided into staple foods and snacks based on the occasion for which it is given. Pet food intended as a staple food is called "complete and balanced nutrition," and is formulated so that pets can obtain all the necessary nutrients by being given this pet food and water. On the other hand, "snacks" are pet foods intended to be given in limited quantities for purposes such as training, exercise, or as rewards. Classification by purpose is divided into "complete and balanced foods," "snacks," "therapeutic foods," and "other purpose foods" that do not fall into any of the above categories.

[0003] Furthermore, pet food can be broadly classified by moisture content into dry food (approximately 10%), soft food (approximately 15-35%), and wet food (approximately 80%). Of these, dry pet food has seen increasing demand in recent years due to its ease of handling and good shelf life.

[0004] In recent years, particularly in pet food for dogs and cats, pet food with smaller outer diameter and thickness has become mainstream from the perspective of improving palatability. Pet food with a small outer diameter and thickness was thought to be highly palatable because it was easy to eat. However, because pets tend to swallow pet food whole without chewing, there were health concerns such as overeating and choking.

[0005] As a method to prevent pets from eating too quickly, Patent Document 1 discloses a pet food bowl with a lid that takes into consideration the prevention of pets eating too quickly and obesity. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-130158 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] While pet bowls designed to prevent pets from eating too quickly exist, such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, no pet food has been developed that can prevent pets from eating too quickly.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a complete and balanced pet food that can induce pets to chew and eat the food, thereby preventing them from eating too quickly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the inventors diligently studied the size and hardness of complete nutrition pet food. As a result, we found that by setting the thickness of the complete nutrition pet food and the ratio of thickness to short diameter within a specific range, and by making the complete nutrition pet food softer, it is possible to encourage pets to chew their pet food. More specifically, the present invention employs the following:

[0010] The present invention has the following aspects. [1] A complete and balanced pet food with a thickness of 5-8 mm, a thickness-to-short diameter ratio (thickness:short diameter) of 1:1-1:2, and a hardness of 70 N or less. [2] The thickness is thinner in the center than at the outer edges, as described in [1]. [3] A complete and balanced pet food according to [1] or [2], having a recessed portion in the thickness direction. [4] A complete nutrition pet food according to [3], having through holes that penetrate in the thickness direction. [5] A complete and balanced pet food described in any one of the items [1] to [4], with a weight of 0.1g or more and 0.6g or less. [6] The comprehensive nutritional pet food according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the breaking strength from the maximum thickness direction is smaller than the breaking strength from the minimum thickness direction. [7] The comprehensive nutritional pet food according to any one of [1] to [6], which is a comprehensive nutritional pet food for cats.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a comprehensive nutritional pet food that can induce a pet to chew and eat the comprehensive nutritional pet food, and can prevent rapid eating.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a pet food according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (A) It is a plan view of a pet food according to a first embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is a cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line IIB-IIB of the pet food according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing a pet food according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing method of a pet food according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] In this specification, "pet" refers to an animal raised by a person. In a narrower sense, a pet is an animal that is loved and played with by its owner. Also, "pet food" refers to feed for pets. It is possible to sell the pet food according to the present invention as "animal feed" or "animal food".

[0014] A "complete and balanced pet food" is a pet food intended to be given to dogs or cats as their primary daily meal, and is nutritionally balanced so that the pet can maintain health at a specified growth stage with only the pet food and water. Standards for complete and balanced pet food include, for example, the standards set by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). In this specification, "complete and balanced nutrition" may refer to any food that meets the criteria for one of the following stages, regardless of the growth stage: "puppy / kitten / growth stage," "adult dog / cat / maintenance stage," or "pregnancy / lactation stage." It may also refer to a food that meets all three of these stages, such as "all growth stages" or "all-stage food."

[0015] In this specification, "palatability" refers to an indicator of whether or not a pet likes to eat something, and is based on factors such as texture, taste, and smell.

