MX2014001982A - Multi-textured animal treats. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides multi-textured animal treats and methods for making the multi-textured animal treats. In a general aspect, the multi-textured animal treat includes one or more soft component comprising a mechanical joint that is wrapped around a hard component fixedly attached to the mechanical joint on the soft component. The soft component can include a mechanical joint alone or a combination of edible adhesives and a mechanical joint for providing an additional attachment mechanism to the hard component.

Description

PRIZES FOR ANIMALS DEVARIASTEXTURAS Cross reference to related requests This application claims the priority of the provisional application of E.U.A. Serial No. 61/575077 filed on August 15, 2011, the description of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates in general to prizes for animals of various textures and especially to prizes for animals of various textures having different texture components that are kept together for a prolonged period.

Description of the related topic There are many pet food products on the market. Pet food products can be in a variety of shapes and structures such as croquettes, crackers, rawhide products and meat emulsion products. Generally, these pet food products are homogeneous in that they are usually made from the same materials throughout the product. Even pet food products that appear to be made from different base materials are generally made by providing the same base materials with different colors to thereby give the pet food products a multi-component appearance. i Pet food products can be in a form soft, hard or chewable to achieve a variety of different goals. Hard or soggy pet food products can be used to provide healthy and strong teeth in pets while chewing. However, the textures of many hard and chewable pet food products are often unattractive and unpalatable. For example, dry extruded pet foods are currently viewed in hard lumps and have a dry, dusty appearance. Soft pet food products can be used to supply a specific nutritional component in a more easily acceptable form, but they do not promote strong teeth in pets to the same extent as hard pet food products do. Providing a single piece of pet food that has a soft and hard component can overcome these problems.

Although the components of hard pet food and soft pet food components can be sold together as separate pieces (eg, croquettes and snacks), there are currently no satisfactory pet food textures on the market formed entirely on the market. only one piece. This is because the hard pet food component and the soft pet food component are generally made of different materials that do not remain attached to each other for long periods of time without the two components becoming unstable and separating one from the other. other. When this happens, the purpose of making a pet food product of several unique textures in the first place is lost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide prizes for animals of various textures having a hard component and at least one soft component that does not separate from the hard component for a prolonged period, for example, about 12 months.

Another object of the invention is to provide prizes for animals of various textures having a hard component that provides resistance to the teeth of an animal to provide a brushing effect on the surface of the teeth.

A further objective of the invention is to provide prizes for animals of various textures that provide a delivery vehicle for functional ingredients necessary for a healthy pet or other animal.

Another object of the invention is to provide prize making methods for animals of various textures having a hard component and at least one soft component.

These and other objectives are achieved by using prizes for animals of various textures that have a hard component and at least one soft component. The soft component or components are mechanically bonded to the hard component by the use of a corresponding mechanical bond in the soft component or components. In addition to mechanical bonding, the soft component or components can be further bonded to the hard component using an edible adhesive.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a prize for animals of various textures in one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a front perspective view of a prize for animals of various textures in a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3A shows an enlarged end view of figure 1 of the invention.

Figure 3B shows an enlarged end view of figure 2 of the invention.

Detailed description of the invention Definitions The term "individual container" means that the components of a kit are physically associated in or with one or more containers and are considered a unit of manufacture, distribution, sale or use. The containers include, but are not limited to, bags, boxes, cartons, bottles, containers of any type or design or material, wrap, shrink wrap, fixed components (eg, stapled, adhered or the like) or combinations thereof. . A single container may be award containers for animals of various individual textures and other components physically associated in such a way as to be considered a unit of manufacture, distribution, sale or use.

The term "virtual package" means that the components of a kit are associated by instructions in one or more physical or virtual kit components that instruct the user how to obtain the other components, for example, a bag or other container containing a component and instructions to instruct the user to go to a website, contact a recorded message or answering service by fax, view a visual message, or contact a caregiver or instructor for instructions on how to use the kit or information safety or technology on one or more components of a kit.

All percentages expressed herein in relation to the components of a composition are by weight of the total weight of the composition unless otherwise stated.

As used throughout the present, the ranges are used here in abbreviated form, in order to avoid having to expand and describe each and every value within the range. Any suitable value within the range can be selected, where appropriate, as the upper value, a lower value, or the term of the interval.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular form of a word includes the plural, and vice versa, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Therefore, the references one, one, the and the generally include the plurals of the respective terms. For example, reference to a prize for animals of various textures or a method includes a plurality of such awards for animals of various textures or methods. In the same way, words understand, understand, and understand must be interpreted inclusively rather than exclusively. Likewise, the terms include, including, and all must be construed as inclusive, unless such a construction is clearly prohibited by the context. When the term examples is used herein, especially when followed by a list of terms, it is merely exemplary and illustrative, and should not be considered exclusive or incomplete.

