ANIMAL FEED AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to an animal feed and method for producing the same. The animal feed comprises a laminar dispersion of droplets of a viscous gel within a meat and/or fish emulsion, wherein the viscous gel is substantially free of gas bubbles.

Claims

1. A method of producing an animal feed comprising: providing at least a first stream of material, preferably comprising a meat and/or fish emulsion; preparing a viscous gel comprising at least one gel-forming component and a liquid by introducing a liquid into a gel-forming component within a mixing chamber, the introduction being performed by means of a first nozzle unit under pressure so that the resulting viscous gel is substantially free of gas bubbles; providing the viscous gel as, or in, at least one second stream of material; making a laminar dispersion of the second stream of material in the first stream of material; withdrawing the laminar dispersion through a second nozzle unit; and solidifying the laminar dispersion to provide the animal feed; wherein the second stream of material is distributed in the first stream of material in the form of droplets with a size of at least 0.3 mm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gel-forming component is selected from the group consisting of hydrocolloids, aspic, gelatine, collagen, starch, cereals, broth and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the viscous gel is between 5,000 mPas and 500,000 mPas.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is introduced by means of the first nozzle unit at a pressure of 30 to 150 bar.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first nozzle unit comprises a round nozzle or slotted nozzle which is preferably arranged in such a way that a jet of liquid passing through the nozzles extends across the width of the mixing chamber and/or is directed against an inner wall of the housing of the mixing chamber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second streams of material are used in a weight ratio of from 80:20 to 85:15.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stream of material comprises additional fibrous material, fibre-containing material, starch and/or cereal flour.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein fibres are added to the viscous gel before, during or after its preparation.

9. An animal feed comprising a laminar dispersion of droplets of a viscous gel within a meat and/or fish emulsion, wherein the viscous gel is substantially free of gas bubbles.

10. The animal feed of claim 9, wherein the meat and/or fish emulsion further comprises fibrous material, fibre-containing material, starch and/or cereal flour.

11. The animal feed of claim 9, wherein the viscous gel comprises a gel-forming component and a liquid, and optionally, one or more fibres and/or powders.

12. The animal feed of claim 9, wherein the viscosity of the viscous gel is between 5000 mPas and 500,000 mPas.

13. The animal feed of claim 9, wherein the droplets of the viscous gel are visible to the naked eye within the animal feed.

14. The animal feed of claim 9, wherein the droplets are from 0.3 mm to 8 mm.

15. The animal feed of claim 9, wherein the meat and/or fish emulsion comprises 96% or greater meat raw materials.

16. The animal feed of claim 9, wherein the meat and/or fish emulsion consists of meat raw materials, and optionally, one or more of vegetable proteins, vitamins, salts, minerals or fibers.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The present invention is based on the problem of providing a method of producing animal feed or foodstuffs which overcomes the disadvantages of the state of the art. In particular, it is the intention to provide a method which prevents or at least reduces the introduction of gas bubbles in the production of meat or fish analogues so that the authenticity of such a meat or fish analogue is preserved. In addition, it is intended to provide an animal feed or foodstuff prepared according to the method.

[0014] The problem is solved in accordance with the invention by a method of producing an animal feed or foodstuff comprising: [0015] providing at least a first stream of material, preferably comprising a meat and/or fish emulsion, [0016] preparing a viscous gel comprising at least one gel-forming component and a liquid, especially water, by introducing the gel-forming component and the liquid into a mixing chamber, the introduction of the liquid into the gel-forming component located in the mixing chamber being performed by means of a first nozzle unit under high pressure, [0017] providing the viscous gel as or in at least one second stream of material, [0018] making a laminar dispersion of the second stream of material in the first stream of material in an apparatus for at least partially incompletely mixing the first and second streams of material, so that the second stream of material is distributed in the first stream of material in the form of droplets with a size of at least 0.3 mm, preferably 0.3 mm to 8 mm, [0019] withdrawing the first stream of material containing the second stream of material in the form of droplets through a second nozzle unit, and [0020] solidifying the first stream of material containing the second stream of material in the form of droplets.

[0021] It is preferred that the gel-forming component is selected from hydrocolloids, aspic, gelatine, collagen, starch, cereals, broth and mixtures thereof, hydrocolloids being preferred, with carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum and galactomannan being particularly preferred. A particularly preferred gel-forming component that can be mentioned is carboxymethyl cellulose.

[0022] It is particularly preferred that the viscosity of the viscous gel is between 5,000 mPas and 500,000 mPas (10,000 mPas=10,000 cP (centipoise)), measured with a Brookfield viscometer RVDVIII, spindle 7, 20 r.p.m., temperature 20 C.

[0023] In addition, it may preferably be contemplated that the introduction of the liquid is performed by means of the first nozzle unit under a pressure of 30 to 150 bar, preferably 30 to 50 bar, more preferably 30 to 40 bar.

[0024] It is also proposed that the first nozzle unit comprises a round nozzle or slotted nozzle which is preferably arranged in such a way that a jet of liquid passing through the nozzles extends across the width of the mixing chamber and/or is directed against an inner wall of the housing of the mixing chamber.

[0025] In addition, it is preferably proposed that before, during or after the solidification, the first stream of material containing the second stream of material is cut into pieces of a suitable size, preferably perpendicularly to the direction of withdrawal from the second nozzle unit.

[0026] In a further embodiment, it may be contemplated that the apparatus for at least partially incompletely mixing is a static mixer.

[0027] It is preferred that the first and second streams of material are used in a weight ratio of 50:50 to 95:5, preferably 70:30 to 90:10, more preferably 80:20 to 85:15.