[0016] In this specification, the moisture content values ​​are those obtained by the atmospheric pressure heating and drying method. In the atmospheric pressure heating and drying method, the material to be measured is crushed in a pulverizer until 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, and the analytical sample is dried at 135°C for 2 hours. After cooling in a desiccator, the weight of the analytical sample is accurately measured, and the moisture content is determined from the weight difference of the analytical sample before and after drying. More specifically, the material to be measured is ground in a pulverizer until it passes through a 1 mm sieve, and this is used as the analytical sample. The mass of an aluminum weighing container (W1 gram) is measured in advance as a constant weight. The analytical sample is placed in this aluminum weighing container and its mass (W2 grams) is weighed. Next, the analytical sample is dried at 135°C for 2 hours using a forced-circulation hot air dryer. After the analytical sample is allowed to cool in a dry atmosphere (in a silica gel desiccator), its mass (W3 grams) is weighed. The moisture content of the analytical sample is determined from each of the obtained masses using the following formula. The moisture content of the 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 of the manufacturing date, or the value measured under equivalent conditions.

[0017] (Complete and balanced pet food) The complete and balanced pet food according to this embodiment is preferably a complete and balanced pet food that meets the nutritional standards for dogs or cats, and more preferably a complete and balanced cat food that meets the nutritional standards for cats. In other words, if the complete nutritional pet food according to this embodiment has a thickness and a ratio of thickness to short diameter within a specific range described later, and is not too hard, it can encourage cats to chew the pet food and prevent them from eating too quickly.

[0018] In this specification, "complete and balanced pet food" refers to a collection of multiple food kibbles, not a single kibble. The parameters (thickness, diameter, hardness, etc.) of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment do not represent the values ​​of a single piece of complete nutrition pet food, but rather the average values ​​of 10 pieces arbitrarily selected from multiple complete nutrition pet foods manufactured using the same raw materials and under the same conditions. More specifically, it refers to the average value of 10 randomly selected pieces of pet food from among the multiple complete and balanced pet food products contained within a packaged dry pet food product. Therefore, if the average value satisfies each parameter, the entire complete nutrition pet food product becomes the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment.

[0019] The complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment may be dry food, soft food, or wet food, but it is preferably dry food. The complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment preferably has a moisture content of 3 to 12% by mass, and more preferably 3 to 10% by mass.

[0020] The complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment has a thickness of 5 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably more than 5 mm and 8 mm or less, more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 7 mm or less, and even more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 6 mm or less.

[0021] The complete nutritional pet food according to this embodiment has a thickness-to-short diameter ratio (thickness:short diameter) of 1:1 to 1:2, preferably 1:1.1 to 1:1.9, and more preferably 1:1.5 to 1:1.9.

[0022] In this specification, "minor axis" means the minor axis or diameter of the surface with the largest area in the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment. The minor axis or diameter of the largest surface area can be measured with a caliper. The maximum surface area can be calculated from the values ​​of the major axis and diameter measured with calipers.

[0023] In this embodiment, if the surface with the largest area in the complete nutrition pet food is a curved surface, then "the surface with the largest area" means the major axis or diameter of the projected surface obtained by projecting the curved surface with a microscope. Specifically, the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment is placed on a measuring platform so that the surface with the largest area in a plan view becomes the top surface (photographing surface), and an image of the top surface of the pet food is taken using a digital microscope (product name "VHX-7000", manufactured by Keyence Corporation), and the measurement can be taken using the measurement and scaling tool of the digital microscope with this image.

[0024] In this specification, "thickness" means the maximum height when the surface with the largest area in the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment is considered as the bottom surface. The maximum height of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment can be measured with calipers.

[0025] The hardness of the complete nutritional pet food according to this embodiment is 70N or less, preferably 60N or less, more preferably 55N or less, and even more preferably 50N or less. The lower limit of the hardness of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 10N or more. The hardness of complete and balanced pet food refers to the hardness of the center of the largest surface area.

[0026] The hardness of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment can be measured by the following method. Using a compression tester (texture analyzer, model number: EZ-SX, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), the breaking force of a complete nutrition pet food sample compressed at a constant compression rate will be measured under the following conditions. Plunger: 10mm in diameter with a cone-shaped tip resembling a canine tooth; Platform: Flat receiving tray (approximately 117mm in diameter); Compression speed: 60mm / min; Lowest point of plunger: 2.5mm (compression distance); Measurement temperature: 25℃. Specifically, one complete and balanced pet food sample to be measured is placed on a tray, and the test force is measured by pressing a plunger vertically from directly above at a constant speed. The peak value (maximum value) of the test force is read as the breaking force value. If the complete and balanced pet food sample breaks during the measurement, the measurement of that sample is stopped at that point. The fracture force (unit: kgw) measured by the above compression testing machine is converted to Newtons (N) by multiplying it by 9.8.