The products, methods, compositions, and other advances described herein are not limited to methodology, protocols, and particular ingredients described herein since, as the skilled artisan will appreciate, they may vary. In addition, the terminology used here is for the purpose of describing particular modalities only, and is not intended to, and does not, limit the scope of what is described or claimed.

The invention In an aspect illustrated in Figure 1, the invention provides a prize for animals of various textures 10 having a soft component 20 comprising a mechanical joint 40 and a hard component 30 fixedly attached to a corresponding mechanical joint 40 in the component soft. The hard component 30 has a hardness measured by Instron compressibility values ranging from about 3.45 kg-m to about 8.29 kg-m (for example, Instron 5500R) and more preferably around 3.45 kg-m to about 7.6 kg. -m or any value within the range. The soft component 20 has a hardness measured by Instron compressibility values ranging from about 0.13 kg-m to about 2.76 kg-m (for example, Instron 5500R) and more preferably about 0.13 kg-m to about 2.07 kg. -m or any value within the range. The prize for animals of various textures 10 can have any suitable length or thickness. As illustrated in Figure 1, the hard component 30 and the soft component 20 can take the form of separate strings or threads interacting with each other, the two components being held together by the mechanical junction 40.

As further illustrated in Figure 1, the hard component 30 has a twisted shape. For example, the hexagonal shape of the hard component 30 represents ridges in the plane of intersection of two adjacent sides to transmit a reward scraping ability with oral health benefits. The hard component 30 also provides a section or slot for attachment to the mechanical joint 40. The hard component 30 may have any suitable shape compatible with the soft component 20, for example, the hard component may be cylindrical, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal , octagonal, and the like.

The hard component 30 surrounds the protrusion in the soft component 20 to form the mechanical joint 40. As a result, the hard component 30 is mechanically bonded to the soft component 20 through the mechanical joint 40. This mechanical bond prevents the soft component separate from the hard component 30 for a prolonged period, for example, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, 12 months or more, even during storage of the prize for animals of various textures 10. An extreme view of the prize for animals of various textures 10 is shown in Figure 3A.

As used herein, a mechanical bond is a projection extending from the soft component by means of which the hard component can easily surround and maintain a fixation to the soft component. The mechanical joint 40 can be provided along part or all of the length of the soft component 20. The mechanical joint 40 can also be provided intermittently along the length of the soft component 20. The hard component 30 can be placing on and attached to any suitable portion of the mechanical joint 40 so that at least part or all of the hard component 30 is fixedly attached to the soft component 20. In addition to the triangular shape shown in Figure 1, the mechanical joint 40 it may be in any suitable form, including a dovetail, hook, T-shaped, arrow, and the like suitable for rigidly attaching the hard component 30 to the soft component 20. This description of the mechanical joint 40 can be applied to any of the modalities of the prize for animals of various textures described in this document and several mechanical joints when the prize for animals of various textures has several components soft teas In another aspect, together with the mechanical joint 40, the hard component 30 can be further bonded to the soft component 20 by an edible adhesive, example, sodium caseinate and / or gelatin. The adhesion of the soft component 20 to the hard component 30 is improved by providing a large surface through the mechanical bond 40 at the interface of the components. The adhesive can be added to the soft component 20 during manufacture. Alternatively, the adhesive can be added to the hard component 30 or both to the soft component 20 and to the hard component 30 during manufacture. During the stage in which the soft component 20 contains a substantial amount of moisture and wraps around the hard component 30, the sodium caseinate / gelatin acts as an adhesive and causes the soft component 20 to bind hard to the hard component 30 when The two components are extruded and dried. The description of the mechanical bond 40 with adhesive can be applied to any of the modalities of the award for animals of various textures described herein that use adhesives and various mechanical joints when the prize for animals of various textures has several soft components.

In addition to or in place of sodium caseinate / gelatin, the adhesive may be one or more maltodextrins, flours (eg, precooked / toasted flours), starches, animal proteins, plant proteins, or combinations thereof. Suitable animal proteins include plasma and blood. Suitable plant proteins include pea protein, corn protein (e.g., ground corn or corn gluten), wheat protein (e.g., ground wheat or wheat gluten), soy protein (e.g., soy flour, soy concentrate or soy isolate), rice protein (eg, ground rice or rice gluten) and the like. These vegetable proteins can be provided in the form of semolina, flours, concentrates and isolates if desired.

