Pet food product and method for producing pet food product

Abstract

This pet food product comprises a wet food packed into a packaging bag. The packaged amount of wet food is 30 g or less. The wet food contains solid ingredients. The maximum size of the solid ingredients in the wet food is 4 to 9 mm. The wet food contains a minced meat.

Description

Pet food product and method for manufacturing the pet food product

[0001] The present invention relates to a pet food product and a method for manufacturing the pet food product. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-193280, filed on November 13, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

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

[0003] In addition, food is roughly classified by moisture content into dry food, which has a moisture content of about 10%, soft food, which has a moisture content of about 15 to 35%, and wet food, which has a moisture content of about 80%.

[0004] Wet food is generally individually packaged, with a content of about 80g. In recent years, as pets have become smaller and older, their food intake has decreased, and as a result, the amount of wet food given per feeding has also decreased. As a result, pets may not be able to use all of their pet food in one go, and the remaining food is stored in the refrigerator, which causes problems such as a loss of flavor and dirty refrigerators.

[0005] Stick-type pet food is an example of a product that is consumed within a short period of time after opening. Patent Document 1 also discloses a pet food product that includes a container having a bottom, a peripheral wall that extends upward from the outer periphery of the bottom and surrounds the periphery of the bottom, defining a storage area that opens upward together with the bottom, and a holding portion that protrudes outward from the peripheral wall, and wet food stored in the storage area.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-179308

[0007] Stick-type pet food and the wet food disclosed in Patent Document 1 are ideal for use as snacks, but have the problem that the amount is too small for use as a staple food or in combination with a staple food. Another problem is that it is difficult to include large ingredients. Furthermore, since it is difficult to simply reduce the content volume of conventional wet food and pack it into a stick-type food, the content of large ingredients and ingredients intended to improve palatability must also be reduced. Therefore, conventional wet foods have room for improvement in terms of pet palatability.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pet food product that can reduce the amount of food fed per feeding while maintaining palatability, and a method for producing the pet food product.

[0009] As a result of extensive research, the present inventors have found that even when the content of a wet food is relatively small, at 30 g or less, the above-mentioned problems can be solved by incorporating large ingredients to improve a pet's satisfaction with the food, and by using minced meat, which can stabilize the shape and size even with a small content and further improve palatability by enhancing the ingredient feel. More specifically, the present invention employs the following.

[0010] [1] A pet food product in which a packaging bag is filled with wet food, the wet food having a content of 30 g or less, the wet food including solid ingredients, the largest solid ingredient in the wet food being 4 to 9 mm in size, and the wet food including minced meat. [2] The pet food product according to [1], wherein one side of the packaging bag is a folded portion of the sheet forming the packaging bag, and the remaining three sides are welded. [3] The pet food product according to [1] or [2], wherein the aspect ratio of the packaging bag is 1:2 to 2:1. [4] The pet food product according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the wet food includes a soup portion and the solid ingredients, and the total content of the solid ingredients is 30 to 45% by mass of the total amount of the wet food. [5] The pet food product described in [1], wherein the largest piece of minced meat is 4 to 9 mm in size, and the largest piece of one or more ingredients other than the minced meat also has a maximum size of 4 to 9 mm.

[0011] [6] A method for producing a pet food product, comprising the steps of: supplying film from a film roll; folding the supplied film in half widthwise; heat-sealing the downstream end of the folded film in the direction of flow; heat-sealing the end of the film opposite the folded portion; filling wet food from above; heat-sealing the upstream end of the folded film in the direction of flow; and cutting and separating the heat-sealed upstream end of the film in the direction of flow, to produce a pet food product in which wet food is filled into a packaging bag having one side that is the folded portion of the sheet and the remaining three sides that are welded, wherein the content of the wet food is 30 g or less, the wet food contains solid ingredients, the size of the largest solid ingredient in the wet food is 4 to 9 mm, and the wet food contains minced meat.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pet food product that can reduce the amount of food fed per feeding while maintaining palatability, and a method for producing the pet food product.

