According to the present invention there are provided methods of regulating the immune system of a companion animal and methods of improving the digestion of a companion animal, wherein each of said methods comprises administering to a companion animal a probiotic bacteria strain of the genus Bifidobacteria.

According to the present invention there are provided methods of regulating the immune system of a companion animal and methods of improving the digestion of a companion animal, wherein each of said methods comprises administering to a companion animal a probiotic bacteria strain of the genus Bifidobacteria.

The present invention is directed towards the use of 2H-chromens and their derivatives of formula (I) and/or of formula (II) wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently from each other H or C.sub.1-11-alkyl or (CH.sub.2).sub.n—OH with n being an integer from 1 to 6 or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together represent a keto group, and wherein R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are independently from each other H or C.sub.1-6-alkyl or C.sub.1-6-alkoxy, and R.sup.7 is H or C.sub.1-6-alkyl, as antioxidants, especially in feed such as pet food and feed ingredients such as fish meal, insect meal and poultry meal, as well as PUFA-containing oil such as marine oil, microbial oil, fungal oil, algal oil and PUFA-containing plant oil. The present invention is further directed towards feed ingredients and feed for insects, aquatic and terrestrial animals comprising such 2H- chromens and their derivatives of formula (I) and/or of formula (II).

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The present invention is directed towards the use of 2H-chromens and their derivatives of formula (I) and/or of formula (II) wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently from each other H or C.sub.1-11-alkyl or (CH.sub.2).sub.n—OH with n being an integer from 1 to 6 or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together represent a keto group, and wherein R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are independently from each other H or C.sub.1-6-alkyl or C.sub.1-6-alkoxy, and R.sup.7 is H or C.sub.1-6-alkyl, as antioxidants, especially in feed such as pet food and feed ingredients such as fish meal, insect meal and poultry meal, as well as PUFA-containing oil such as marine oil, microbial oil, fungal oil, algal oil and PUFA-containing plant oil. The present invention is further directed towards feed ingredients and feed for insects, aquatic and terrestrial animals comprising such 2H- chromens and their derivatives of formula (I) and/or of formula (II).

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An edible pet chew has an initially malleable sheet of a hardened chewable material dimensioned large enough and thin enough to be initially malleable for flexing, folding or rolling into a final shape. The sheet is shaped into a final shape by flexing, folding or rolling and then hardened.

An edible pet chew has an initially malleable sheet of a hardened chewable material dimensioned large enough and thin enough to be initially malleable for flexing, folding or rolling into a final shape. The sheet is shaped into a final shape by flexing, folding or rolling and then hardened.

The invention relates to a method for the provision of degutted insects, such as black soldier fly larvae and mealworm, preferably live degutted insects. The invention also relates to degutted (live or dead) insects such as larvae and to processed degutted insects such as larvae. The invention also relates to the use of the degutted insect according to the invention or use of the processed degutted insect of the invention for the separation of the degutted insect or of the processed degutted insect in at least a fat fraction and/or at least a protein fraction. In addition, the invention relates to an insect product, wherein the insect product is any one of live or dead insect, insect puree, minced insect, insect powder, particulate insect, granulated insect, or insect meal, dried insect, oven-dried insect, lyophilized insect, or oven-dried insect using refractive drying obtained from degutted insect provided with the method of the invention. The invention also relates to an insect product, wherein the insect product is insect gut content, wherein the gut content is provided with the method of the invention. Finally, the invention relates to the method, the degutted insect provided with the method, the degutted insect, insects products, insect gut content according to the invention, wherein the insect is black soldier fly, preferably black soldier fly larvae, or wherein the insect is mealworm.

A method of reducing or preventing conversion of plaque to calculus in a companion animal. The method includes orally administering to the companion animal a composition comprising a zinc salt and one or more chelating agents. The zinc salt and/or the chelating agents can be present in an amount from about 0.01% to about 5.0% of the composition.

A method of reducing or preventing conversion of plaque to calculus in a companion animal. The method includes orally administering to the companion animal a composition comprising a zinc salt and one or more chelating agents. The zinc salt and/or the chelating agents can be present in an amount from about 0.01% to about 5.0% of the composition.

Here is described a method for the preparation of a proteinaceous treat. The method comprises comminuting a proteinaceous animal part into a plurality of pieces, each piece having a first volume; and increasing the volume of at least one piece to a second volume by heating the piece before cooling to ambient temperature.