Functional feed composition for companion animals and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a functional feed for pets and a method for manufacturing the same. It utilizes snail flesh powder obtained from edible snails through low-temperature vacuum drying and far-infrared low-temperature drying processes, and a concentrated snail mucus extract obtained separately through high-efficiency extraction via refrigerated centrifugation and low-temperature reduced-pressure concentration processes as core physiologically active ingredients. By uniformly mixing black soldier fly larva powder, germinated rice flour and germinated oat flour that have undergone a precision germination process, corn flour, and sweet potato starch in optimal physicochemical ratios, and then extruding and molding the mixture, and subsequently introducing a specific enteric coating on the surface to form the feed, the speed of digestion and absorption in the pet's intestines and palatability are significantly increased, nutritional metabolism within the intestines is promoted, and diarrhea is prevented. Furthermore, the absorption rate in the body is dramatically improved compared to conventional simple mixed feeds.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a functional feed for pets and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a functional feed for pets and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein snail flesh powder obtained from edible snails through low-temperature vacuum drying and far-infrared low-temperature drying processes, and a concentrated snail mucus extract obtained separately with high efficiency through refrigerated centrifugation and low-temperature reduced-pressure concentration processes are used as core physiologically active ingredients, and black soldier fly larva powder, germinated rice flour and germinated oat flour that have undergone a precision germination process, corn flour and sweet potato starch are uniformly mixed in an optimal physicochemical ratio, extruded, and then a specific enteric coating is introduced on the surface to form the product. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, as the phenomenon of "pet humanization"—recognizing companion animals not merely as pets but as family members—has rapidly spread in modern society, the demand for high-functional pet food to maintain the health and extend the lifespan of companion animals is skyrocketing unprecedentedly.

[0003] Accordingly, the development of functional feed in the form of complex formulations capable of simultaneously satisfying multifaceted functional benefits, such as preventing joint diseases, improving skin and coat quality, promoting gastrointestinal health, reducing allergies, and strengthening immunity, is actively underway, and edible snails are receiving significant attention as a high-value-added bioactive raw material to achieve these objectives.

[0004] Edible snails are a high-protein, low-fat food that is extremely rich in essential minerals such as calcium and zinc, with levels reaching as much as 5 to 10 times higher than those of regular oysters.

[0005] In addition, mucin, a high-molecular-weight glycoprotein contained in the mucus secreted by snails, not only strongly protects the gastric mucosa in the body and preserves moisture to induce skin regeneration and moisturization, but also has the function of significantly activating intestinal peristalsis in the digestive system.

[0006] In addition, the natural chondroitin component found in snail tissue has excellent physiological effects in effectively preventing cartilage wear, maintaining synovial fluid within the joint, and preserving the elasticity of surrounding ligaments.

[0007] At the same time, black soldier fly larvae, which have emerged as an eco-friendly alternative protein source, have a unique amino acid and protein structure that is distinctly different from existing animal protein sources such as meat, and thus have the advantage of drastically reducing the probability of immune hypersensitivity reactions or dietary skin allergies that occur very frequently in pets.

[0008] In addition, black soldier fly larvae contain large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, such as lauric acid and oleic acid, which have excellent antibacterial ability to inhibit harmful bacteria and are accompanied by a probiotic-promoting effect that dramatically improves the intestinal environment.

[0009] However, conventional technologies aiming to manufacture feed based on such excellent natural active ingredients exhibited the following fatal limitations and technical defects.

[0010] First, the existing feed drying process is generally carried out using a single heating drying method at high temperatures of 80°C or higher. However, there was a serious problem in that when exposed to such harsh heat conditions, the high-molecular three-dimensional structures of natural mucin and chondroitin, which are proteinaceous bioactive substances highly susceptible to heat, were immediately thermally denatured and destroyed, resulting in the permanent loss of their original bioactivity and physical viscosity.

[0011] Second, there is no separate separation and concentration technology to isolate mucin, an effective mucus component from the snail body, and condense it to a high concentration to artificially enhance it within the feed, so the efficacy of mucin in conventional simple mixed feeds has remained at a minute level that is difficult to practically perceive.

[0012] Third, general unsprouted grain ingredients, which are used in large quantities as fillers and carbohydrate ingredients in feed, contain high concentrations of phytic acid, which strongly binds to minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc, thereby inhibiting absorption. Consequently, the abundant natural minerals provided by snails are not absorbed in the intestines of pets and are frequently excreted in the form of insoluble complexes, causing digestive disorders.

[0013] Fourth, there was a critical limitation in that as the feed passed through the oral cavity and into the gastrointestinal tract, effective mucin, chondroitin, and proteins were exposed defenselessly to the strong gastric acid environment inside the stomach and neutralized through enzymatic degradation, resulting in extremely low pharmacological bioavailability in the small intestine, where actual nutrient absorption should have been actively carried out. Prior art literature

[0014] Published Patent Application No. 10-2026-0069055 The problem to be solved

[0015] The present invention was devised to solve the problems of the prior art, and the objective of the present invention is to increase the activity preservation rate to the highest level by applying a composite drying process that optimally links low-temperature vacuum drying technology, which can maximize vaporization efficiency at a relatively low temperature, and far-infrared low-temperature drying technology, which has excellent penetration power, in multiple stages to prevent thermal destruction of mucin and chondroitin protein components contained in snail mollusk tissue, which is a bioactive raw material.

