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US-12616226-B2 - Compositions and methods for pet food

US12616226B2US 12616226 B2US12616226 B2US 12616226B2US-12616226-B2

Abstract

The present invention is directed to compositions and methods relating to kibble for a companion animal, the kibble comprising protein, carbohydrate, fat, and a plasticizer, wherein the plasticizer comprises hydrolyzed malted barley.

Inventors

  • Manjuan Jenny She
  • Isaac Ashie

Assignees

  • Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20211115

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A kibble for a companion animal comprising protein, carbohydrate, fat, and a plasticizer, wherein the plasticizer comprises hydrolyzed malted barley, wherein the hydrolyzed malted barley has glucose in an amount of at least 20 weight % and maltose in an amount of less than 10 weight %, wherein the kibble has a moisture content of about 5 weight % to about 15 weight % and a softness of about 10,000 gram-force (gf) to about 15,000 gf and/or about 1-2 N/mm slope (segment 0.25 mm-1 mm).
  2. 2 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzed malted barley is present in the composition in an amount of from about 14 weight % to about 21 weight %.
  3. 3 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzed malted barley is present in the composition in an amount from 19 weight % to 21 weight %.
  4. 4 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the softness of the kibble is about 10,000 gram-force (gf) to about 15,000 gf.
  5. 5 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the softness of the kibble is about 1-2 N/mm slope (segment 0.25 mm-1 mm).
  6. 6 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the protein is present in the kibble in an amount from about 5% to about 60%, and the carbohydrate is present in the kibble in an amount from about 10% to about 60%.
  7. 7 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the kibble is formulated for a canine or a feline.
  8. 8 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the companion animal is a canine.
  9. 9 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the glucose is 35 weight % to 50 weight % of the hydrolyzed malted barley, and the maltose is 0.01 weight % to 5 weight % of the hydrolyzed malted barley.
  10. 10 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the fat is about 15 weight % to about 30 weight % of the kibble.
  11. 11 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the moisture content of the kibble is about 11 weight % to about 15 weight %.
  12. 12 . The kibble of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzed malted barley was formed by hydrolyzing malted barley with at least one exogenous enzyme, and the hydrolyzed malted barley comprises the at least one exogenous enzyme.
  13. 13 . A pet food composition comprising the kibble of claim 1 .
  14. 14 . A method of manufacturing a kibble, the method comprising: admixing protein, carbohydrate, fat, and a plasticizer to form an admixture; and processing the admixture to form the kibble, wherein the plasticizer comprises hydrolyzed malted barley, wherein the hydrolyzed malted barley has glucose in an amount of at least 20 weight % and maltose in an amount of less than 10 weight %, wherein the kibble has a moisture content of about 5 weight % to about 15 weight % and a softness of about 10,000 gram-force (gf) to about 15,000 gf and/or about 1-2 N/mm slope (segment 0.25 mm-1 mm).
  15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the processing includes extruding the admixture to form the kibble and further drying the kibble.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the softness of the kibble is about 10,000 gf to 15,000 gf.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the softness of the kibble is about 1-2 N/mm slope (segment 0.25 mm-1 mm).
  18. 18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the glucose is 35 weight % to 50 weight % of the hydrolyzed malted barley, and the maltose is 0.01 weight % to 5 weight % of the hydrolyzed malted barley.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the fat is about 15 weight % to about 30 weight % of the kibble.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 14 , comprising forming the hydrolyzed malted barley by hydrolyzing malted barley with at least one exogenous enzyme.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/124,224 filed Dec. 11, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein by this reference. BACKGROUND Processed foods, including pet foods, may be presented in a dry form to extend shelf-life. For example, food products having a moisture level of less than about 20% by weight of the composition may deter microbial growth that could spoil the food product. Dry foods may also be less sensitive, in some regards, to oxidation or other chemical processes that can change the taste, texture, or appearance of the food over periods of months or years prior to use. Unfortunately, dry foods may look coarse, powdery, or dry, and therefore may be unappetizing. Dry foods can be perceived to be harder, crunchier, or denser than less dried foods. Additionally, the lack of moisture may negatively impact mouth feel when the product is eaten, compared to semi-moist or wet food. As such, soft-dry types of foods can be desired as they may be perceived as a more chewy and palatable food product. Such soft-dry pet food often contains propylene glycol and glycerol. Propylene glycol is used for preservation purposes and glycerol is used as a plasticizer in order to create an extruder product of desirably chewy and meat-like texture. However, such additives may be considered undesirable by consumers. There remains a need for a soft-dry food, particularly a pet food, which meets competing demands for taste, texture, appearance, convenience, and nutritional content. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates generally to methods and compositions for providing soft dry pet foods. In one embodiment, a kibble for a companion animal can comprise protein, carbohydrate, fat, and a plasticizer, where the plasticizer comprises hydrolyzed malted barley. In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a soft, dry kibble can comprise admixing protein, carbohydrate, fat, and a plasticizer to form an admixture, and processing the admixture to form the soft, dry, kibble; where the plasticizer comprises hydrolyzed malted barley. Additional features and advantages are described herein and will be apparent from the following Detailed Description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Definitions As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a plasticizer” or “the plasticizer” includes two or more plasticizers. The term “and/or” used in the context of “X and/or Y” should be interpreted as “X,” or “Y,” or “X and Y.” Where used herein, the terms “example” and “such as,” particularly when followed by a listing of terms, are merely exemplary and illustrative, and are not exclusive or comprehensive. The term “companion animal” means domesticated animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, mice, gerbils, horses, cows, goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, and the like. In one aspect, the companion animal can be a canine. In another aspect, the companion animal can be a feline. As used herein, “about” is understood to refer to numbers in a range of numerals, for example the range of −10% to +10% of the referenced number, within −5% to +5% of the referenced number, or in one aspect, within −1% to +1% of the referenced number, and in a specific aspect, within −0.1% to +0.1% of the referenced number. Furthermore, all numerical ranges herein should be understood to include all integers, whole or fractions, within the range. Moreover, these numerical ranges should be construed as providing support for a claim directed to any number or subset of numbers in that range. For example, a disclosure of from 1 to 10 should be construed as supporting a range of from 1 to 8, from 3 to 7, from 1 to 9, from 3.6 to 4.6, from 3.5 to 9.9, and so forth. All percentages expressed herein are by weight of the total weight of the food composition unless expressed otherwise. When reference is made to the pH, values correspond to pH measured at 25° C. with standard equipment. An “amount” can be the total amount of the referenced component per serving of the composition or per distinct unit of the composition and/or can be the weight percentage of the referenced component by dry weight. Moreover, an “amount” includes zero; for example, the recitation of an amount of a compound does not necessarily mean that the compound is present, unless followed by a range that excludes zero. The terms “pet food,” “pet food product” and “pet food composition” mean a product or composition that is intended for ingestion by a canine or feline that provides at least one nutrient to the animal. Further in this regard, these terms mean that the product or composition is in a form ready for consumption and is not merely an intermediate from which a consumable product or composition is made, although other food compositions can be