The adhesive can be used in any suitable amount to provide sufficient adhesion so that the soft component remains attached fixed to the hard component. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be sodium caseinate ranging from about 0.1% to about 10%, including about 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5%, 4%, 4.5% , 5%, 5.5%, 6%, 6.5%, 7%, 7.5%, 8%, 8.5%, 9%, 9.5% and similar. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be gelatin (e.g.,> 100 Bloom) ranging from about 1% to about 15%, including about 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5% , 4%, 4.5%, 5%, 5.5%, 6%, 6.5%, 7%, 7.5%, 8%, 8.5%, 9%, 9.5%, 10%, 10.5%, 11%, 11.5%, 12 %, 12.5%, 13%, 13.5%, 14%, 14.5% and similar. It should be appreciated that this description of the adhesive can be applied to any of the award modalities for animals of various textures described herein.

In another aspect illustrated in Figure 2, the invention provides a prize for animals of various textures 110 having a soft component 120 that includes a mechanical joint 140 and a hard component 130 fixedly attached to the mechanical joint 140, alone or in combination with an adhesive Hard component 130 has a hardness measured by Instron compressibility values ranging from about 3.45 kg-m to about 8.29 kg-m (for example, Instron 5500R) and more preferably around 3.45 kg-m to about 7.6. kg-m or any value within the interval. The soft component 20 has a hardness measured by Instron compressibility values ranging from about 0.13 kg-m to about 2.76 kg-m (for example, Instron 5500R) and more preferably about 0.13 kg-m to about 2.07 kg. -m or any value within the range. The prize for animals of various textures 10 can have any suitable length or thickness.

As further illustrated in Figure 2, the hard component 130 has a cylindrical shape and has a groove surrounding the mechanical joint 140. The soft component 120 is wrapped around the hard component 130 in the form of spiral. As a result, the hard component 130 is mechanically bonded to the soft component 120 through the mechanical link 140. This mechanical fixation prevents the soft component 120 from separating from the hard component 130 for a prolonged period, even during the storage of the animal prize. of various textures 110. In another aspect, together with the mechanical bonding, the soft component 120 can be attached to the hard component 130 by the use of an adhesive such as that described herein. An extreme view of the award for animals of various textures 110 is shown in Figure 3B.

The hard component can be formulated to provide sufficient resistance to a dog biting the prize for animals of various textures, which will induce a brushing effect on the surface of the dog's teeth. In any aspect of the prizes for animals of various textures of the invention, the hard component may be an extruded product based on starch. The hard component may also be a pregelatinized cereal grain such as, for example, corn, wheat, barley, millet, sorghum, oats, rye, triticale or a combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the hard component may be a bio-plastic material produced from an expanded material as described in the U.S. Patent. Publication No. 2006/0292288. The bio-plastic material can be produced by a method that includes heat treatment of a pre-expanded (eg, porous) dry constituent so that it melts. Preferably, the firing of the pre-expanded dry constituent is carried out in the presence of a component capable of forming hydrogen bonds. The component can be a substance that is not water. The component is preferably capable of solvating the constituent. The component can be a polyhydric solvent. This can be liquid or solid under standard temperature and pressure conditions. Examples of suitable liquid solvents are ethylene glycol, glycerol and propylene glycol. Examples of suitable solid polyhydric solvents are sugars and sorbitol. Water may be present.

The cooking of the pre-expanded dry constituent can be carried out preferably at low water activity and under low humidity conditions. Prior to cooking, the pre-expanded constituent and the hydrogen bonding component, when used, are preferably mixed together to form a substantially homogeneous mixture, which is then placed in a cooking vessel. Preferably, the blend includes from 10% to about 90% by weight of the constituent and more preferably from 40% to about 80% by weight. Preferably, the mixture includes from about 0% to about 50% by weight of water. More preferably, the mixture includes from about 1% to about 15% by weight of water. Preferably, the mixture includes from about 0% to 80% by weight of the hydrogen bonding component. More preferably, the mixture includes from about 4% to about 16% by weight of the hydrogen bonding component.

The mixture may further include about 1% to 30% protein. The protein can be derived from a vegetable or animal source or both. It can be provided as a protein concentrate. Optional ingredients such as those conventionally selected for inclusion in food products may also be added to the mixture. Accordingly, the mixture can still further include at least one additional constituent, such as, for example, gelatin, dicalcium phosphate, a mixture of nutrients, a reactive sugar, an amino acid, high amylose component or amylopectin (such as starch) and inert (or non-digestible) charges.

The mixture may further include a preservative. Suitable examples include potassium sorbate, sorbic acid, methyl para-hydroxybenzoate, propionate calcium and propionic acid. By decreasing water activity, the need (if any) for such conservatives decreases accordingly. Therefore, when water is not added, no preservative is strictly necessary. The presence, in the preferred embodiments, of a hydrogen bonding component in combination with the pre-expanded constituent contained in the mixture, while requiring the entry of substantial amounts of energy in cooking, nonetheless promotes the controlled transformation of the constituent in a stable, coherent and easy to digest food body that can form a hard component that has a desired texture and unique properties by design.