[0016] Another objective of the present invention is to establish a precision mucin extraction technology that rapidly collects the entire amount of effective mucus flowing out during the process of separating the snail's outer shell in a controlled refrigerated environment and concentrates it to a high density without thermal denaturation under precision centrifugation and low-temperature reduced pressure, thereby independently and significantly increasing the content of highly active natural mucin in the feed.

[0017] Another objective of the present invention is to actively reduce phytic acid, a substance that hinders mineral absorption, by artificially inducing precise germination of grain raw materials such as rice and oats introduced as feed ingredients under controlled temperature and humidity, and to maximize digestibility and absorption by generating a large amount of prebiotic fiber, while simultaneously blocking the possibility of causing diarrhea.

[0018] Another objective of the present invention is to establish a small intestine targeted delivery system that induces rapid disintegration and release only in the weakly alkaline small intestine by strictly controlling the discharge temperature during a high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion molding process to ensure that the feed matrix is ​​uniformly gelatinized and organized, forming it into a pill shape, and applying a fluid bed coater to the surface of the pill to precisely coat an enteric polymer film such as hypromellose phthalate, thereby perfectly isolating and protecting internal components in a strongly acidic gastric acid environment. means of solving the problem

[0019] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the functional feed for pets according to the present invention is characterized by being formed by combining edible snail flesh powder, snail mucus mucin concentrate extract, black soldier fly larva powder, sprouted rice flour, sprouted oat flour, corn flour, sweet potato starch, and an enteric coating agent.

[0020] In one embodiment, the functional feed for pets is characterized by being formed in a mixing ratio of 7 to 15 weight% of edible snail flesh powder, 1 to 5 weight% of snail mucus mucin concentrate extract, 15 to 25 weight% of black soldier fly larva powder, 25 to 35 weight% of germinated rice flour, 5 to 15 weight% of germinated oat flour, 10 to 20 weight% of corn flour, 5 to 15 weight% of sweet potato starch, and 1 to 5 weight% of an enteric coating agent.

[0021] Meanwhile, the method for manufacturing functional feed for pets according to the present invention is,

[0022] Low-temperature drying step for drying washed and trimmed raw snails;

[0023] A mucus collection step for separating the outer shell and inner flesh of the dried snail and collecting the liquid snail mucus discharged during the separation process;

[0024] An extract obtaining step of obtaining a snail mucus mucin concentrate extract by centrifuging and concentrating the collected snail mucus;

[0025] A flesh drying step for drying the snail flesh from which the shell has been separated in the above mucus collection step;

[0026] A step of obtaining edible snail flesh powder by grinding the dried flesh as described above;

[0027] A grain powder obtaining step in which rice and oats are germinated, dried, and ground to obtain germinated rice flour and germinated oat flour;

[0028] A material mixing step for homogeneously mixing edible snail flesh powder, snail mucus mucin concentrate extract, black soldier fly larva powder, sprouted rice flour, sprouted oat flour, corn flour, and sweet potato starch;

[0029] A molding step of forming a spherical pill by spraying purified water onto the homogeneously mixed raw materials to hydrate the dough mixture;

[0030] A surface coating step of forming an enteric coating layer by spraying an enteric coating agent onto the individual surface of the above-mentioned molded feed pellets; and,

[0031] The composition comprises a drying and inspection step in which the feed pellet particles with the coating layer formed thereon are dried and hardened for 1 to 2 hours under a drying wind of 40 to 50°C and a quality inspection is performed.

[0032] In one embodiment, the low-temperature drying step is characterized by placing washed and prepared raw snails into a vacuum dryer and drying them for 2 to 3 hours under conditions of a vacuum degree of 0.08 to 0.09 MPa and a temperature of 40 to 50℃ to remove primary moisture.

[0033] In one embodiment, the mucus collection step is characterized by separating the outer shell and inner flesh of the dried snail and collecting the liquid snail mucus discharged during separation processing through a low-temperature cooling collection tank of 4°C or lower.

[0034] In one embodiment, the step of obtaining the extract is characterized by centrifuging the collected snail mucus at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm for 15 to 20 minutes under conditions of 4°C or lower to separate the supernatant, and then concentrating the supernatant under low temperature and reduced pressure of 40°C or lower so that the solid content reaches a range of 20 to 30 Brix to obtain a snail mucus mucin concentrated extract.

[0035] In one embodiment, the flesh drying step is characterized by placing the snail flesh from which the shell has been separated in the mucus collection step into a far-infrared dryer and drying it for 6 to 8 hours at a heating irradiation temperature of 60 to 70°C so that the moisture content becomes 10% or less.