[0027] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the thickness of the complete nutrition pet food be thinner in the center than at the outer edges. By maintaining a large overall shape while reducing the thickness of the part where the teeth make contact when chewing, it becomes easier to crush the food, which encourages pets to chew and eat the complete nutrition pet food of this embodiment, and helps to prevent them from eating too quickly.

[0028] The thickness of the central part of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment is preferably 95% or less, more preferably 90% or less, and even more preferably 85% or less, relative to the thickness of the outer edge of the pet food (100%). By ensuring that the thickness of the central part of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment is less than or equal to the above-mentioned preferred value relative to the thickness of the outer edges, it is possible to better encourage pets to chew and eat the complete nutrition pet food of this embodiment, and to better prevent them from eating too quickly.

[0029] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the complete nutrition pet food has a recessed portion. By maintaining a large external shape while incorporating recesses that allow teeth to easily enter, it is possible to encourage pets to chew and eat the complete nutrition pet food of this embodiment without getting bored, and to further prevent them from eating too quickly. The complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment may have one recess or multiple recesses, but it is preferable that it has multiple recesses.

[0030] When the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment has multiple recesses, the distance between the recesses is preferably 1.5 to 3 mm, and more preferably 1.5 to 2.5 mm.

[0031] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the complete nutrition pet food has through holes that penetrate in the thickness direction. By maintaining a large external shape while incorporating through-holes that allow teeth to easily enter, it is possible to encourage pets to chew and eat the complete nutrition pet food of this embodiment without getting bored, and to further prevent them from eating too quickly.

[0032] The complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment may have one through-hole or multiple through-holes, but it is preferable that it has multiple through-holes. Specifically, the complete nutritional pet food according to this embodiment preferably has 2 to 6 through holes, more preferably 3 to 5 through holes, and even more preferably 4 through holes.

[0033] If the complete nutritional pet food according to this embodiment has multiple through holes, the size and shape of the through holes may be the same or different, but it is preferable that both the size and shape are the same.

[0034] If the complete nutritional pet food according to this embodiment has through holes, the major axis or diameter of the through holes is preferably 1 mm or more and 4 mm or less, more preferably 1.3 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less, and even more preferably 1.5 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less. The major axis or diameter of the through hole can be measured with a caliper.

[0035] When the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment has multiple through holes, the distance between the through holes is preferably 1.5 to 3 mm, and more preferably 1.5 to 2.5 mm.

[0036] The cross-sectional shape of the through-hole in the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment can be circular, elliptical, or polygonal (for example, triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal, rhombus, trapezoid, etc.), but a circular shape is preferred.

[0037] The complete nutritional pet food according to this embodiment has a thickness of 5 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably more than 5 mm and 8 mm or less, more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 7 mm or less, and even more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 6 mm or less. The ratio of thickness to major axis (thickness:major axis) is 1:1 to 1:2, preferably 1:1.1 to 1:1.9, and more preferably 1:5 to 1:7. The hardness is 70N or less, preferably 60N or less, more preferably 55N or less, and even more preferably 50N or less. Preferably, the thickness decreases from the outer edge to the center. The thickness of the center of the pet food is preferably 95% or less, more preferably 90% or less, and even more preferably 85% or less, relative to the thickness of the outer edge of the pet food (100%). It is preferable that the pet food be a complete nutritional food having multiple recesses (preferably through holes).

[0038] In this embodiment, the complete nutritional pet food preferably weighs 0.1g or more and 0.6g or less. The weight of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment can be measured, for example, using an electronic balance (product name "Analytical Balance (sefi) IUW-200D", manufactured by AS ONE Corporation).

[0039] The shape of the complete nutrition pet food 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 spherical, ellipsoidal (like a Go stone), pellet-like, cylindrical, polygonal prism-like, hexahedral (like a plate), clover-shaped, heart-shaped, star-shaped, and cross-shaped. Among these, a cylindrical shape is preferred from the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain the effects of the present invention.

[0040] In the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the breaking strength in the direction of maximum thickness is less than the breaking strength in the direction of minimum thickness. More specifically, for example, in the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the breaking strength at the outer end, where the thickness is maximum, is less than the breaking strength at the center, where the thickness is minimum. As described above, complete and balanced pet food is easy to chew even when chewed from a direction that is difficult to chew, thus encouraging pets to chew and eat the complete and balanced pet food of this embodiment, and further preventing them from eating too quickly.

