JP2020089343A - Method of producing pet food - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a method of producing a pet food that comprises a base material and a coat for coating a portion of the base substrate and satisfies a standard for general nutritional diets.SOLUTION: There is provided a method of producing a pet food comprising: a base material; and a coat for coating a portion of the base substrate, with a component composition of the base substrate and a component composition of the coat being different each other. The method comprises: (a) a step of discharging a coat forming composition having a composition different from that of the base material in a TD direction from a nozzle so as to coat a portion of the base material being transported in an MD direction; (b) a step of measuring a weight of the resulting pet food after the step (a); and (c) a step of controlling a flow rate of the coat forming composition discharged in the TD direction by the nozzle, on the basis of a weight of the pet food measured in the step (b).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing pet food.

Various improvements have been made to pet foods so that they can be eaten by pets, that is, to improve their taste.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dual-structure animal food containing a grain-based shell component and a soft internal component containing a lipid component, and the soft internal component being completely surrounded by the shell component. Thus, animal foods having improved palatability are described.

Japanese Patent No. 4689932

However, in the food for animals described in Patent Document 1, since the soft internal component is completely surrounded by the shell component, there is little visual change in appearance, and visual interest cannot be evoked. In addition, the texture when chewing is uniform, and the change due to the texture is scarce.
In order to give the pet food a change in appearance and texture, for example, a part of the pet food may be coated with a creamy composition. However, when a part of the base of pet food is coated with the creamy composition, the proportion of the fat and oil raw material contained in the pet food increases, and the resulting pet food may not satisfy the comprehensive nutritional food standard. There is.
On the other hand, when the amount of the creamy composition is reduced so that the pet food satisfies the comprehensive nutritional food standard, it may be difficult to form the coating portion on the substrate. Even if the coating portion can be formed on the substrate, it is difficult to form the coating portion having a desired shape, and the appearance of the pet food may be impaired.
Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the manufacturing method of the pet food which is provided with a base|substrate and the coating|coated part which coat|covers a part of said base|substrate, and satisfy|fills the standard of integrated nutrition food.

The present invention includes the following aspects.
(1) A substrate and a coating portion that covers a portion of the substrate are provided, and a portion of the substrate is exposed, and the component composition of the substrate and the component composition of the coating portion are different. A method for producing a pet food, comprising: (a) discharging a coating portion-forming composition having a composition different from that of the substrate in a TD direction from a nozzle to remove a part of the substrate transported in the MD direction. Based on the weight of the pet food measured in the step (b), the step of measuring the weight of the obtained pet food after the step (b) of the step (a), And a step of controlling the flow rate of the composition for forming a coating portion, which is more discharged in the TD direction.
(2) (a1) a step of detecting the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction by a detecting means, and (a2) in the step (a1), the coating part forming composition is for a predetermined time or more. The method for producing pet food according to (1), further comprising: activating the nozzle clogging elimination means when an object is not detected by the detection means.
(3) (z1) a step of measuring the surface temperature of the base before the step (a), and (z2) a step after the step (z1) and before the step (a). The method for producing pet food according to (1) or (2), further including the step of controlling heating means or cooling means in accordance with the surface temperature of the substrate measured in (z1).
(4) The method for producing a pet food according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the coating portion-forming composition contains a fat and oil and a powder raw material.
(5) The method for producing a pet food according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the coating part forming composition contains a hardened oil and fat.
(6) The method for producing a pet food according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the substrate is granular.
(7) The pet food manufacturing method according to (6), wherein the substrate is expanded particles.

The present invention also includes the following aspects.
(8) A base and a coating part that covers a part of the base are provided, a part of the base is exposed, and the component composition of the base and the component composition of the coating part are different. A method for producing a pet food, comprising: (a) discharging a coating portion-forming composition having a composition different from that of the substrate in a TD direction from a nozzle to remove a part of the substrate transported in the MD direction. A step of coating, (a1) a step of detecting the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction by a detection means, and (a2) in the step (a1), forming the coating part for a predetermined time or more. If the composition for use is not detected by the detection means, the step of activating the nozzle clogging elimination means is included.
(9) A substrate and a coating portion that covers a portion of the substrate are provided, and a portion of the substrate is exposed, and the component composition of the substrate and the component composition of the coating portion are different. A method of manufacturing a pet food, comprising: (z1) measuring the surface temperature of the substrate, and (z2) depending on the surface temperature of the substrate measured in the step (z1) after the step (z1). Then, after the step of controlling the heating means or the cooling means, and (z3) the step (z2), a coating portion forming composition having a composition different from that of the substrate is discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction, and MD Coating a part of the substrate that is conveyed in the direction, and a method for manufacturing pet food.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for producing pet food, which comprises a substrate and a coating portion which covers a part of the substrate, and which satisfies the criteria for comprehensive nutrition food.