[0013] 1 is a schematic diagram of a pet food product according to one embodiment. FIG 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method for producing the pet food product according to the present embodiment.

[0014] In this specification, "palatability" is an index of whether a food is enjoyed by pets and is determined by texture, taste, smell, and the like.

[0015] In this specification, the moisture content value is the value obtained by the atmospheric pressure heat drying method. In the atmospheric pressure heat drying method, the test object is crushed in a crusher to pass through a 1 mm sieve, and this is used as the analytical sample. 2 to 5 g of the analytical sample is accurately weighed and placed in an aluminum weighing dish. The analytical sample is dried at 135°C for 2 hours, allowed to cool in a desiccator, and then accurately weighed. The moisture content is determined from the difference in weight between the analytical sample before and after drying. More specifically, the test object is crushed in a crusher to pass through a 1 mm sieve, and this is used as the analytical sample. The mass (W1 gram) of the aluminum weighing can is measured in advance as a constant value. The analytical sample is placed in this aluminum weighing can and weighed (W2 grams). Next, the analytical sample is dried at 135°C for 2 hours using a forced-circulation hot air dryer. After allowing the analytical sample to cool in a dry atmosphere (in a silica gel desiccator), the mass (W3 grams) is weighed. The moisture content of the analytical sample is calculated from the obtained masses using the following formula: Moisture content of analytical sample (unit: mass %) = (W2 - W3) ÷ (W2 - W1) × 100 The moisture content shall be the value measured immediately after opening the final product within 30 days from the date of manufacture, or the value measured under equivalent conditions.

[0016] (Pet food product) The pet food product of this embodiment is a pet food product in which wet food is filled in a packaging bag. A schematic diagram of a pet food product of one embodiment is shown in Figure 1. One side of the pet food product shown in Figure 1 is a folded portion of a sheet that forms the packaging bag, and the remaining three sides are welded.

[0017] The aspect ratio of the packaging bag is preferably 1:2 to 2:1.

[0018] The content volume of the pet food product of this embodiment is 30 g or less, preferably 15 g or more and 30 g or less, and preferably 20 g or more and 30 g or less.

[0019] The size of the largest ingredient in the wet food in the pet food product of this embodiment is 4 to 9 mm, preferably 4 to 6 mm, and more preferably 5 to 6 mm. When the ingredient size is 4 mm or larger, it is possible to improve the pet's satisfaction with the meal, and by increasing the ingredient texture, it is possible to improve palatability.

[0020] The wet food in the pet food product of this embodiment is a wet-type pet food having a moisture content of 70% by mass or more. Specifically, a pet food consisting of solid ingredients and a soup portion is preferred. The upper limit of the moisture content is preferably 98% by mass or less, and more preferably 90% by mass or less.

[0021] The wet food in the pet food product of this embodiment contains minced meat as a solid ingredient. Specifically, minced chicken is preferred as the minced meat. The size of the minced meat is preferably 4 to 9 mm, more preferably 4 to 6 mm, and even more preferably 5 to 6 mm.

[0022] The size of the minced meat is preferably 4 to 9 mm, and the maximum size of one or more ingredients other than the minced meat is also preferably 4 to 9 mm, more preferably 4 to 6 mm, and even more preferably 5 to 6 mm. Examples of ingredients other than the minced meat include vegetables such as carrots.

[0023] Other solid ingredients are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include meats (chicken, beef, lamb, pork, processed meat products, etc.), seafood (tuna, bonito, sardine, barracuda, sea bream, flounder, mackerel, horse mackerel, processed fish products, etc.), dairy products (storage milk, milk protein concentrate, cheese, etc.), eggs (egg white, egg yolk, processed egg products, etc.), vegetables (cabbage, spinach, pumpkin, broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, burdock, potato, asparagus, soybeans, green beans, green peas, processed vegetable products, etc.), grains (wheat, corn, processed grain products, etc.), and mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, etc.).