[0041] The method for measuring the fracture strength from the direction of maximum thickness and the fracture strength from the direction of minimum thickness of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment is the same as the method for measuring the "hardness of the complete nutrition pet food" described above, by changing the position in which the tip of the cone-shaped plunger contacts the complete nutrition pet food.

[0042] ≪Raw materials≫ As the raw materials for the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment, powdered raw materials and liquid raw materials known in the manufacture of pet food can be used. Specifically, the powdered raw materials include grains (corn, wheat, wheat flour, wheat bran, rice, breadcrumbs, barley, oats, rye, etc.), potatoes (sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.), legumes (whole soybeans, etc.), starches (wheat starch, corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, modified starch, etc.), plant proteins (corn gluten meal, wheat protein, legume protein, rice protein, potato protein, etc.), meats (livestock and animal meats such as beef, pork, lamb, venison, rabbit; chicken, turkey, etc.) Examples include poultry such as quail and other birds; meals (chicken meal, pork meal, beef meal, and mixed meals thereof), seafood (fish such as tuna, bonito, and horse mackerel; crustaceans such as shrimp and crab; mollusks such as octopus and squid; shellfish such as scallops and turban shells; fish extracts; dried bonito flakes, meal (fish meal), etc.), vegetables, nuts and seeds, mushrooms, eggs, sugars, dairy products, and additives (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, flavoring ingredients, powdered palatability enhancers, fiber, coloring agents, phosphates, pH adjusters, seasonings, antioxidants, trehalose, etc.).

[0043] Meal refers to a powder made by compressing and finely grinding meat or seafood. More specifically, examples of powdered palatability enhancers include animal raw material extracts, plant raw material extracts, yeast extracts, and dried yeast products. Liquid ingredients (including semi-solid ingredients) specifically include water, oils and fats (animal oils such as chicken oil, lard, beef tallow, milk fat, and fish oil; vegetable oils such as olive oil, cocoa oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, coconut oil, and camellia oil), liquid palatability enhancers, liquid sugars, humectants, preservatives, emulsifiers, flavorings, colorings, etc.

[0044] An example of the composition of a complete nutritional pet food (dry type) according to this embodiment is shown below: grains 20-60%, meat 10-40%, fish and shellfish 1-10%, fiber 1-10%, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids 1-5%, and animal fats and oils 1-10% (totaling 100%).

[0045] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the complete nutrition pet food according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, specifically the complete nutrition pet food according to the first and second embodiments.

[0046] (Complete nutritional pet food according to the first embodiment of the present invention) A complete nutritional pet food 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the complete nutrition pet food 1 has a cylindrical base 10 with four through holes 20a to 20d formed therein. The complete nutrition pet food 1 is a dry type of pet food. Complete and balanced pet food 1 has a maximum thickness of t o The maximum thickness is 5-8mm. o The ratio of max to the major axis D0 (t o The max:D0 ratio is 1:1 to 1:2, and the hardness is 70N or less. Complete and balanced pet food 1 has a maximum thickness of t o With a maximum thickness of 5-8mm, this complete and balanced pet food is relatively thick, but because it has four through-holes 20a-20d, its hardness is less than 70N, making it not too hard.

[0047] Maximum thickness t o The maximum is 5 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably more than 5 mm and 8 mm or less, more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 7 mm or less, and even more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 6 mm or less.

[0048] Maximum thickness t o The ratio of max to the major axis D0 (t omax:D0) is from 1:1 to 1:2, preferably from 1:1.1 to 1:1.9, and more preferably from 1:1.5 to 1:1.7.

[0049] The hardness of the comprehensive nutritious pet food 1 is 70 N or less, preferably 60 N or less, more preferably 55 N or less, and even more preferably 50 N or less.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(B), the thickness of the comprehensive nutritious pet food 1 gradually decreases from the outer end to the center. Minimum thickness t o min is preferably a thickness of 95% or less, more preferably 90% or less, and even more preferably 85% or less with respect to the maximum thickness t o max.

[0051] The distance Dab between the through hole 20a and the through hole 20b is preferably 1.5 to 3 mm, and more preferably 1.5 to 2.5 mm. The distance between the through hole 20a and the through hole 20c and the distance between the through hole 20c and the through hole 20d are preferably the same as the distance Dab.

[0052] The cross-sectional shapes of the through holes 20a to 20d are circular, but may also be elliptical, polygonal (such as triangular, quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, rhombic, trapezoidal, etc.).