The use of pre-expanded particles provides an advantage over non-expanded particles because the pre-expanded particles are highly porous and have a greater number of micro-pores of a size greater than ten times the average molecular radius of the bond-forming component. chosen hydrogen, for example a polyhydric solvent. Consequently, the pre-expanded particles have a larger external surface area in relation to the volume, compared to the non-expanded particles. The external surface area includes all surfaces accessible to the solvent molecules, including the surfaces within the pores, micro pores and intra-particular tunnels. It was found that the pre-expanded particles have a much faster absorption rate for the polyhydric solvent, compared to the unexpanded particles of the prior art. The pre-expanded particles also have a much faster adsorption of polyhydric solvents compared to the prior art particles. The pre-expanded particles also have a much faster solvation rate with a polyhydric solvent compared to the prior art particles.

In addition to the hard component, the soft component may include a conservative. In addition, at least one of the hard component and the soft component may include additional ingredients, such as, for example, drugs, nutrients, herbs, oral care ingredients, visible nutrition ingredients, colorants, flavors, humectants, antioxidants, or a combination of them.

The ingredients for oral care can be any ingredient that improves oral health. Typical oral care ingredients include those that freshen the breath, control tartar, combat gingivitis, fight periodontitis, and the like. The ingredients for oral care may be in the premium for animals of various textures in an amount ranging from about 0.05% to about 2.5%. Suitable ingredients for oral care include alfalfa nutrient concentrate (contains chlorophyll), sodium bicarbonate, phosphates (eg, tricalcium phosphate, acid pyrophosphates, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, metaphosphates, orthophosphates), peppermint, cloves, parsley, ginger , and similar.

The visible nutrition ingredients may be in the form of pieces or spots on the surfaces and / or within the hard component or soft component. Visible nutrition ingredients may be in the premium for animals of various textures in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 0.8%. Suitable visible nutritional ingredients include corn germ meal, dehydrated vegetables, fruits, grains (e.g., spinach, carrots, cranberries), and the like.

The dyes can provide an aesthetic effect. The colorants may be in the prize for animals of various textures in an amount ranging from about 0.001% to about 0.8%. Suitable colorants include FD & C, natural colors, titanium dioxide, and the like. In various modalities, the melt and mass are of different colors.

The flavors can make the prize for animals of various textures more appetizing for the animal. The flavors may be in the prize for animals of various textures in an amount ranging from about 0.03% to about 8%, preferably about 0.05 to about 5%, more preferably about 0.1 to about 4%. Suitable flavors include yeast, tallow, processed animal flours (e.g., poultry, beef, lamb and pork), flavor extracts or mixtures (e.g., grilled beef), and the like.

The humectants affect the texture of the prizes for animals of various textures and provide an aesthetic effect in the awards for animals of various textures. The humectants may be in the premium for animals of various textures in an amount ranging from about 9% to about 31%, preferably about 11 to about 24%. Suitable humectants include salt, sugars, propylene glycol and polyhydric glycols such as glycerin and sorbitol, and the like.

Antioxidants can provide an aesthetic effect and influence the odor of prizes for animals of various textures, particularly during the longest shelf life. Antioxidants may be in the premium for animals of various textures in an amount ranging from about 0.01% to about 0.5%. Suitable antioxidants include BHA / BHT, vitamin E (tocopherols), and the like.

In general, any ingredient that is compatible with the hard component and / or soft component can be added to the component. For example, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, drugs, herbs, nutrients, or other ingredients that prevent disease, treat disease, ameliorate the symptoms of the disease, or affect one or more bodily functions may be added to one or more of the components when applicable, for example, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA); nitric oxide releasing compounds (NORC); agents; anti-glycation; colostrum; amino acids; proteins; peptides; polypeptides; nucleic acids; oligonucleotides; polynucleotides; small moles; macromoles; vitamins; minerals; simple sugars; complex sugars; polysaccharides; carbohydrates; medium chain triglycerides (MCT); triglycerides (TG); n-3 fatty acids (omega-3) such as DHA, EPA and Ala; fatty acids n-6 (omega-6) such as LA, g-linolenic acid (GLA) and ARA, SA, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA); hill or hill sources such as thin; fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A and precursors of them, such as carotenoids (for example, (b-carotene); vitamin D sources such as vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (colcif erol); vitamin E such as tocopherols (eg, a-tocopherol) and tocotrienols and vitamin E derivatives such as Trolox, and vitamin K sources such as vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and vitamin K2 (menadione); water-soluble vitamins such as B vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin (including nicotinamide and nicotinic acid), pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, folic acid, biotin, cobalamin, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), antioxidants, including some of the vitamins mentioned above, especially vitamins E and C; bioflavonoids, such as apigenin, catechin, flavonone, genistein, naringenin, quercetin and theaflavin, quinones such as ubiquinone, carotenoids such as lycopene and lycoxanthin, ac gone a-lipoic, L-carnitine, D-limonene, glucosamine, S-adenosylmethionine; chitosan; alginate, calcium, hyaluronic acid, magnesium, monooleylphosphatidic acid; nitric oxide (for example, as nitroglycerin); S-carbamylcysteine; sodium butyrate; sodium salicylate; spermidine; sphingosine; and glucose. Other examples include ingredients that affect the conditions or diseases of the joints, such as analgesics, glucosamine, chondroitin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroitin sulfate, and glucosamine sulfate. Other examples include immune system enhancing agents such as calcineurin inhibitors, glucocorticoids, and the like. Similarly, these and the ingredients mentioned above can be added to the hard component or soft component in various combinations as long as it is compatible with the components and with each other, for example, one or more ingredients for oral care and one or more ingredients that affect conditions or diseases of the joints in the same hard component or in the same soft component.