[0036] In one embodiment, the step of obtaining the flesh powder is characterized by grinding the dried flesh in a grinder and then passing it through a purification screening screen to obtain edible snail flesh powder having a particle size of 200 to 300 mesh.

[0037] In one embodiment, the step of obtaining the grain powder is characterized by soaking rice and oats in purified water at 20 to 25°C for 8 to 12 hours, draining the water, inducing germination in a germination chamber at 20 to 25°C and relative humidity of 85% or higher for 24 to 48 hours so that the phytic acid content is decomposed and reduced by more than 80% by endogenous phytase, and then drying and grinding with precision drying hot air at 50 to 60°C to obtain germinated rice flour and germinated oat flour.

[0038] In one embodiment, the material mixing step is characterized by introducing the prepared edible snail flesh powder at a mixing ratio of 7 to 15 weight%, snail mucus mucin concentrate extract at 1 to 5 weight%, black soldier fly larva powder at 15 to 25 weight%, sprouted rice flour at 25 to 35 weight%, sprouted oat flour at 5 to 15 weight%, corn flour at 10 to 20 weight%, and sweet potato starch at 5 to 15 weight% into a mixer and mixing homogeneously.

[0039] In one embodiment, the molding step is characterized by spraying purified water onto the homogeneously mixed raw material to form a dough, feeding it into a twin-screw extruder with a barrel heating temperature of 80 to 100°C, passing it through a discharge die, cutting it with a cutter to form it into a spherical pill with a diameter of 5 to 10 mm, and then passing it through a cooling system to rapidly cool the internal temperature of the pill to 50°C or lower.

[0040] In one embodiment, the surface coating step is characterized by loading the cooled and fixed feed pellet particles into a fluidized bed coating device and allowing them to circulate under a lower pressurized airflow, and then spraying an enteric coating agent of hypromellose phthalate (HPMC-P) or methacrylic acid copolymer to form an enteric coating layer on the individual surface of the feed pellets such that the dry film thickness is in the range of 50 to 100 micrometers.

[0041] In one embodiment, the drying and inspection step is characterized by drying and curing the feed pellet particles with the coating layer formed thereon for 1 to 2 hours under a drying air of 40 to 50°C and performing a quality inspection.

[0042] In one embodiment, the method further comprises a packaging and storage step in which the feed pellets that have passed the drying and inspection steps are sealed in a sealed container with nitrogen displacement accompanied by a deoxidizer, and are stored and distributed under controlled storage in a cold warehouse at 0 to 10°C or a freezer at minus 18°C ​​or lower. Effects of the invention

[0043] The functional feed for companion animals and the method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention produce the following excellent technical, physiological, and industrial effects.

[0044] First, by applying a multi-stage precision drying process that combines low-temperature vacuum drying and far-infrared low-temperature drying, thermal denaturation and loss of activity, such as the transfer of organic functional proteins and the decomposition of mucin polysaccharide chains that occur during conventional high-temperature single hot air drying, can be completely prevented, and the natural mucin activity unique to snails and the chemical structure of the chondroitin component for joint supplementation can be preserved intact without a decrease in yield.

[0045] Second, by establishing a precision production method that immediately collects liquid mucus, which is prone to loss during the snail shelling process, through a controlled low-temperature collection container and separates and condenses it to a high concentration under cold centrifugation and low-temperature reduced pressure, the concentration of mucin within the feed is dramatically enhanced, thereby stably generating a synergy of protecting the entire wall membrane of the gastrointestinal tract and strengthening joint cartilage when consumed by pets.

[0046] Third, by physically inducing germination of the excipient ingredients, rice and oats, under controlled hydration soaking and a constant temperature and humidity environment, the phytic acid component, which strongly inhibits the absorption of minerals in the body and forms insoluble compounds, is significantly destroyed and removed. Consequently, the germination process enriches the endogenous amylase digestive enzyme, thereby greatly increasing the rate of intestinal digestion and absorption and palatability in pets, promoting intestinal nutritional metabolism, and preventing diarrhea.

[0047] Fourth, by designing a secure, precise enteric coating film on the surface of the feed pellets, the pellets exhibit resistance to hydrogen ion concentration within the highly acidic stomach, ensuring that the active ingredients are perfectly preserved without being destroyed. Subsequently, by specifically inducing the rapid disintegration and release of the enteric film only upon reaching the weakly alkaline small intestine—the target organ site where nutrients are actively absorbed—highly active in vivo mucin, chondroitin, and protein minerals are designed to be directly released and absorbed to the maximum extent by the small intestinal epithelial cells without heat damage, thereby dramatically increasing the in vivo absorption rate compared to conventional simple mixed feeds.