[0053] The comprehensive nutritious pet food 1 has four through holes 20a to 20d, but the number, size, and shape of the through holes are not limited as long as the hardness can be made 70 N or less. Also, as long as the hardness can be made 70 N or less, the through hole may be a non-penetrating recess.

[0054] The comprehensive nutritious pet food 1 preferably has a weight of 0.1 g or more and 0.6 g or less.

[0055] (Comprehensive nutritious pet food according to the second embodiment of the present invention) A complete nutritional pet food 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figure 3, the complete and balanced pet food 2 has a cylindrical base 22 with multiple indentations 21. The indentations 21 are typically air bubble marks caused by high expansion. The complete and balanced pet food 2 is a dry type of pet food.

[0056] Complete and balanced pet food 2 has a maximum thickness of t o The maximum thickness is 5-8mm. o The ratio of max to the major axis D0 (t o The max:D0 ratio is 1:1 to 1:2, and the hardness is 70N or less. Complete and balanced pet food 2 has a maximum thickness of t o With a maximum thickness of 5-8mm, this complete and balanced pet food is relatively thick, but because it has multiple indentations 21, its hardness is less than 70N, making it not too hard.

[0057] Maximum thickness t o The maximum is 5 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably more than 5 mm and 8 mm or less, more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 7 mm or less, and even more preferably 5.2 mm or more and 6 mm or less.

[0058] Maximum thickness t o The ratio of max to the major axis D0 (t o max:D0) is 1:1 to 1:2, preferably 1:1.1 to 1:1.9, and more preferably 1:1.5 to 1:1.7.

[0059] The hardness of the complete nutrition pet food 2 is 70N or less, preferably 60N or less, more preferably 55N or less, and even more preferably 50N or less.

[0060] The complete and balanced pet food 2 preferably has a weight of 0.1g or more and 0.6g or less.

[0061] The complete and balanced pet food 2 has multiple recesses 21, but the number, size, and shape of the recesses 21 are not limited as long as the hardness can be reduced to 70N or less. The number, size, and shape of the recessed areas 21 can be controlled by adjusting the manufacturing method of the complete nutrition pet food 2.

[0062] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing method of complete nutrition pet food 2. Dry, complete nutrition pet food is generally manufactured by extruding and expanding a mixture of raw materials using an extruder. A method for producing dry, complete, and balanced pet food using an extruder can be applied, for example, to the method described in "Clinical Nutrition for Small Animals, 5th Edition" (edited by Michael S. Hand, Craig D. Thatcher, Rebecca L. Remillard, Philip Roudebusg, and Bruce J. Novotny, published by Mark Morris Associates; 2014; pp. 209-215).

[0063] Conventional dry-type complete nutrition pet food is manufactured by putting a raw material mixture into an extruder, heating and pressurizing it, and then extruding it from the outlet. The outlet is equipped with a plate with a predetermined shape of hole and a cutter that cuts the raw material mixture extruded from the plate to a predetermined length (thickness). As the raw material mixture is extruded from the hole in the plate and cut by the cutter, it is formed into the predetermined shape, and at the same time, the pressure is released from the pressurized state to atmospheric pressure, causing the water vapor in the raw material mixture to expand, which in turn causes the raw material mixture to swell and produce dry-type complete nutrition pet food. In dry-type complete nutrition pet food manufactured using this conventional method, if the thickness is set to 5-8 mm and the ratio of thickness to major diameter (thickness:major diameter) is 1:1-1:2, it becomes a hard complete nutrition pet food with a hardness of over 70 N.

[0064] As shown in Figure 4, in the manufacturing method of complete nutrition pet food 2, the raw material mixture extruded from the holes in the plate is not immediately cut with a cutter, but rather the raw material mixture is highly expanded in the expansion space m0 before being cut with a cutter. Therefore, complete nutrition pet food 2 becomes a highly expanded pet food with many air pockets, resulting in a pet food that is relatively less hard compared to pet food of the same shape produced by conventional manufacturing methods. [Examples]

[0065] The present invention will be described in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0066] (Manufacturing of complete and balanced pet food) The raw materials for the granules constituting the granular pet food were mixed according to the formulation shown in Table 1. The resulting raw material mixture was put into an extruder and subjected to heat treatment while kneading to gelatinize the starch components, and at the outlet of the extruder, it was extruded into granules and simultaneously expanded. The resulting granules were dried using a dryer to produce a complete and balanced pet food of the example, which has four through-holes and the same shape as the complete and balanced pet food shown in Figure 1.