[0024] It is preferable to combine two or more solid ingredients. In this specification, when two or more ingredients are used, the ingredient with the highest content among the solid ingredients contained in the pet food is referred to as the main ingredient, and the ingredients other than the main ingredient are referred to as secondary ingredients. The main ingredient is preferably one selected from group (A) consisting of chicken, beef, lamb, pork, tuna, bonito, sardine, barracuda, sea bream, flounder, mackerel, and horse mackerel. The main ingredient preferably accounts for 50 to 99% by mass, more preferably 60 to 95% by mass, and even more preferably 70 to 90% by mass, of the total solid ingredients. It is preferable to use one or more secondary ingredients other than the main ingredient from the solid specific examples listed above. Note that when the pet food contains two types of solid ingredients, each of which is contained at 50% by mass, the ingredient included in group (A) is referred to as the main ingredient, and the ingredients not included in group (A) are referred to as secondary ingredients. When both types are included in group (A), the ingredient having the larger maximum diameter is the main ingredient, and the other is the secondary ingredient.

[0025] The soup portion may be liquid or gel-like. Generally, gels with relatively low fluidity are called jelly-like, while gels with relatively high fluidity are called jelly-like, but there is no clear boundary between the two. The soup portion contains water. It may also contain ingredients other than water. Examples of ingredients other than water include seasonings, thickeners, sugars, oils and fats, and additives (e.g., preservatives, palatability enhancers, etc.). The water content of the soup portion is adjusted so that the overall moisture content of the pet food is at a desired value. Any known thickener can be used as appropriate. It is preferable that the thickener contains a thickening polysaccharide. Examples of thickening polysaccharides include one or more selected from the group consisting of alginic acid, alginates, alginate esters, gum arabic, curdlan, carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), locust bean gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, psyllium seed gum, gellan gum, tamarind seed gum, tara gum, pullulan, pectin, methylcellulose (MC), glucomannan, and mannan.

[0026] The wet food in the pet food product of this embodiment is obtained by mixing solid ingredients with a soup portion. The ingredients for the soup portion alone may be mixed in advance, or the solid ingredients and the soup portion ingredients may be mixed together. The total content of the solid ingredients is preferably 30 to 45% by mass based on the total amount of the wet food. When the content of the solid ingredients is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the above range, good palatability is likely to be achieved, and when it is equal to or less than the upper limit, good workability is likely to be achieved when filling the pet food into packaging bags.

[0027] The pet food product according to this embodiment may be a snack or a complete nutritional food.

[0028] (Method for manufacturing pet food product) The method for manufacturing a pet food product in this embodiment includes the steps of supplying film from a film roll, folding the supplied film in half widthwise, heat-sealing the downstream end of the folded film in the flow direction, heat-sealing the end of the film opposite the folded portion, filling with wet food from above, heat-sealing the upstream end of the folded film in the flow direction, and cutting and separating the heat-sealed upstream end of the film in the flow direction to produce a pet food product in which wet food is filled into a packaging bag having one side that is the folded portion of the sheet and the remaining three sides welded.

[0029] The method for manufacturing a pet food product of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the method for manufacturing a pet food product of this embodiment. First, a film is supplied from a film roll 3. Next, the film is folded in half widthwise by a guide 5, and while the film is fed out by the rotation of a heat sealer 9, the end of the film opposite the folded portion is heat-sealed, and the downstream end of the film in the flow direction is heat-sealed by a heat sealer 11. Next, wet food is filled through a filling nozzle 7. Next, the upstream end of the folded film in the flow direction is heat-sealed by the heat sealer 11. Next, the upstream end of the film in the flow direction is cut and separated by a cutter 13, and a pet food product is produced in which wet food is filled into a packaging bag having one side corresponding to the folded portion of the sheet and the remaining three sides welded.

[0030] Compared to conventional methods for manufacturing pet food products, in which a pouch is prepared that is welded except for the top and then wet food is filled into the pouch, the method for manufacturing pet food products of this embodiment can simplify the process because the process of heat-sealing the film can be carried out continuously while filling the pouch with wet food.

[0031] If the size of the largest ingredient in the wet food is 4 to 9 mm, the ingredient can be prevented from getting caught when the edges of the film are heat-sealed, further improving productivity.