Similarly, the award for multi-textured animals may act as a delivery vehicle for numerous individual functional ingredients. For example, one component may have a functional ingredient related to oral health while the other component may have a beneficial ingredient for joint health or bowel health. In addition, by providing separate delivery vehicles through the hard and soft components, the award for animals of various textures can carry ingredients that can react adversely to one another if they are in the same component.

In another aspect, the invention provides containers useful for containing prizes for animals of various textures of the invention. The containers comprise at least one material suitable for containing prizes for animals of various textures and a label pasted on the material containing one or more words, image, design, acronym, slogan, phrase, or other device, or combination thereof , which indicates that the packaging contains the prize for animals of various textures. Typically, such a device comprises the words prize for animals of various textures or prize for animals of various textures having a hard and a soft component or an equivalent expression printed on the material that distinguishes the prize for animals of various textures of the invention. Any configuration of container and packaging material suitable to contain the prize for animals of various textures are useful in the invention, for example, a bag, box, bag, bottle, can, bag, and the like made from paper, plastic, aluminum foil, metal, and the like. In preferred embodiments, the package further comprises one or more prizes for animals of various textures of the invention. In various embodiments, the package further comprises at least one window that allows the contents of the package to be viewed without the need to open the package. In some embodiments, the window is a transparent part of the packaging material. In others, the window is a missing part of the packaging material. Prizes for animals with multiple textures have a hard component and a soft component fixedly attached to the hard component. The soft component remains fixedly attached to the hard component without separating for at least 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, 12 months or more.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method for making a prize for animals of various textures. The method comprises mixing a dry blend of the components for a hard component with plasticizers in the extruder to form a first melt and mixing a dry mixture of the components for a soft component with plasticizers which are heated and mixed to form a dough. The first fusion and the heated mass are coextruded through a die assembly to form the prize for animals of various textures. The dough forms an elongated rope having at least one projection, preferably a projection on one side of the cord. The first melt coats the projection and forms a mechanical bond before leaving the die assembly. The extruded hard component may have a twisted shape or a cylindrical shape. The soft component can be wrapped around the hard component in a spiral.

Generally, a hard component and one or more soft components are co-extruded and held together by mechanical or physical means as described in the present document, for example, a mechanical union.

In various embodiments, the invention provides prizes for animals of various textures having a hard component (illustrated as in Figure 1) having two or more slots suitable for enclosing one or more mechanical joints (one of these mechanical joints illustrated as in figure 1 and figure 3A) and two or more soft components (one these soft components is illustrated as 20 in figure 1 and figure 3A) having a useful mechanical joint (illustrated as 40 in figure 1 and figure 3A) to be fixedly attached to the hard component. In one embodiment, the hard component has two soft components fixedly joined through a corresponding mechanical link in the soft component, that is, the hard component has two grooves that adhere to the corresponding mechanical joints in the soft component. In another, the hard component has three soft components fixedly attached to a corresponding mechanical joint in a corresponding soft component. In another, the hard component has four or more soft components fixedly attached to a corresponding mechanical joint in a corresponding soft component, the upper limit of the soft components being dictated by the size of the hard component and the soft components.

