A dog chew formed from a dairy-based material, wherein said dairy-based material is a mixture of one or more dairy ingredients combined with a binding agent, and said mixture of one or more dairy ingredients comprises the largest portion, by weight, of the dog chew, and said binding agent is added in a sufficient quantity to allow the dairy-based material to be pliable and stable. In the preferred embodiment, the dog chew also includes a flavoring material wherein the dairy-based material comprises the majority of the exterior surface of the dog chew, and said flavoring material includes meats from poultry, mammals, or fish.

A dog chew formed from a dairy-based material, wherein said dairy-based material is a mixture of one or more dairy ingredients combined with a binding agent, and said mixture of one or more dairy ingredients comprises the largest portion, by weight, of the dog chew, and said binding agent is added in a sufficient quantity to allow the dairy-based material to be pliable and stable. In the preferred embodiment, the dog chew also includes a flavoring material wherein the dairy-based material comprises the majority of the exterior surface of the dog chew, and said flavoring material includes meats from poultry, mammals, or fish.

An apparatus and method for processing grain material to generate a consistently high densified grain with a desired length, shape and size. The densified grain processing apparatus comprises a die assembly, a cooling assembly and a break-off assembly. The method includes receiving the grain material by the die assembly and forcing the grain material through an extrusion passageway that evenly distributes the grain material into a plurality of orifices thereby producing a high density shaped grain before the grain material exits the die assembly. A coolant is pumped to a coolant passage by means of an at least one pump and cools the shaped grain by passing the shaped grain through at least one of the cooling tube inside a cooling chamber. The break-off assembly then breaks off a predetermined length of the shaped grain.

An apparatus and method for processing grain material to generate a consistently high densified grain with a desired length, shape and size. The densified grain processing apparatus comprises a die assembly, a cooling assembly and a break-off assembly. The method includes receiving the grain material by the die assembly and forcing the grain material through an extrusion passageway that evenly distributes the grain material into a plurality of orifices thereby producing a high density shaped grain before the grain material exits the die assembly. A coolant is pumped to a coolant passage by means of an at least one pump and cools the shaped grain by passing the shaped grain through at least one of the cooling tube inside a cooling chamber. The break-off assembly then breaks off a predetermined length of the shaped grain.

The present invention relates to a method for identifying a pepsin resistant alpha amylase enzyme for use in a feed supplement comprising: i) providing an alpha amylase enzyme; ii) admixing said alpha amylase with com based feed and buffer solution comprising a pepsin concentration of 9000 U/ml at pH 3, 40° C., 500 rpm for al least 120 minutes and analysing alpha amylase activity on said alpha amylase compared to a control sample; wherein said control sample differs in that no pepsin is present during incubation; and iii) selecting an alpha amylase enzyme which substantially maintains alpha amylase activity under the assay conditions; feed supplements and feed stuffs comprising a pepsin resistant alpha amylase and the use of pepsin resistant alpha amylases in feed.

Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The flighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.

Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The flighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.

There is provided a pellet composition of ruminant feed which reduces the risk of acidosis in the rumen and a process of making such ruminant feed.

There is provided a pellet composition of ruminant feed which reduces the risk of acidosis in the rumen and a process of making such ruminant feed.

Feed compositions, methods of preparing such compositions, and methods of feeding such compositions are described. A feed composition may include a core and a first coating layer disposed around at least a portion of the core. The core may include at least one carbohydrate component and at least one protein component. The first coating layer may include a fatty acid component having at least about 90% saturated fatty acid by weight.