[0032] Specifically, the wet food is produced by boiling chicken meat until the center is thoroughly cooked through, cooling it, and then extruding it through a mincer with a 6 mm opening to obtain minced chicken meat with a diameter of 6 mm. The mixed vegetables are then finely chopped using a silent cutter. Liquid ingredients are prepared in advance by mixing water, soy sauce, or other liquid with a thickener and minor ingredients (antioxidants, vitamins, etc.) in a mixer. The resulting minced chicken meat with a diameter of 6 mm, the finely chopped mixed vegetables, and the liquid ingredients are then mixed to produce the wet food.

[0033] Using minced meat as the largest ingredient in the wet food can stabilize the shape and size of the ingredients, and can better prevent large ingredients from getting in and interfering with heat welding when filling the wet food.

[0034] By making the film (packaging bag) wide with an aspect ratio of 1:2 to 2:1, the nozzle width during filling can be increased, making it easier to fill large ingredients.

[0035] According to the method for producing a pet food product of the present embodiment, pet food products can be produced efficiently.

[0036] The present invention will be explained in more detail below using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0037] (Production of pet food products) Wet food of each example was produced by mixing the components according to the formulation shown in Table 1. Next, pet food products of each example were produced using the same production method as that described with reference to Figure 2.

[0038] (Evaluation of ingredient feel) Five panelists were asked to visually judge whether there was an ingredient feel. The evaluation criteria shown in Table 1 are as follows: A: All panelists answered that there was an ingredient feel. B: Three or four panelists answered that there was an ingredient feel. C: Two or fewer panelists answered that there was an ingredient feel.

[0039] (Evaluation of manufacturing stability) Manufacturing stability was evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Table 1. Although no pet food products were given a C rating in this production, it is known that if the size of the ingredients is 10 mm or larger, manufacturing will be unstable and rated C. A: No sealing defects, stable filling volume B: The filling volume was unstable, and when the weight was set within a range of up to 15% of the content volume, measuring defects of 10% or more occurred C: Poor sealing occurred, raising concerns about manufacturing quality in the first place

[0040]

[0041] It was confirmed that the pet food products of Examples 1 to 5, which have a content of 20 g and the largest ingredient size of 6 or 9 mm (minced boiled chicken), could be produced.

[0042] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Addition, omission, substitution, and other modifications of the configuration are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. The present invention is not limited by the above description, but is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

[0043] 3: Film roll 5: Guide 7: Filling nozzle 9, 11: Heat sealer 13: Cutter

Claims

1. A pet food product comprising a packaging bag filled with wet food, wherein the content of the wet food is 30 g or less, the wet food contains solid ingredients, the largest solid ingredient in the wet food is 4 to 9 mm in size, and the wet food contains minced meat.

2. The pet food product according to claim 1, wherein one side of the packaging bag is a folded portion of the sheet forming the packaging bag, and the remaining three sides are welded.

3. The pet food product according to claim 1, wherein the aspect ratio of the packaging bag is 1:2 to 2:

1.

4. The pet food product according to claim 1, wherein the wet food comprises a soup portion and the solid ingredients, and the total content of the solid ingredients is 30 to 45 mass% of the total amount of the wet food.

5. The pet food product according to claim 1, wherein the maximum size of the minced meat is 4 to 9 mm, and the maximum size of one or more ingredients other than the minced meat also is 4 to 9 mm.

6. A method for producing a pet food product comprising the steps of: supplying a film from a film roll; folding the supplied film in half in the width direction; heat-sealing the downstream end of the folded film in the flow direction; heat-sealing the end of the film opposite the folded portion; filling with wet food from above; heat-sealing the upstream end of the folded film in the flow direction; cutting and separating the heat-sealed upstream end of the film in the flow direction to produce a pet food product in which wet food is filled in a packaging bag having one side which is a folded portion of the sheet and the remaining three sides which are welded, wherein the wet food has a content of 30 g or less, the wet food contains solid ingredients, the size of the largest solid ingredient in the wet food is 4 to 9 mm, and the wet food contains minced meat.

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