[0028] It is particularly preferably contemplated that the first stream of material additionally comprises fibrous material, fibre-containing material, starch and/or cereal flour. The purpose of this additive is to increase the viscosity.

[0029] A further advantageous embodiment of the present invention comprises, after the laminar dispersion step, introducing an additional second stream of material into the first stream of material in an apparatus comprising a hollow shaft, into which the second additional stream of material is introduced at an input end thereof and is delivered to an exit end, the hollow shaft being substantially concentrically surrounded, at least at the exit end, by a tube via which the first stream of material is transported to the exit end of the hollow shaft, and at the exit end of the hollow shaft, inside the tube, the second additional stream of material is introduced into the first stream of material via a distribution means.

[0030] It is preferred in this connection that the additional second stream of material is introduced into the first stream of material via an impeller wheel.

[0031] It can particularly preferably be contemplated that the second nozzle unit is a slotted nozzle.

[0032] It is also particularly preferred that fibres, preferably vegetable fibres, are added to the viscous gel before, during or after its preparation.

[0033] Preferred fibres may, for example, be wheat and/or oat fibres, cellulose fibres or the like. It is also conceivable that these fibres may be used in the form of powders, such as cellulose powders, sugar beet chip powder or chicory chip powder, or in mixtures of such fibres and/or powders.

[0034] Adding fibres and/or powders does not have a negative influence on the production of the viscous gel; on the contrary, it is ensured that the appropriate viscosity of the gel is preserved.

[0035] The invention also relates to an animal feed or foodstuff which can be produced with a method described above.

[0036] It has surprisingly been found that with the method of the invention, a viscous gel can be prepared which is substantially free of gas bubbles. If that viscous gel is used as or in a second stream of material, animal feed or food analogues can be prepared whose authenticity is substantially not impaired. In particular, the striped pattern due to the fibre structure of meat and fish is not impaired. Thanks to the special method of producing the viscous gel, the inclusion of gas bubbles is largely avoided. Without wishing to be bound by a theory, it is believed that the introduction of the liquid into the gel-forming component leads to the hydration of that component in a low-viscosity stage (which is of limited duration), so that any gas bubbles that might still be present can escape from the gel with no difficulty.

[0037] This means that products can be produced in accordance with the invention which correspond in their texture and appearance to natural or original pieces of meat or fish.

[0038] In addition to the bubble-free preparation of the viscous gel as or in a second stream of material, it is likewise central to the invention that the droplets of the second stream of material are distributed in the first stream of material in a size from 0.3 mm to 8 mm, which can preferably be achieved by means of a laminar dispersion using a static mixer. Secondly, it is central that the stream of material obtained in this way with droplets dispersed therein is removed through a nozzle, preferably a slotted nozzle, so that the droplets of the second stream of material contained in the first stream of material are withdrawn lengthwise. The mixture removed from the nozzle can then harden, whereupon the material can be sliced, preferably perpendicularly to the direction of removal from the nozzle unit, in order to provide a texture of the product which is very similar to an original piece of meat or fish.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is likewise possible to produce a fish-based animal feed or foodstuff which exhibits the typical coarse structure of fish fillet. For this purpose, after the laminar dispersion of the second stream of material in the first stream of material, a further apparatus is used, in which an additional second stream of material in a coarser form is introduced into the first stream of material.

[0040] Details on this and on the general method can be found in EP 2 037 754, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0041] The term hydrocolloid is to be understood in the context of the present invention as meaning a group of polysaccharides and proteins which form solutions in water as colloids and exhibit a high capacity for gel formation. Examples of hydrocolloids include starch flours, cellulose, pectins, gum arabic, galactomannans, agar, carrageenan, alginates, gelatine, caseinates, xanthan, dextrans and cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and methyl cellulose (MC).

[0042] Further features and advantages of the method of the invention will become clear from the following Examples.

First Stream of Material

[0043] A first stream of material was prepared by mixing 11% by weight pigs' stomachs, 43% by weight chicken liver, 36% by weight turkey (mechanically recovered meat), 6% by weight animal or vegetable protein extracts and 4% by weight vitamins, salts, minerals and fibres. The components were prepared by mincing and fine cutting to a final temperature of no more than 20 C.

Second Stream of Material

[0044] The second stream of material consists of 2% by weight carboxymethyl cellulose, optionally fibres, 2% by weight salts, minerals, pigments, dyes, spices, broth and 95% by weight water.

[0045] Instead of the exclusive use of carboxymethyl cellulose as the gel-forming component, other gel-forming components can also be used in addition to or in the place of carboxymethyl cellulose. It is, for example, conceivable to use a gel-forming component which contains up to 4% by weight carboxymethyl cellulose, up to 20% by weight cellulose fibre powder and/or up to 20% by weight vegetable fibre powder.

[0046] The second stream of material, i.e. the viscous gel, was prepared in accordance with the method described in EP 1 358 802 A2. In particular, the water was introduced under a high pressure of 70 bar into the gel-forming component, which was already present in a mixing chamber. The viscous gel withdrawn from the mixing chamber did not contain any gas bubbles, but was highly viscous.

[0047] The first and second streams of material were then dispersed in laminar fashion with an apparatus as described in EP 2 037 754, specifically in proportions of 80% by weight of the first stream of material and 20% by weight of the second stream of material.

[0048] After solidification, the finished animal feed or foodstuff exhibits a typical meat graining of chicken meat at all the cut surfaces. Since there are substantially no gas bubbles enclosed in the product, the texture is extremely similar to natural chicken meat.

[0049] The features of the invention disclosed in the above description and in the claims can be essential to implementing the invention in its various embodiments both individually and in any combination.