[0048] Fifth, the lauric acid and abundant anti-allergic, hypoallergenic protein ingredients found in black soldier fly larvae combine with beta-glucan, a natural immune stimulant found in precision-sprouted oats, to help divide macrophages in the pet's body and strongly induce the growth of beneficial bacteria such as Lactococcus in the intestines, thereby creating excellent physiological effects for activating digestive tract barrier cells, improving coat luster, and overcoming atopy. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0049] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the method for manufacturing functional feed for pets according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process according to another embodiment of the method for manufacturing functional feed for pets according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0050] In describing the specific details for implementing the present invention, the description will be based on preferred embodiments.

[0051] However, this does not mean that the present invention is limited to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0052] Furthermore, the objectives and effects presented in this invention do not imply that specific embodiments must include all of them or only such effects, and the scope of the invention should not be understood as being limited by them.

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in describing the present invention are preferably interpreted as being consistent with their dictionary meanings and the meanings universally understood in the context of the relevant technology by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0054] Hereinafter, embodiments of a functional feed for pets and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In describing with reference to the attached drawings, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0055] This will be explained with reference to Fig. 1.

[0056] The method for manufacturing functional feed for pets according to the present invention comprises a low-temperature drying step (S10), a mucus collection step (S20), an extract obtaining step (S30), a flesh drying step (S40), a flesh powder obtaining step (S50), a grain powder obtaining step (S60), a material mixing step (S70), a molding step (S80), a surface coating step (S90), and a drying and inspection step (S100).

[0057] The above low-temperature drying step (S10) is a step of low-temperature vacuum drying using domestically produced edible snails prepared for processing as raw materials.

[0058] In other words, fresh raw snails, which have undergone mechanical washing to remove external impurities and disinfection of harmful bacteria by spraying clean potable purified water, are widely spread and loaded onto an internal tray of an industrial low-temperature vacuum dryer and introduced into the drying chamber.

[0059] The vacuum pressure inside the vacuum dryer is maintained in the range of 0.08 to 0.09 MPa. In addition, the heating temperature controller is constantly controlled to 40 to 50°C, with the optimal temperature being 45°C, and the drying operation is performed for 2 to 3 hours.

[0060] These physical depressurization conditions lower the boiling point of moisture inside the chamber, thereby fundamentally preventing the destruction and denaturation mechanism of mucin, an organic glycoprotein component inside the snail body, which is caused by high-temperature drying under atmospheric pressure.

[0061] In addition, it physically promotes the vaporization of bound water between snail tissues, thereby exhibiting the effect of safely vaporizing and removing primary moisture.

[0062] The above mucus collection step (S20) is a step for separating the shells of the dried snail raw material and collecting effective mucus.

[0063] That is, through the precision vacuum drying of the low-temperature drying step (S10) above, the moisture inside the tissue vaporizes and escapes, and the soft flesh part contracts slightly with appropriate elasticity, so that the mechanical bonding part with the hard shell of the outer skin naturally opens up.

[0064] This involves rapidly and completely separating the outer shell and the inner flesh of the soft body without tissue damage by utilizing a high-speed vibrating or compression deshelling mechanism. At this time, in order to perfectly capture the fresh mucilaginous components that are actively generated due to snail skin irritation and compression during the flesh separation operation, a controlled low-temperature mucilage collection tank closely connected to the lower part of the separation is installed and operated.

[0065] The interior of the above collection tank is strictly controlled to a cryogenic cooling state of 4°C or lower to prevent the degradation of the protein chains of leaked mucin and to inhibit the proliferation of harmful bacteria. Then, immediately after collection, it hits the wall of the collection tank and is continuously guided to a lower cryogenic refrigeration tank for collection and preservation.

[0066] The completely separated pure inner flesh raw material is widely dispersed on a perforated clean stainless steel sieve without close contact with one another, stacked in a single layer, and prepared for feeding into the next processing process.

[0067] The above extract obtaining step (S30) is a step of obtaining a snail mucus mucin concentrated extract by centrifuging and concentrating the collected snail mucus.

[0068] The liquid snail mucus collected and preserved at a temperature of 4°C or lower in the above mucus collection step (S20) is in a highly suspended state containing fine dust and coarse protein solid fragments generated during molting, along with mucus polysaccharide chains with extremely high viscosity inside.

[0069] Accordingly, the collected mucus is continuously supplied into a low-temperature high-speed rotary centrifugal chamber where the internal temperature is controlled to 4°C or lower, and the rotary drive motor is operated to continuously rotate strongly for 15 to 20 minutes under centrifugal force conditions in the range of 3,000 to 5,000 rpm.

[0070] At this time, if the rotation speed is less than 3,000 rpm, impurity suspensions such as coarse organic fragments with fine specific gravity and fine shell fragments do not fully settle to the bottom and remain suspended, posing a safety risk factor such as causing gastrointestinal injury to pets when they consume the finished feed product.

[0071] In addition, if the rotational speed exceeds 5,000 rpm, the shear stress exceeds the critical limit, and the chain structure of the natural mucin polymer glycoprotein is destroyed, which can lead to a defect in which viscosity is significantly reduced and nutritional functionality is inactivated.

