Coated Kibble via Fluidizing Mixer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Dry pet foods are often bland-tasting and undergo nutritional degradation due to the high heat and pressure of the extrusion process, leading to reduced nutritional value and animal preference.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a continuous fluidizing mixer applies a coating material to a core pellet within a specific Froude number range and Peclet number, using counter-rotating paddles to create an upward convective flow, which includes Probiotics, mannoheptulose, and emulsifiers, allowing for improved flavor and nutrition retention by avoiding the extrusion process's harsh conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If ingredients are added during the extrusion process, then the kibble achieves nutritional balance, but the ingredients undergo thermal degradation and lose nutritional value
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ingredient addition process into two separate stages: (1) heat-resistant ingredients are added during extrusion to form the core kibble, and (2) heat-sensitive ingredients are added after extrusion as a coating layer. This segmentation prevents thermal degradation of sensitive ingredients while maintaining nutritional balance through the core ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by first creating the core kibble with heat-resistant ingredients through extrusion, then subsequently adding the heat-sensitive ingredients as a coating. This sequential approach ensures that sensitive ingredients are not exposed to high temperatures that would cause degradation.
2Ease of operation
If fat or palatants are added to improve flavor, then the kibble becomes more appealing to animals, but the cost increases and nutritional degradation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating flavor-enhancing ingredients (such as animal proteins and amino acids) specifically in the outer coating layer rather than distributing them throughout the entire kibble. This localized placement improves animal preference at the surface while reducing overall fat content and cost in the core formulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by creating a two-layer structure: a core kibble made with heat-resistant base ingredients and an outer coating layer containing heat-sensitive flavor enhancers, animal proteins, and amino acids. This composite approach allows flavor improvement without the need to add these sensitive ingredients throughout the entire product, reducing overall cost and nutritional degradation.
3Reliability
If high heat and pressure are used in extrusion, then the kibble achieves proper formation and shelf stability, but vitamin loss and nutritional degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ingredient placement to protect vitamins from thermal degradation. Heat-resistant structural ingredients undergo extrusion for proper kibble formation and shelf stability, while heat-sensitive vitamins and nutritional ingredients are added as a coating after extrusion, avoiding exposure to high heat and pressure entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heat-sensitive vitamin-containing ingredients from the extrusion process itself and applies them separately as a post-extrusion coating. This extraction prevents vitamin loss during the high-heat extrusion while still achieving proper kibble formation and shelf stability through the core structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process results in a coated kibble that is more flavorful, digestible, and higher in nutritional value, with reduced vitamin loss and improved stability, enhancing animal preference and nutritional retention.
Implementation Method 1
the counter-rotating paddles can cause the core material to have an upwardly convective flow near the center of the continuous fluidizing mixer
Implementation Method 2
applying the coating material to the core pellet to form a coated kibble using a continuous fluidizing mixer; wherein application of the coating material occurs at a Froude number range of from about 0.8 to about 3 and a Peclet number greater than about 6
Data Source
AI summary
A process of making a pet food include providing a core pellet; providing at least one coating material; applying the coating material to the core pellet to form a coated kibble using a continuous fluidizing mixer; wherein application of the coating material occurs at a Froude number range of from about 0.8 to about 3 and a Peclet number greater than about 6.