It is an example of pet food manufactured by the manufacturing method of pet food concerning one mode of the present invention.

As used herein, the term “pet” refers to an animal kept by a person. In a narrower sense, pets are animals loved by their owners. Further, "pet food" refers to feed for pets. The pet food according to the present invention can be sold as “animal feed” or “animal feed”.
In the present specification, the “dry type pet food” means food grains having a water content of about 6% by mass. The water content of the dry type food particles is usually about 3 to 12% by mass, preferably about 10% by mass or less.
In the present specification, the “soft pet food” means a pet food having a water content of about 15 to 35% by mass.

[Measurement method of major axis, minor axis and thickness of pet food]
In the present specification, for the average major axis of the pet food, the major axis and the minor axis when the pet food placed on a horizontal table is viewed from above are measured with a caliper, and the average value thereof is taken as the average major axis and the average minor axis. The thickness of the pet food is measured from the lower surface (lower end) to the upper surface (upper end) of the pet food placed on a horizontal table.

<Pet food manufacturing method>
A method of manufacturing a pet food according to an aspect of the present invention includes a base and a coating part that covers a part of the base, a part of the base is exposed, and the component composition of the base and the The composition of the coating portion is different from the method of producing a pet food, and (a) a coating portion forming composition having a composition different from that of the substrate is discharged from a nozzle in the TD direction, and MD Direction, a step of coating a part of the substrate, (b) a step of measuring the weight of the obtained pet food after the step (a), and a step (c) of the step (b) Controlling the flow rate of the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction based on the weight of the pet food.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a pet food manufactured by the method for manufacturing a pet food according to this embodiment. In the pet food 1, a part of the round base 10 is covered with the covering portion 20. According to the pet food manufacturing method of the present aspect, it is possible to manufacture the pet food that satisfies the standard of the total nutritional food while the base 10 is partially covered with the coating portion 20. The pet food obtained by the method for producing a pet food according to this embodiment has an appearance that attracts a user's attention because a part of the base 10 is covered with the covering portion 20.
In FIG. 1, 11 is a recess formed in the base 10. In the pet food manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the present aspect, the recess 11 may or may not be present, but the recess 11 is preferable because the coating portion 20 is less likely to peel off.

[Step (a)]
The step (a) is a step of discharging a coating portion forming composition having a composition different from that of the substrate from a nozzle in the TD direction to coat a part of the substrate transported in the MD direction.

In the present specification, the “MD direction” (machine direction) refers to a direction (flow direction) in which a substrate is transported by a transport device such as a conveyor. "Transverse direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the direction in which a substrate is transported by a transport device such as a conveyor. The “crossing direction” refers to a direction (width direction) orthogonal to a direction in which a substrate is transported by a transport device such as a conveyor in a horizontal plane.

The nozzle is not particularly limited as long as it is a nozzle for food processing, but for example, a decorator can be used.
As one embodiment of the step (a), for example, a coating part forming composition is discharged from a nozzle of a decorator to a substrate continuously conveyed in the MD direction by a conveyor to coat a part of the substrate. ..

The nozzle diameter may be appropriately adjusted according to the size of the substrate. For example, φ0.5 to 2 mm is preferable, φ0.6 to 1.5 mm is more preferable, and φ0.7 to 1.0 mm is further preferable.

In the step (a), the coating part forming composition may be discharged from the nozzle while swinging the nozzle in a desired direction. By ejecting the composition for forming a coating portion while shaking the nozzle in a desired direction, it becomes easy to uniformly apply the composition for forming a coating portion to a substrate conveyed in the MD direction, and a coating portion having a desired shape is provided. It becomes easier to obtain a base material.

The arrangement of the nozzles is not particularly limited as long as it is a position at which the composition for forming a coating portion can be discharged onto the substrate. By arranging a plurality of nozzles in the CD direction, it becomes easy to uniformly apply the coating part forming composition to the substrate conveyed in the MD direction, and it becomes easy to obtain a substrate having a coating part having a desired shape.