[0072] Therefore, speed range control of 3,000 to 5,000 rpm is a key boundary line for maintaining the structural stability of the present invention.

[0073] Once centrifugation is complete, the settled impure solid layer is dehydrated and discharged for complete disposal, and only the clear, pure, viscous supernatant obtained transparently and safely from the upper region is collected and transported by a transfer pump.

[0074] The obtained separated clear supernatant is directly fed into an industrial vacuum vaporization concentrator, and while controlling the heating temperature so that it never exceeds 40°C, strong vacuum vacuum suction pressure is applied to induce vaporization of the solvent water. Through this, a high-density natural mucin concentrate extract (120) with high bioactivity is achieved by precisely condensing the solid content density value inside the concentrate to reach the range of 20 to 30 Brix, and ideally 25 Brix.

[0075] When the concentrated solid component is less than 20 Brix, the viscous moisture content is excessive when mixed and stirred with feed raw material powders, causing defects due to excessive water during tablet extrusion and worsening energy efficiency in the subsequent drying and hardening stage.

[0076] Conversely, if the concentration exceeds 30 Brix, the gelation reaction proceeds rapidly, causing hard, rubbery lumps to adhere to the chamber walls. Consequently, the mixture cannot be finely and evenly diffused and applied throughout the mixer's ingredients, but instead clumps in specific areas, causing the quality of the feed pellets to become extremely uneven.

[0077] Therefore, the density value of 20 to 30 Brix above corresponds to the absolute inventive critical boundary value to ensure perfect mixing and excellent molding bonding synergy.

[0078] Meanwhile, snail mucus has been recognized for its skin moisturizing and regenerative effects since ancient times, and modern patented technology has also proven that snail mucus filtrate is useful for keeping dry coats hydrated by forming a moisture barrier on the fur.

[0079] Such natural mucilage goes beyond being a simple source of nutrition in pet food, exerting decisive pharmacological synergy in protecting intestinal barrier cells and improving skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis.

[0080] Additionally, it has been revealed that snails exhibit unique physiological responses depending on the food environment, and that when a method of feeding is implemented by adding specific useful minerals or sulfur components to the snail's feed, the snail's own detoxification mechanism is actively induced, thereby enabling a biological complementary design in which the activity of physiological defense substances and mucins in the mucus obtained as a result is maximized by up to 3 to 4 times or more.

[0081] The mucin concentrate extract used in the feed of the present invention can selectively apply a composition derived from a highly active snail body induced through this sulfur feeding processing method, thereby doubling the intestinal immune and anti-inflammatory response effects of companion animals compared to ordinary snail mucus.

[0082] The above flesh drying step (S40) is a step of drying the snail flesh from which the shell was separated in the above mucus collection step (S20).

[0083] Since the snail flesh raw material, which has been separated and peeled in the above mucus collection step (S20) and evenly arranged in a single layer on a tray, has a very high inherent moisture content, the trays are slid into a large-capacity far-infrared dryer in which permeable thermal energy is applied not only to the outer surface of the tissue but also deep into the dense inner center to evenly dehydrate the moisture without damaging the physiological substance.

[0084] The operating environment variables of the far-infrared drying device are a temperature environment that maintains an internal irradiation temperature of 60 to 70°C, most perfectly 65°C, and is operated for 6 to 8 hours, specifically 7 hours.

[0085] The conducted electromagnetic waves of far-infrared energy apply a resonant frequency to the chains of water molecules located deep inside the snail's soft muscle fibers, thereby blocking the surface hardening phenomenon in which only the surface layer hardens and the water release pathway is blocked.

[0086] Thus, the secondary drying is completed physically so that the moisture content of the flesh is finally reduced to 10% or less, while thoroughly suppressing the destruction of bioactivity and chemical bond breakdown of natural chondroitin and residual mucin, which are effective physiologically active polysaccharide components.

[0087] If the drying temperature is below 60℃, the moisture content is not controlled to 10% within the set time of 8 hours, which reduces commercial practicality.

[0088] Conversely, if the temperature exceeds 70℃, scorching of microproteins and coagulation breakdown of chondroitin are induced, so maintaining a temperature of 65℃ is critically important.

[0089] The above step of obtaining the flesh powder (S50) is a fine grinding and physical purification sorting step for the snail flesh raw material that has been hard dried to a moisture content of 10% or less after far-infrared drying processing is completed.

[0090] In other words, the far-infrared irradiated dried inner flesh is injected into a high-speed rotary impact fin mill or airflow jet mill grinding chamber device while precisely controlling the input speed.

[0091] In order to prevent thermal damage to functional materials caused by localized overheating due to strong frictional shear force of the grinding device during the mechanical high-speed grinding process, a cooling jacket is operated by rapidly circulating cooling water at 5°C or lower on the outer wall of the grinding chamber.

