Vacuum Coated Pet Food Kibble with Probiotic Fish Oil
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in maintaining the balance of gut microflora in animals, particularly in young or stressed individuals, which is disrupted by antibiotics and stress, leading to increased susceptibility to pathogens and digestive issues, and existing pet foods do not effectively address this with viable probiotic concentrations and stability during storage.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum-coated pet food kibble containing viable probiotic microorganisms, specifically Enterococcus faecium or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mixed with fish oil, which is freeze-dried and coated to protect the bacteria, ensuring survival and colonization in the gut, thereby promoting a healthy gut microflora and immune system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If probiotic microorganisms are added to pet food to improve gut microflora balance, then immune function and digestive health are enhanced, but the probiotics lose viability during storage and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vacuum coating technology to encapsulate probiotic microorganisms in a protective coating that creates an inert environment, shielding them from oxygen and moisture during storage. This allows the probiotics to maintain viability while extending storage duration, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and duration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If antibiotics are used to treat clinical disease, then pathogenic bacteria are eliminated, but beneficial microorganisms are disrupted leading to increased susceptibility to pathogens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates probiotic microorganisms into pet food as a preventive measure to restore and maintain beneficial gut flora after antibiotic treatment. The probiotics act in advance to prevent pathogen recolonization and restore microflora balance, counteracting the harmful effects of antibiotic therapy on beneficial organisms.
3Reliability
If stress is reduced to maintain gut microflora balance, then pathogen colonization is prevented, but stress management adds complexity to pet care
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs probiotic microorganisms that autonomously colonize the gut and maintain microflora balance without requiring external stress management interventions. The probiotics self-regulate to prevent pathogen colonization, simplifying the care regimen while maintaining gut health stability.
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 solution effectively colonizes the gut with beneficial bacteria, enhancing digestive health, immune function, and competitive exclusion of pathogens, providing a stable and effective probiotic concentration that withstands storage conditions.
Implementation Method 1
coating the main component of the conventional pet food with the mixture of the probiotic micro-organisms and said fish oil using vacuum coating
Implementation Method 2
which is freeze-dried and coated to protect the bacteria
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Pet food contains the main component of conventional pet food and the mixture of the micro-organisms and oil. The main component of the pet food is vacuum coated with the said mixture. The viable micro-organisms included to the mixture are freeze dried probiotic micro-organisms. The method for producing a pet food contains the steps of mixing the probiotic micro-organisms with the fish oil and vacuum coating the mixture on the conventional pet food. The pet food production process is carried out in sealed environment under the pressure of 1 bar or less.