In step (a), the coating portion-forming composition is discharged from above the substrate to form the coating portion only on the upper surface of the substrate. After forming the coating on the upper surface of the substrate, the substrate is inverted, and the coating forming composition is discharged onto the back surface of the substrate to form the coating on the back surface of the substrate.

The shape of the covering portion of the pet food manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the present aspect is defined by the covering shape in the step (a). The coating shape can be controlled by, for example, the operation of a decorator, and various shapes such as a line shape, a dot shape, a circular shape, and a polygonal shape can be used to cover the substrate with the coating portion-forming composition. From the viewpoint of manufacturing efficiency, it is preferable to form the coating portion in a line shape.

<<Composition for forming coating part>>
The coating part forming composition is a composition for forming a coating part. The coating portion forming composition has a component composition different from the component composition of the substrate described later in order to form a coating portion having a different component composition from the substrate.

The composition for forming the coating part may be any component composition different from that of the substrate, and materials known in pet food can be appropriately used. The coating part forming composition may contain, for example, fats and oils and a powder raw material. For example, oils and fats, powder raw materials, and appropriate raw materials such as excipients and nutritional ingredients may be mixed and used as a composition for forming a coated portion.

The fats and oils may be vegetable fats and oils, animal fats and oils, and vegetable fats and oils may be used in combination. It is preferable that the fats and oils contain hardened fats and oils because the shape retention of the coated portion is improved. The “hardened oil/fat” refers to an oil/fat having a high melting point by increasing the ratio of saturated fatty acid by hydrogenating (hydrogenating) an oil/fat having a large proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and being liquid at room temperature. Hardened oils and fats are usually in a solid state at room temperature. The hardened oil and fat may be of vegetable origin, animal origin, or a combination of vegetable and animal origin. As the hardened oil/fat, it is preferable to use an extremely hardened oil/fat (melting point 56.5 to 60.5° C.) since the shape retention property of the coated portion is improved.
Examples of fats and oils include those having a high melting point (about 45 to 65°C, preferably about 56.5 to 60.5°C) and those having a low melting point (about 20 to 45°C, preferably about 30 to 40°C). Is preferably used in combination. When only those with a high melting point are used, they are difficult to dissolve and decompose in the body when ingested. On the other hand, if only a material having a low melting point is used, the workability is poor, and there is a risk that the material will melt at high temperatures. By using a material having a high melting point and a material having a low melting point in combination, it is possible to obtain a composition having good processability and being easily dissolved when eaten. Examples of such a combination include a combination of vegetable oil and hardened oil and fat. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to vegetable fats and oils, refined beef tallow, refined pork fat, chicken fat, sheep fat, horse fat, fish oil, fatty acids (linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc.), and butter may be used. Good. Preferable examples of vegetable oils and fats include palm oil and palm fractionated oil.

The powder raw material is blended to reduce the fluidity of the coating forming composition and form a raised coating. As an example of the powder raw material, any powder raw material usable for pet food can be used without particular limitation. Examples of powder raw materials include, for example, cereals (corn, wheat, rice, corn gluten meal, wheat bran, bread crumbs, barley, oats, rye, etc.), potatoes (sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.), beans (whole soybeans, defatted soybeans) Soybeans), starches (wheat starch, corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, modified starch, etc.), meat (chicken, beef, pork, venison, etc.). Liver, beef muscle, pig ear, chicken breast, etc. Processed products such as chicken meal, pork meal, beef meal, mixed meal of these, meat extract, etc., seafood (tuna, bonito, horse mackerel, etc., shrimp, crab) Shellfish such as octopus, molluscs such as octopus and squid, shellfish such as scallops and sea sharks, processed fish meal, fish extract, bonito flakes, etc. Small fish expressing its form, white fish expressing its meat quality, etc. Tuna bloody meat that represents the part), vegetables, seeds, mushrooms, fruits, algae, eggs, sugars, milk, and other (herbs, yeast, cellulose, etc.) and other powders.
A preferable example of the powder raw material is soybean powder. Among them, concentrated soybean protein is preferable, and heat-treated one in consideration of digestion is more preferable. Also, instead of or together with soybean powder, pregelatinized wheat flour, soybean protein isolate, protein hydrolyzate, brewer's yeast powder, cheese powder, milk powder, seafood powder, amino acid powder, meat-based , Beans, rice flour, malt powder, nucleic acid and the like may be used. As the powder raw material, it is preferable to use one having a good compatibility with fats and oils. The pulverized particle size of the powder raw material is not particularly limited, but the maximum pulverized particle size is preferably 400 μm or less, and more preferably the average pulverized particle size is 100 μm or less.