[0092] The flesh particles derived from being completely crushed are fed into a vibrating screening screen device, and only uniform ultrafine purified powder with a particle size range of 200 to 300 mesh that passes through the screen mesh is clearly purified and obtained as the final edible snail flesh powder raw material.

[0093] If the passing particle size is coarse and large with a passing particle size of less than 200 mesh, the matrix binding strength decreases drastically during the extrusion gelatinization process, which may result in a large number of irregular protrusions on the surface when extruding tablets, or lead to a decrease in feed preference due to the rough texture when feeding pets.

[0094] The above grain powder obtaining step (S60) involves quantitatively filling organic refined rice and refined oat raw materials, selected to act as the main excipient of feed and a prebiotic source, into an immersion tank. Then, after filling the tank with purified water that is automatically maintained at a uniform constant temperature of 20 to 25°C, organic immersion processing is performed for 8 to 12 hours so that the water penetrates deep into the grain cell nuclei and causes swelling and hydration.

[0095] After the immersion is complete, the drain valve at the bottom of the water tank is opened to completely drain and separate the purified water, and then the grain is transferred and loaded into a sealed, constant temperature and humidity humidifying germinator chamber that is operated at a constant internal temperature of 20 to 25°C and a relative humidity of 85% or higher, and a highly controlled micro-germination operation is carried out for 24 to 48 hours.

[0096] As the germination process is optimally executed, the activity of endogenous phosphatase-family phytase enzymes, which actively attack and cleave organic phytic acid bonds—which are plant-natural mineral absorption inhibitors—is rapidly induced in the cytoplasm of the rice and oat plants themselves.

[0097] Through its mechanism of action, it chemically decomposes and eliminates more than 80% of the phytic acid components contained in high density prior to immersion. As a result, it completely blocks and crushes the severe cycle of co-excretion disorder in which, when pets consume conventional grain feed, phytic acid meets organic calcium and zinc mineral ions derived from snail flesh in the duodenum to form hard, insoluble chelate complex salts, preventing any absorption by the body and causing loss through feces.

[0098] At the same time, the germination process expresses a large amount of natural amylase enzymes that break down starch sugars and protease activity that cuts proteins into natural amino acid units, thereby maximizing the rate of digestion and absorption and securing a large amount of solid food base for beneficial bacteria.

[0099] The germinated raw material is stably dried in a precision-controlled hot air dryer at a limit drying temperature of 50 to 60°C to prevent permanent heat inactivation of the effective enzyme, then precisely ground into a fine powder form and separated, packaged, and stored as final germinated rice flour and germinated oat flour excipient raw materials.

[0100] The above material mixing step (S70) homogeneously mixes all ingredients using a double cone blender or a precision ribbon blender, which is an optimized mixing device to realize the best physiological pharmacological activity, ideal nutrients, and physical gelatinization binding power of the feed of the present invention.

[0101] That is, based on a total solid raw material input of 100% by weight, 7 to 15% by weight of finely processed edible snail flesh powder, 1 to 5% by weight of highly concentrated snail mucus mucin extract obtained in the extract obtaining step (S30), 15 to 25% by weight of black soldier fly larva powder, 25 to 35% by weight of precision germinated processed germinated rice flour, 5 to 15% by weight of germinated oat flour, 10 to 20% by weight of corn flour which acts as a digestion promoter and energy source, and 5 to 15% by weight of sweet potato starch which acts as a natural binder and soluble carbohydrate during final tablet molding are added.

[0102] The above ingredient mixing ratio is a geometrically optimized numerical margin designed to ensure that the high calcium content of snails and the anti-allergic immune proteins of black soldier flies create a physicochemical balance with the beta-glucan fibers of sprouted grains and maintain the extrusion viscosity of the feed. If this range is artificially deviated from, the physical binding strength of the feed tablets may decrease, leading to defects such as easily crumbling fine powder or compromising the uniformity of the enteric coating process.

[0103] Meanwhile, black soldier fly larva powder is an excellent high-protein alternative for pets, containing about 40% protein and about 20% fat, and promotes the improvement of fatty acid composition such as lauric acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid.

[0104] In particular, when a beneficial germination bio-processing process using lactic acid bacteria such as Lactococcus is additionally applied to black soldier fly larvae, it is accompanied by functional improvement as a feed ingredient that innovatively improves the animal's intestinal environment and lipid metabolism status by maintaining the high protein characteristics while enhancing the content of beneficial oleic acid and linoleic acid in the animal's body and dramatically increasing the content of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which have excellent anti-inflammatory functions.

[0105] The black soldier fly larva powder utilized in the present invention can induce anti-inflammatory effects and strengthen joint and intestinal immunity by selectively using such lactic acid bacteria fermented products or fermented larval proteins that have passed through a bioconversion process.

[0106] In addition, by high-speed pressing black soldier fly larvae to degrease internal fluid oils and drying and grinding the remaining solid larval meal (BSF Larvae meal) to introduce it into feed, it is possible to precisely control the total crude fat content while maximizing nutritional protein purity and achieving industrial economic efficiency by significantly reducing feed processing costs.