The soft components may comprise the same or different ingredients, for example, the ingredients given herein as ingredients for oral care, visible nutrition ingredients, colorants, flavors, humectants, antioxidants, and combinations thereof. In the same way, the soft components can have the same or different size, shape, appearance and texture. The variation of these characteristics of the soft components allows the prize for animals of various textures to be customized as necessary to meet aesthetic, health, hedonistic, or other needs. several animals and, where appropriate, their carers. For example, in certain modalities the soft components contain different flavors that vary the taste of the award for animals of various textures; different ingredients that vary the texture of the prize for animals of various textures; and different colors that vary the color of the prize for animals of various textures. In one embodiment, the prize for animals of various textures has two soft components, one containing one or more ingredients for oral care and one containing one or more flavorings. This modality provides a tasty prize that is desirable for the animal and that has a beneficial effect on oral health. In another, the prize for animals of various textures has two soft components, one containing one or more compounds that benefit joint health and one containing one or more different ingredients, for example, flavorings, colorants, and the like. In another, the award for animals of various textures has two soft components, one containing one or more flavorings and one containing one or more different flavorings. This modality provides a prize of several flavors that typically has more attraction for the animal. In another, the award for animals of various textures has two soft components, one that contains one or more flavorings and one that contains one or more antioxidants. This modality provides a tasty prize that has a beneficial effect on animal health. In another, the award for animals of various textures has two soft components, one that contains one or more flavorings and one that contains one or more medications. This modality provides a tasty prize that the animal will desire and consume while taking necessary medications without the difficulties that often accompany the administration of medicines to animals. In one more, the award for animals of various textures has three soft components, one containing flavorings and colorants; one that contains oral health ingredients, and one that contains antioxidants.

Many of these combinations can be prepared by the person skilled in the art. Prizes containing two or more soft components are made using the same methods described herein, except that the two or more soft components are coextruded during the process. In certain other embodiments, the soft components have different sizes and / or shapes. The variation of these characteristics of the soft components allows the award for animals of various textures to be varied as necessary to meet the requirements of aesthetics, manufacturing, or other needs of manufacturers, animals and, where appropriate, their caregivers . For example, in making an award for multi-textured animals with four soft components (often with different palatability enhancers, colorants, and the like), the soft components may need to be smaller in size for the multiple soft components can be accommodated in the hard component while maintaining the overall prize size for animals of various textures in such a way that it is attractive to and / or can be consumed by the animal, for example, compatible with the size of the muzzle and size of the animal. bite. Similarly, the shape of the soft components can be varied simply to create a visually appealing prize. For example, a prize for animals of various textures having three soft components may have a soft component in the form of a star, a soft component in the form of a circle, and a soft component in the form of a triangle. Numerous combinations of shapes, sizes, flavors, colorants, and the like are contemplated and included within the invention.

In various embodiments, the prize for multi-textured animals comprises a combination of soft components individually attached to the hard component individually using one or more mechanical bonds and one or more edible adhesives, such as the mechanical bonds and adhesives described herein. document.

In other embodiments, an individual soft component is fixedly attached to the hard component using a combination of one or more mechanical joining sections and one or more sections of edible adhesive, eg, a half of a single soft component is attached to the component. hard using a mechanical joint and the other half of the soft component is attached to the hard component using edible adhesive or a quarter of a single soft component is attached to the hard component using a mechanical bond and a third part of the remaining soft component is bonded to the component hard using edible adhesive. In some of these embodiments, there are one or more sections of the soft component that do not attach fixedly to the hard component.

In another aspect, the invention provides prizes for animals made according to the methods of the invention.

Various Ingredients in various amounts can be used to make prizes for animals of various textures of the invention. Examples of such ingredients and ranges for those ingredients are: Formulations of hard components Preferred intervals pregelatinized rice flour The level varies with other components (60.0% - 86.0%) Emulsifier 1.2-2.0% Potassium sorbate 0.2-0.6% Calcium propanol 0.2-0.6% Glycerin 8.0-20.0% Water 4.0-15.0% Phosphoric acid 0.4 to 1.0% Formulations of components Preferred soft intervals Wheat flour The level varies with other components (30.0-80.0%) Pregelatinized corn flour 0.0 - 20% Sugar 0.0 - 15% Glycerin 15.0 - 25.0% Water 4.0 - 15.0% Potassium Sorbate 0.2 - 0.6% Calcium propionate 0.2 - 0.6% Phosphoric acid 0.4 - 1.0% Total product formulations Cereal / starch matrix Pregelatinized starches The level varies with others components (45.0-71.0%) Wheat flour 8.0 - 18.0% Plasticizers-humectants Polyols 10.0 - 25.0% Sugar / Salt 2.0 - 5.0% Water 8.0 - 15.0% Antifungal preservatives Potassium Sorbate 0.2 - 0.6% Calcium propionate 0.2 - 0.6% Phosphoric acid 0.4 - 1.0% In a further aspect, the invention provides kits. The kits comp in separate containers in a single container or in separate containers in a virtual container, as appropriate to the kit component, at least one prize for various textures of the invention and one or more of (1) one or more edible ingredients, for example, different prizes, dog food, cat food, animal toys, and the like; (2) one or more devices of great utility for the entertainment of an animal, for example, a play toy, a chew toy, and the like; (3) one or more devices useful for handling or protecting an animal, for example, a piece of clothing, a strap, a collar, and the like; and (4) instructions on how to use prizes for animals and other equipment components, especially for the benefit of animals.