The coating forming composition contains various excipients, vitamins, inorganic salts, amino acids, acidulants, seasonings, flavor raw materials, colorants, preservatives, emulsifiers, antioxidants and other additives. Good.

The coating part forming composition can be prepared by appropriately selecting the above-mentioned raw materials and mixing them at a desired mixing ratio.
As a compounding example of the composition for forming a coating part, a total of 5 to 70% by mass of fats and oils having a low melting point (vegetable oils and fats), a total of 3 to 40% by mass of fats and oils having a high melting point (hardened oils and fats), and powder raw materials 5 to 70 mass% in total, and 2.5 to 35 mass% in total of excipients (dextrin, starches, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, etc.) and the like.

<<Substrate>>
The substrate used in this step is not particularly limited, and any substrate can be used.
The shape of the substrate is not particularly limited, and any shape such as a granular shape, a rod shape, a plate shape, a spherical shape, a tubular shape, a cylindrical shape, or a conical shape can be adopted. The cross-sectional shape of the substrate includes, but is not limited to, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon (for example, a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a rhombus, a trapezoid, etc.), a star shape, and a heart shape. When the substrate is granular, the shape of the grains is, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a polygon (for example, a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a diamond, a trapezoid, etc.), a heart shape, a star shape, a cross shape, a donut shape. , Clover shape, and the like, but are not limited thereto.

The size of the substrate is not particularly limited as long as it is a size that is easy for pets to eat. For example, when the pet food is granular, as the size of the pet food granules, for example, the major axis and the minor axis are each preferably in the range of 3 to 30 mm, and both are 6 to 16.5 mm. Is more preferable, and it is further preferable that all are 8 to 13 mm. 2-8 mm is preferable, as for the thickness of pet food grain, 3-6 mm is more preferable, 3.5-5.5 mm is still more preferable, 3.5-5 mm is especially preferable.

The substrate may have at least one recess. The arrangement, shape, and number of the recesses are not particularly limited, and any arrangement, shape, and number can be used. Since the base has the concave portion, peeling of the coating portion is suppressed. In addition, when the pet food is a hard dry food, the presence of the concave portions makes it easier for the pet food to be crushed. The concave portion may be a through hole or a non-through hole, but a through hole is preferable from the viewpoint of being easily broken.
Examples of the shape of the recess include a circle, an ellipse, a polygon (for example, a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a diamond, a trapezoid, etc.) and a groove. The number of recesses is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include 1 to 10, 2 to 8, or 4 to 8 and 6 to 8. When there are a plurality of recesses, the arrangement may be, for example, a lattice shape, a grid shape, a radial shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape (for example, a triangle, a quadrangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a diamond, a trapezoid, etc.). ..

For the substrate, a known raw material for pet food can be appropriately used. The substrate is obtained, for example, by heating and molding a raw material mixture in which a powder raw material and a liquid raw material are mixed. The substrate may be expanded particles or non-expanded particles, but expanded particles are preferable from the viewpoint of texture. The “expanded particles” are particles obtained by molding the raw material mixture into granules, and are particles obtained through the expansion step of foaming inside the raw material mixture. The "puffing step" refers to a step of generating a gas inside the raw material mixture by a method such as heating, fermentation, chemical reaction or pressure reduction. In the expansion step, the volume of the raw material mixture increases due to the generation of gas, and the raw material mixture becomes porous. As the volume of the raw material mixture increases, the bulk density decreases. By forming the raw material mixture into granules before the expansion step, after the expansion step, or simultaneously with the expansion step, "expanded particles" are obtained. "Non-expanded granules" are granules produced without undergoing the expansion step.

