Pet Food and Method of Manufacture

Abstract

The pet food and method of manufacture includes a combination of upcycled ingredients and new ingredients and a careful combination of prebiotics and probiotics to provide pets with a 100% balanced flora. Probiotics, referred to as the beneficial bacteria, and prebiotics, referred to as the beneficial fiber work together to stabilize a pet's digestive system, promote good bacteria growth, and a healthy immune system.

Claims

1. A pet food product, comprising: a prebiotic component, comprising: one or more upcycled ingredients, and one or more new ingredients, wherein the one or more upcycled ingredients and the one or more new ingredients are mixed at a predetermined ratio and mechanically processed to form a food item; and a probiotic component, comprising: one or more upcycled ingredients, one or more new ingredients, and probiotic ingredients, wherein the one or more upcycled ingredients and the one or more new ingredients are mixed at a predetermined ratio, mechanically processed, and added to the probiotic ingredients to form a supplementary food item.

2. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the prebiotic component is extruded into pellets and baked so that the food item is dry pet food.

3. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the prebiotic component is placed into a can and cooked so that the food item is wet pet food.

4. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the prebiotic component is dried into sheets, grinded into powder, and placed into a dispenser so that the food item is a meal enhancer.

5. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the new ingredients of the prebiotic component comprise a vitamin and mineral premix.

6. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the probiotic component is shaped into treats and baked prior to addition of the probiotic ingredients.

7. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the probiotic component is shaped into treats and baked after addition of the probiotic ingredients.

8. The pet food product of claim 7, wherein the probiotic component further comprises additional probiotic ingredients added after baking.

9. The pet food product of claim 1, wherein the new ingredients of the probiotic component comprise a vitamin and mineral premix.

10. A method of pet food manufacture, comprising the steps of: providing upcycled ingredients; providing new ingredients; mixing the upcycled ingredients and the new ingredients at a predetermined ratio and adding water to create a prebiotics mixture; and mechanically processing the prebiotics mixture to create a food item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the upcycled ingredients comprise one or more of: broken rice; off-spec pearled barley; oversized sweet potatoes; undersized sweet potatoes; chipped and miscolored peas; flaxseed; beef liver; beef hearts; and beef lung.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the new ingredients comprise one or more of: beef; beef meal; chicken; chicken meal; chicken fat; inulin; dried kelp; and a vitamins and mineral premix.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of: extruding the mixture into pellets for kibble; and baking the extruded pellets, whereby the food item is a dry pet food.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of: placing the mixture into cans; and cooking the canned mixture inside the cans, whereby the food item is a wet pet food.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of: drying the mixture into sheets; grinding the sheets into powder; and placing the powder into dispensers, whereby the food item is a meal enhancer.

16. A method of pet food manufacture, comprising the steps of: providing upcycled ingredients; providing new ingredients; mixing the upcycled ingredients and the new ingredients at a predetermined ratio and adding water to create a mixture comprising a wet slurry or dough; mechanically processing the mixture; shaping the mixture into treats; and baking the mixture, wherein the method further comprises the step of adding probiotics.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of adding probiotics is performed before the step of shaping the mixture into treats.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of adding probiotics is performed after the step of baking the mixture.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of adding probiotics is performed before the step of shaping the mixture into treats, and wherein a step of adding additional probiotics is performed after the step of baking the mixture.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the new ingredients comprise a vitamin and mineral premix.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a method diagram outlining the components and method of manufacturing the pet food and method of manufacture of the present invention for the prebiotic component and identifies typical upcycled ingredients, new ingredients, and their combination, mixing, and mechanical processing into three distinct products including dry pet food, wet pet food, and a meal enhancement; and

[0012] FIG. 2 is a method diagram outlining the components and method of manufacturing the pet food and method of manufacture of the present invention for the probiotic component and identifies typical upcycled ingredients, new ingredients, and their combination, mixing, and mechanical processing into pet treat products including the addition of probiotics before, or after, or both before and after, the baking stage of the process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a method diagram outlining manufacturing the prebiotic portion of the pet food and method of manufacture of the present invention is generally designated 100. Method 100 includes the identification of upcycled ingredients 102 suitable for use in pet products, and can include broken rice, off-spec pearled barley, off-spec oatmeal, over and under sized sweet potatoes, chipped and mis-colored peas, flaxseed, beef Liver, beef hearts, and beef lung. The list of upcycled ingredients is merely exemplary and not intended to place a limitation of the use of upcycled food products in the pet products of the present invention.

[0014] Off-spec as used herein is intended to refer to those products which, due to cosmetics, size or damage, are not considered prime products suitable for human sale and consumption. It is these off-spec food products which are often discarded to the landfill, fertilizer, or other wasteful misuse.

[0015] A list of new ingredients 104 is provided and includes beef, beef meal, chicken, chicken meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), inulin, dried kelp, vitamins and a mineral pre-mix. Similarly, the list of new ingredients is merely exemplary and not intended to place a limitation on the use of new food products in the pet products of the present invention. In addition to the upcycled ingredients 102 and the new ingredients 104, water 106 is added.

[0016] The ratios of the upcycled ingredients 102, the new ingredients 104 and water 106 are defined in ratios 108, 110, and 112, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the upcycled ingredients range from about 46 to 60 percent of the ingredients, and the new ingredients range from about 40 to 54 percent of the ingredients with water being added to facilitate mixing and blending.