When the kit comps a virtual package, the kit is limited to instructions in a virtual environment in combination with one or more physical components of the kit. The kits may contain the components of the kit in any of various combinations. In one embodiment, the kit contains a prize for animals of various textures of the invention and a container of food for consumption by an animal, for example, food for dogs or cats. In another, the kit contains the prize for animals and a non-edible chew toy. In another, the kit contains the prize for animals and an animal collar and a corresponding strap. Many of these combinations are within the scope of expert technicians.

In another aspect, the invention provides containers useful for containing prizes for animals of various textures of the invention. The package comps at least one material suitable for containing the prize for animals and a label pasted on the material containing one or several words, image, design, acronym, motto, phrase, or other device, or combination thereof, which indicates that the package contains the prize for animals. Typically, that device comprises the words prize for animals of various textures or prize for animals of various durable textures or an equivalent expression printed on the material. Any material and packaging configuration suitable for containing the prize for animals is useful in the invention, for example, a bag, box, bottle, can, bag, and the like made from paper, plastic, aluminum foil, metal, and the like. . In preferred embodiments, the package further comprises a prize for animals of the invention. In various embodiments, the package further comprises at least one window that allows the contents of the package to be viewed without the need to open the package. In some embodiments, the window is a transparent part of the packaging material. In others, the window is an absent part of the packaging material.

In another aspect, the invention provides a means for communicating information about or instructions for one or more of (1) instructions for the use of prizes for animals of various textures of the invention, particularly for entertaining or benefiting an animal, and (2) ) using the kits of the present invention. The medium comprises a document, digital storage means, optical storage means, audio presentation, or visual screen containing the information or instructions. In certain modalities, the means of communication is a website that is displayed, visual representation, kiosk, a brochure, product label, prospectus, advertisement, brochure, public announcement, audio tapes, video tapes, DVD, CD-ROM , computer-readable chip, computer-readable card, computer-readable disk, computer memory, or combination thereof containing such information or instructions. Information of interest includes useful contact information for animals or their guardians If you have any questions about the prizes for animals of various textures of the kits.

Examples By way of example and not limitation, the following examples are illustrative of various embodiments of the present invention. The examples describe formulations for the hard and soft components and the method of joining them to form a braided product of various textures that is held together throughout the useful life of the product.

Example 1 Hard component One thousand kilograms (Kg) of dry mix for the hard component was prepared by weighing each ingredient, as shown in Table 1 and adding it to a ribbon blender in which they were mixed to form a homogeneous dry mix.

The dry mix was then transferred to a hopper that feeds a first twin screw extruder EV68 (TSE 1). The screws were configured for medium shear and a ventilation stuffer was mounted on cylinder 6 (on 10) of the extruder.

After starting the extruder, the dry mix was fed into the first cylinder of the extruder at 154 kg / h. The suspension Glycerin 86 (96%) / phosphoric acid 75% (4%) which was heated to 60 ° C was injected into this cylinder at 26.5 kg / h (17.2% of the dry mix feed rate). Water was also injected in this section at 20.5 kg / h (13.3% of the feed rate of the mixture). The screw speed was adjusted to 170 rpm. The pressure on the front plate was around 100 bars. The cylinders were all cooled thanks to cold water to keep the temperature of the mass below 100 ° C. This melt was pushed through the collector fixed to the end of the extruder. The collector led to the 4 rotary dies.

Table 1 Formulation of dry mix for hard component Example 2 Soft component Two hundred sixty (260) kilograms (kg) of dry mix for the soft component were made by weighing the ingredients as shown in Table 2 in a ribbon blender where they were mixed to form a homogeneous dry mix.

The dry mix was then transferred to a hopper that feeds a second twin screw extruder FC45 (TSE 2) of lower capacity. The screws were configured for medium shear.

After the start-up of the extruder, the dry mix was fed into the first cylinder of the extruder at 40.5 kg / h. The suspension 86% glycerin (96%) / 75% phosphoric acid (4%) that was heated to 60 ° C was injected into this cylinder at 12.0 kg / h (29.6% of the dry mix feed rate). Water and soybean oil were also injected in this section, respectively, at 5.7 kg / h (14.1% of the feed rate of the mixture) and 3.3 kg / h (8.2% of the feed rate of the mixture). The screw speed was adjusted to 320 rpm. The pressure on the front plate was around 100 bars. Some of the cylinders were heated to 55 ° C to help gelatinize the starch. Next, this melt was pushed through the second manifold connected to the end of the second extruder. The collector led to the 4 rotary dies where the hard and soft component is combined, the hard and soft component representing respectively around 76% and 24% of the total product.