[0107] The molding step (S80) above involves applying a suitable amount of humidifying water through a fine spray nozzle to the mixed powder raw material, which has finished homogeneous stirring in the material mixing step (S70), and then injecting it into the raw material feeder of a twin-screw extrusion molding machine at a constant speed.

[0108] The barrel heating temperature of the extrusion molding machine is controlled and operated in the range of 80 to 100°C, and as soon as the material is extruded by passing through the front die under screw-driven compression, a high-speed circular rotary cutter blade is driven to evenly and continuously cut into a ring shape forming a spherical shape with a diameter of 5 to 10 mm, thereby forming and extruding the material.

[0109] If the extrusion control temperature is below 80°C, the sweet potato starch molecular chains contained in the mixed matrix undergo an incomplete aqueous gelatinization reaction, which triggers a defect in physical strength that causes shape destruction after pilling, and if the high-temperature operation exceeds 100°C, secondary carbonization destruction of heat-sensitive snail mucin, chondroitin, and protein components may occur directly inside the barrel, so the control of the 80 to 100°C range is an extremely critical numerical range of the invention.

[0110] The molded feed pellets are passed through a rapid conveyor belt with cooling air to prevent loss of effective sugars due to heating heat and to establish the stereochemical physical strength of the tissue, thereby rapidly cooling and fixing the internal temperature of the pellets to below 50°C.

[0111] The surface coating step (S90) above quantitatively loads and fills the pet food pellet raw materials, whose cooling is confirmed in the molding step (S80), into the internal process reaction cylinder chamber of an industrial high-efficiency fluid bed coating machine.

[0112] The air intake valve at the bottom of the coating machine is controlled to inject a heated fluidizing airflow from the bottom upward, and the fluidizing airflow environment is operated so that the feed pellet particles flow smoothly and uniformly in the air above the reaction tank without external friction and wear.

[0113] When the airflow fluidity reaches a stable level, an enteric coating solution in which a quantitatively dissolved hypromellose phthalate (HPMC-P) or methacrylic acid copolymer enteric coating polymer material is sprayed through the spray nozzle liquid line to uniformly coat the surface of the feed pellets circulating in the flow.

[0114] At this time, the airflow of the drying air supply unit and the pressure of the coating spray supply pump are continuously controlled to highly control the overall thickness margin of the drying film formed on the surface of the feed pellet particles so that it is in the range of 50 to 100 micrometers.

[0115] Meanwhile, the coating material is not limited to conventional chemical enteric polymer membranes, and a coating treatment can be implemented on the outer surface of feed pellets under a hot-melting fluid bed coating system by introducing inexpensive and edible natural hydrogenated oil components alone or in combination.

[0116] Such a hydrogenated oil coating layer not only serves as an excellent, low-cost enteric coating method that can significantly increase the gastric acid resistance of microgranules for feed containing digestive enzymes, but also fundamentally protects against and delays rancidity by enhancing the ability to block oxygen and moisture penetration into the feed formulation to the highest level.

[0117] Meanwhile, if the outer wall of the coating is applied thinly with a thickness of less than 50 micrometers, it may fail to prevent the penetration of high-concentration hydrochloric acid gastric juice when it enters the stomach after chewing, causing the coating film to crack and rupture prematurely, resulting in a loss of functionality where key internal physiological substances are decomposed and destroyed inside the stomach before reaching the small intestine.

[0118] Conversely, if molded to a thickness exceeding 100 micrometers, the coating film becomes excessively dense, and even if it enters the alkaline small intestinal membrane region, disintegration may not begin within the appropriate time of 30 minutes, and serious defects may occur in which the feed pellets pass through the small intestine as is and are lost in the rectal feces.

[0119] Therefore, the above-mentioned coating thickness numerical margin of 50 to 100 micrometers is directly linked to the unique physical patent critical condition of the present invention, which simultaneously achieves strong stomach acid resistance and the highest small intestine release rate.

[0120] As described above, the feed pellet with a coating film formed on its surface maintains extreme gastric acid protection ability, with physical swelling of the coating film and leakage of internal effective mucin protein being less than 5% even when continuously immersed for more than 2 hours in a gastric acid simulation environment with a pH of 2.

[0121] On the other hand, when rapidly switched to an aqueous solution environment simulating the fluid of the small intestine at pH 6.8, immediate hydration dissociation of the coating structure occurs due to the hydroxyl dissociation ionization reaction of the carboxyl groups of the coating polymer molecules, and disintegration is initiated at high speed within 10 minutes from the time of exposure, achieving excellent pharmacological activity reaching the small intestine by inducing complete disintegration and dissolution of the coating reaching 100% within 30 minutes and the massive immediate release of the core mucin component derived from the internal snail.

[0122] The above drying and inspection step (S100) is a precision drying, complete curing, and self-strict quality screening step for feed pellet particles with a finished coating film.