[0017] The upcycled ingredients, new ingredients and water are all mixed in the Mixer/Homogenizer block 114 in which the ingredients are blended and integrated together to create a prebiotics mixture. This prebiotics mixture is then provided to block 116 for mechanical processing. One mechanical processing is the start of the dry pet food products along path 118. Specifically, in step 120, the mixture is extruded into pellets for kibble, rolled into flakes, or shaped into treats. Once processed, the post-processed prebiotics mixture is then dried in baking stage 122. Once appropriately baked, the now dried prebiotics mixture is packaged into a dry pet food container 124, such as a bag, box, or carton.

[0018] As an alternative to step 120 is path 126 in which the prebiotics mixture is filled into cans in step 128, and then the cans are sealed and cooked in step 130 which provides both flavor and safety for the prebiotics pet food. The prebiotics food is then provided in a wet pet food product 132, such as a sealed aluminum can.

[0019] As another alternative to steps 120 and 128, the prebiotics mixture follows path 134 where it is placed to dry in sheets in step 136. Once dry, the sheets of step 136 where it is ground into powder in step 138. This ground prebiotics powder is then used to fill a shaker dispenser in step 140 to be provided as a mean enhancer product 142. In use, a meal enhancer product would be used to sprinkle a bit of prebiotics over the top of a non-prebiotics pet food so as to provide some of the benefits of a prebiotic to a pet.

[0020] It is to be appreciated that the mechanical processing that is described herein is merely indicative of a preferred embodiment of the pet food and method of manufacture of the present invention. There are a variety of other mechanical processing options which are known in the art, and within the scope of the present invention.

[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2, a method diagram outlining manufacturing the probiotics portion of the pet food and method of manufacture of the present invention is generally designated 200. Method 200 includes the identification of upcycled ingredients 202 suitable for use in pet products, and can include broken rice, off-spec pearled barley, off-spec oatmeal, over and under sized sweet potatoes, chipped and mis-colored peas, flaxseed, beef Liver, beef hearts, and beef lung. Again, the list of upcycled ingredients is merely exemplary and not intended to place a limitation of the use of upcycled food products in the pet products of the present invention.

[0022] A list of new ingredients 204 is provided and includes beef, beef meal, chicken, chicken meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), inulin, dried kelp, vitamins and a mineral pre-mix. Similarly, the list of new ingredients is merely exemplary and not intended to place a limitation on the use of new food products in the pet products of the present invention. In addition to the upcycled ingredients 202 and the new ingredients 204, water 206 is added.

[0023] The ratios of the upcycled ingredients 202, the new ingredients 204 and water 206 are defined in ratios 208, 210, and 212, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the upcycled ingredients range from about 46 to 60 percent of the ingredients, and the new ingredients range from about 40 to 54 percent of the ingredients with water being added to facilitate mixing and blending.

[0024] The upcycled ingredients, new ingredients and water are all mixed in the Mixer/Homogenizer block 214 in which the ingredients are blended and integrated together to create a probiotics wet slurry or dough. Once the probiotics mixture is made in step 214, mixture is then provided to block 116 for mechanical processing.

[0025] As a part of the mechanical processing, probiotics may be added to the mixture at the time the mixture is still in a larger volume, such as before it is processed into specific food items. This is particularly useful when using probiotics which are capable of surviving through the baking, or drying stage discussed below. Some probiotics are not capable of withstanding the heat of a baking or drying cycle, and thus must be applied later as will be discussed below.

[0026] Once the probiotics mixture is processed, it is then formed into the final food product shape in step 220, such as extrusion into treats such as jerky, crunchy, or training bites, or otherwise shaped into treats. The shape of the treats, while aesthetically appealing to the consumer, has little or nothing to do with the efficacy of the probiotics in the food product.

[0027] Once finally formed into the pet food product in step 220, the probiotics mixture is then dried in the baking stage in step 222. Following the drying process, the probiotic food product may then be treated with a probiotic. More specifically, if using probiotics may be tolerant of a heated baking cycle, they may have been added in step 218. However, some probiotics are not capable of withstanding the heat. Thus, if applying probiotics that are not heat-tolerant, they are applied in step 224. It is to be appreciated that the addition of probiotics is not necessarily exclusive of step 218 or step 224. Probiotics could in fact be applied in both steps.

[0028] Once the probiotics mixture has been processed as outlined above, it is then packaged for distribution, such as in treat bags 226. It is also to be appreciated that treat bags 226 are not the exclusive method of distribution, and they treats may be packaged and distributed in bulk, in small packages, or larger packages.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, dry dog food with prebiotics will include Beef, Chicken and Turkey in a variety of bag sizes, and wet cat food with prebiotics will include three proteins chicken, tuna, mackerel in convenient cans, as well as a variety of meal enhancement flavors. Other animals may use the pet food described herein. Coupled to the prebiotics, a variety of probiotic pet treats will be provided in a variety of flavors and shapes to accommodate the pet-owners' lifestyle. The integration of the prebiotics and probiotics pet food products into products that pet owners use every day, encourages a balanced microbiome which supports shiny coats, healthy skin and better digestion so that the digestive track health, and the overall health of the pet, will be improved.

[0030] While there have been shown what are presently considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.