[0067] [Table 1]

[0068] [Measurement of major axis, minor axis, and thickness] Ten pellets of the complete nutrition pet food manufactured using the method described above were prepared (complete nutrition pet food of Examples 1a to 1j), and the longest diameter, shortest diameter, and thickness of each were measured with calipers. The results are shown in Table 2. Similarly, the major, minor, and thickness of 10 pellets each of commercially available complete nutrition pet food A and B were measured using calipers. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

[0069] [Table 2]

[0070] [Table 3]

[0071] [Table 4]

[0072] [Hardness measurement] The hardness of the complete nutrition pet food of Examples 1a to 1j, the commercially available complete nutrition pet food of Products A1 to A10, and the commercially available complete nutrition pet food of Products B1 to B10 was measured using the following method. Using a compression tester (texture analyzer, model number: EZ-SX, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation), the breaking force of each complete nutrition pet food was measured under the following conditions when compressed at a constant compression rate. Plunger: 10mm in diameter with a cone-shaped tip resembling a canine tooth; Platform: Flat receiving tray (approximately 117mm in diameter); Compression speed: 60mm / min; Lowest point of plunger: 2.5mm (compression distance); Measurement temperature: 25℃. Specifically, one complete nutrition pet food sample was placed on a tray, and the test force was measured by pressing a plunger vertically from directly above at a constant speed against the center of the largest surface (top surface) of the pet food sample. The peak value (maximum value) of the test force was read as the breaking force value. If the pet food sample broke during the measurement, the measurement of that sample was stopped at that point. The fracture force (unit: kgw) measured by the above compression testing machine was converted to Newtons (N) by multiplying it by 9.8. The results are shown in Tables 5-7.

[0073] [Table 5]

[0074] [Table 6]

[0075] [Table 7]

[0076] As shown in Tables 2-4, the complete nutrition pet food in the example, the commercially available complete nutrition pet food A, and the commercially available complete nutrition pet food B have similar thickness:short diameter ratios. On the other hand, as shown in Tables 5-7, the complete nutrition pet food of the example has four through-holes, and therefore, it was confirmed that it is a pet food that is not too hard, with a lower hardness value (N) compared to commercially available complete nutrition pet food A and commercially available complete nutrition pet food B.

[0077] [Weight measurement] The weight of the complete nutrition pet food samples from Examples 1a to 1j was measured using an electronic balance (product name "Analytical Balance (sefi) IUW-200D", manufactured by AS ONE Corporation). The results are shown in Table 8.

[0078] [Table 8]

[0079] [Evaluation of the effect on preventing fast eating] The complete nutrition pet food manufactured using the method described above ("(Manufacturing of Complete Nutrition Pet Food)"), as well as commercially available complete nutrition pet food C, were given to 24 cats (c-1 to c-24), and the time from when the cats took to the food until they finished eating was measured. The cats' eating process was also videotaped, and the number of chews was measured. Commercially available complete nutrition pet food C has dimensions of 7.5 mm in length, 7.0 mm in width, and 3 mm in thickness. The results are shown in Table 9.

[0080] [Table 9]

[0081] As shown in Table 9, the pet food of Example 1 had a thickness of 5-8 mm, a thickness-to-short diameter ratio (thickness:short diameter) of 1:1-1:2, and a hardness of 70 N or less. Therefore, it was confirmed that the number of chews could be increased and the pace of eating could be slowed compared to commercially available pet food C. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0082] 1, 2...Complete nutrition pet food, 10, 22...Base, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d...Through holes, 21...Recessed part

Claims

1. The thickness is 5 to 8 mm. The ratio of thickness to minor axis (thickness:minor axis) is between 1:1 and 1:

2. The hardness is 70N or less. A complete and balanced pet food with 3 to 5 through-holes that penetrate in the thickness direction.

2. The complete nutrition pet food according to claim 1, wherein the thickness is thinner in the center than at the outer edges.

3. A complete nutritional pet food according to claim 1, wherein the weight is 0.1 g or more and 0.6 g or less.

4. The complete nutrition pet food according to claim 1, wherein the breaking strength from the direction of maximum thickness is less than the breaking strength from the direction of minimum thickness.

5. The complete and balanced pet food for cats, as described in claim 1.

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