Table 2 Formulation of dry mix for soft component Example 3 Product formation twisted of various textures As shown in Example 1 (the hard extruded material) and Example 2 (the soft extruded product) were both formed separately and combined at the end of the die assembly. As can be seen in the die drawings, the die channel for the soft component was designed to create a dovetail in the die channel of the hard part. Both extruded materials are separately formed almost all along the die. The flow paths were brought into contact 10 mm before the exit of the die. The attached ropes were rotated as they came out of the die assembly creating a braided structure. The twisting effect reinforced the joint between the 2 parts by closing the slot where the soft dovetail is trapped. The twisted ropes were cut with an ultrasonic blade into pieces of approximately either 70 mm, 110 mm or 140 mm, depending on the cross section of die used. The products are cooled to 20 ° C and stored before being packaged in flexible moisture barrier bags. The product is shown in figure 1 and figure 3A. The products stored under ambient conditions showed that the hard and soft parts remained firmly attached. Thanks to the respective initial Aw of the 2 parts, the textures remained hard and soft.

Example 4 Example 1 was repeated except that seventy-five percent (75%) of the pregelatinized rice flour of the hard component was replaced by pregelatinized corn flour. Texture measurements were made 4 weeks after production. Measurements showed that pregelatinized corn flour leads to a slightly weaker texture compared to pregelatinized rice flour. The maximum tensile force was reduced from 446 Newtons to 330 Newtons, while the maximum penetrometry force decreased from 250 Newtons to 215 Newtons.

All patents, patent applications, publications and other references cited or referred to in this document are incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by the lcy. The discussion of these references is only intended to summarize the statements made in them. No admission is made that any such patents, patent applications, publications or references, or any portion thereof, are the relevant technology for the present invention and the right to challenge the accuracy and relevance of this type of patent, applications. of patent, publications and other references is specifically reserved.

Claims (18)

1. A prize for animals of various textures characterized because it includes: one or more soft components comprising a mechanical bond, the soft components have a hardness, measured by the compressibility values of Instron, ranging from about 0.13 kg-m to 2.76 kg-m; Y a hard component fixedly attached to a corresponding mechanical joint in one or more of the soft components, the hard component has a hardness, measured by Instron compressibility values, ranging from about 3.45 kg-m to 8.29 kg- m.

2. The prize for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that the hard component is an extruded product based on starch.

3. The award for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that the hard component comprises a grain of pregelatinized cereal.

4. The prize for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the hard component and the soft component comprises a preservative.

5. The award for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the hard component and the soft component comprises an additional ingredient selected from the group consisting of ingredients for oral care, visible nutrition, dyes, flavors, moisturizers , antioxidants and combinations thereof.

6. The prize for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that the hard component has a twisted shape.

7. The prize for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that the soft component is wrapped around the hard component in the form of a spiral.

8. The award for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that the hard component is also fixedly attached to the corresponding mechanical joint in the soft component using an edible adhesive.

9. The prize for animals of various textures according to claim 8, characterized in that the adhesive is selected from the group consisting of sodium caseinate, gelatin, and combinations thereof.

10. The prize for animals of various textures according to claim 8, characterized in that the adhesive is selected from the group consisting of maltodextrins, flours, starches, animal proteins, vegetable proteins and combinations thereof in an amount sufficient to bind fixedly the soft component to the hard component.

11. The award for animals of various textures according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises more than one soft component, wherein the soft components are individually fixedly attached to the hard component by a combination of one or more mechanical bonds and one or more edible adhesives.

12. A method of manufacturing a prize for animals of various textures, characterized in that it comprises: mixing a dry blend of components for a hard component with plasticizers in an extruder to form a first melt; mixing a dry blend of components for a soft component with plasticizers to form a soft component mixture; mixing and heating the soft component mixture to form a dough; coextruding the first melt and the mass through a die assembly to form the prize for animals of various textures, the first melt forms an elongated rope having a groove to be fixed to a mechanical joint, the mass comprises a mechanical joint which is enclosed by the slot in the first melt while in the die assembly to form a mechanical joint.

13. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that at least one of the first melt and the mass includes an adhesive.

14. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the adhesive is selected from the group consisting of sodium caseinate, gelatin, and combinations thereof.

15. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the adhesive is selected from the group consisting of maltodextrins, flours, starches, animal proteins, vegetable proteins and combinations thereof in an amount sufficient to bind in a fixed manner the soft melt to the hard dough.

16. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the hard component has a twisted shape.

17. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that the soft component is wrapped around the hard component in the form of a spiral.

18. A prize for animals of various textures, characterized in that it is made according to the method according to claim 30.