[0123] In the above surface coating step (S90), the feed pellet particles that have finished the coating spray process are dried by continuously introducing and passing an air drying air set to an internal air temperature of 40 to 50°C through the airflow passage at the bottom of the fluidized bed reaction chamber for 1 to 2 hours, thereby removing the solvent components remaining on the surface of the enteric membrane and completing the complete adhesion, dense curing, and aging of the outer membrane polymer crosslinked structure.

[0124] Once polymer aging curing is complete, representative feed pellet sampling specimens are extracted from each batch to conduct instrumental analysis quality inspections. Gas chromatography is performed to verify whether the final feed registered component ratios are satisfied, confirming that the residual moisture content of the final dried pellets meets the legal standard of 10.2% or less, the crude protein content is 13.1% or more, the crude fat content is 10.1% or less, and the crude ash content is 12.8% or less, thereby satisfying the feed management standard registration criteria.

[0125] This will be explained with reference to Fig. 2.

[0126] The method for manufacturing functional feed for pets according to the present invention may further include a packaging and storage step (S110).

[0127] The above packaging and storage step (S110) is a final complete packaging and safe cold chain storage and distribution management step for the approved finished feed pellets, wherein the functional feed pellets that have passed the verification of the above drying and inspection step (S100) are divided, injected, and loaded into a multilayer polyethylene (PE) or aluminum barrier sealed distribution packaging container.

[0128] In order to completely suppress and block oxygen abrasion on the surface of the enteric coating and rancidity of omega fatty acid components derived from black soldier fly larvae during distribution and shelf storage, a fixed amount of air-inhaling porous deoxidizer is inserted into the container along with the feed pellets, the container is sealed under nitrogen gas replacement filling, the shelf life is set to a maximum of 12 months from the date of completion of manufacturing processing, and storage and transportation management is carried out in a cold warehouse at 0 to 10℃ or a freezer at minus 18℃ or lower.

[0129] Although the present invention has been described above with respect to limited embodiments, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and changes and modifications to the present invention are possible by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit and scope of the claims of the present invention, and such changes and modifications should be deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention as equivalents. Explanation of the symbols

[0130] S10: Low temperature drying step S20: Mucus collection stage S30: Extract acquisition step S40: Flesh drying stage S50: Step to obtain inner flesh powder S60: Grain powder obtaining step S70: Material mixing step S80: Molding stage S90: Surface coating step S100: Drying and inspection step S110: Packaging and storage steps

Claims

Claim 1 A low-temperature drying step for drying washed and prepared raw snails; a mucus collection step for separating the outer shell and inner flesh of the dried snails and collecting the liquid snail mucus discharged during the separation process; an extract obtaining step for obtaining a concentrated snail mucus mucin extract by centrifuging and concentrating the collected snail mucus; a flesh drying step for drying the snail flesh from which the shell was separated in the mucus collection step; a flesh powder obtaining step for obtaining edible snail flesh powder by grinding the dried flesh; a grain powder obtaining step for obtaining sprouted rice flour and sprouted oat flour by germinating rice and oats, then drying and grinding them; a material mixing step for homogeneously mixing edible snail flesh powder, concentrated snail mucus mucin extract, black soldier fly larva powder, sprouted rice flour, sprouted oat flour, corn flour, and sweet potato starch; and a watering step for spraying purified water onto the homogeneously mixed raw materials. A method for manufacturing functional feed for pets, comprising: a molding step of forming a dough into spherical pills; a surface coating step of spraying an enteric coating agent onto the individual surface of the molded feed pills to form an enteric coating layer; and a drying and inspection step of drying and curing the feed pill particles with the coating layer formed thereon under a drying wind of 40 to 50°C for 1 to 2 hours and performing a quality inspection. Claim 2 A method for manufacturing functional feed for pets according to claim 1, wherein the low-temperature drying step comprises placing washed and prepared raw snails into a vacuum dryer and drying them for 2 to 3 hours under conditions of a vacuum degree of 0.08 to 0.09 MPa and a temperature of 40 to 50℃ to remove primary moisture. Claim 3 A method for manufacturing functional feed for companion animals according to claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the extract comprises centrifuging the collected snail mucus at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm for 15 to 20 minutes under conditions of 4°C or lower to transfer and separate the supernatant, and then concentrating the supernatant under low temperature and reduced pressure of 40°C or lower so that the solid content reaches a range of 20 to 30 Brix. Claim 4 A method for manufacturing functional feed for pets according to claim 1, wherein the flesh drying step comprises introducing the snail flesh from which the shell has been separated in the mucus collection step into a far-infrared dryer and drying it for 6 to 8 hours at a heating irradiation temperature of 60 to 70°C so that the moisture content becomes 10% or less. Claim 5 A functional feed for pets characterized by being formed by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising edible snail flesh powder, snail mucus mucin concentrate extract, black soldier fly larva powder, sprouted rice flour, sprouted oat flour, corn flour, sweet potato starch, and an enteric coating agent.

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