Examples of powder raw materials include cereals (corn, wheat, rice, corn gluten meal, wheat bran, bread crumbs, barley, oats, rye, etc.), potatoes (sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.), beans (whole soybeans) as main raw materials. , Defatted soybeans, etc.), starches (wheat starch, corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, sago starch, modified starch, etc.), meat (chicken, beef, pork, venison, etc.). Representing liver, beef muscle, pork ear, chicken breast, etc. Processed products such as chicken meal, pork meal, beef meal, mixed meal thereof, meat extract, etc., seafood (tuna, bonito, horse mackerel, etc.). Shellfish such as crabs, molluscs such as octopus and squid, shellfish such as scallops and sea bream, processed fish meal, fish extract, bonito flakes, etc. Etc.), vegetables, seeds, mushrooms, fruits, algae, eggs, sugars, milks, others (herbs, yeast, cellulose, etc.), as additives, Examples include vitamins, inorganic salts, amino acids, acidulants, seasonings, flavor raw materials, colorants, preservatives, emulsifiers, antioxidants and the like.

Examples of liquid raw materials include water, fats and oils, sugars (such as liquid sugar), humectants, preservatives and emulsifiers. The moisturizer and the emulsifier may be added in the form of an aqueous solution.
The fats and oils may be vegetable fats and oils or animal fats and oils. It is preferable to use animal fats and oils because high palatability is easily obtained. Examples of preferable animal fats and oils include chicken oil, lard, beef tallow, and milk fat.

As an example of the combination of the base, a total of 20 to 70% by mass of cereals, a total of 10 to 50% by mass of meat, a total of 0 to 30% by mass of seafood, a total of 0 to 10% by mass of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and cellulose Powders 0 to 15% by mass, animal fats and oils 1 to 20% by mass and the like can be mentioned.

(Production example of substrate)
The manufacturing method of the substrate is not particularly limited, and a known method can be applied. The following is an example of the manufacturing method when the substrate is expanded particles.
Granulation step In the granulation step, the raw material mixture is granulated to obtain pet food granules. A known method can be used as a method of mixing the raw materials into a raw material mixture and a method of forming (granulating) the raw material mixture into particles.
For example, a method of producing expanded particles using an extruder can be preferably used.
A method for producing expanded particles using an extruder is described in, for example, "Clinical Nutrition of Small Animals, Fifth Edition" (Michael S. Hand, Craig D. Thatcher, Rebecca L. Remillard, Philip Roudebusg, edited by Bruce J. Novotny, Mark. Published by Morris Associates; 2014; p.209 to p.215) and the like.

An example of a method for producing expanded particles using an extruder will be described. First, raw materials other than the external additive among raw materials for the expanded particles are pulverized as needed, and then mixed. You may mix, grind|pulverizing using a grinder etc. If necessary, water (not included in the raw material composition) is added to obtain a raw material mixture.
The obtained raw material mixture is put into an extruder, heated and pressurized, and then extruded from an outlet. The outlet is provided with a plate having a hole of a predetermined shape and a cutter for cutting the raw material mixture extruded from the plate into a predetermined length (thickness). The raw material mixture is extruded from the hole of the plate and formed into a predetermined shape by cutting with a cutter, and at the same time, the steam in the raw material mixture is expanded by releasing the pressurized state to normal pressure, Thereby, the raw material mixture is expanded and porous particles are obtained.

-Drying step The granules thus obtained are dried, if necessary, until a predetermined water content is reached to obtain expanded granules (food granules). When manufacturing dry type food granules, a drying step is essential.
For example, the water content of the particles discharged from the extruder is 10 to 20% by mass. If this amount of water is contained, good moldability is likely to be obtained.
The temperature of the particles discharged from the extruder depends on the heating temperature in the extruder. For example, it is 90 to 150°C.
A known method can be appropriately used as a method for drying the particles discharged from the extruder. For example, a hot air drying method in which hot air is blown onto the particles to dry them, a reduced pressure drying method, a method of frying in oil, and the like can be mentioned. For example, a hot air drying method using a conveyor hot air dryer is preferable.
The drying conditions (temperature, time) are such that the temperature of the particles is raised to 100° C. or more to evaporate the water in the particles without causing thermal denaturation of the components of the particles, and the desired water content can be adjusted. I wish I had it.
For example, when drying with a hot air drier, the temperature of the hot air to be brought into contact with the particles is preferably 100 to 140°C, more preferably 100 to 110°C. The drying time is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, about 5 to 20 minutes.

-Baking step The particles obtained in the granulating step or the particles after the drying step may be subjected to baking. The particles to be calcined may be coated (pre-coated) with fats and oils before calcining.

In the present specification, “calcining” means heating the food particles in air at a high temperature for a short time. Here, “high temperature” means 150° C. or more and 300° C. or less, and “short time” means 5 to 200 seconds or less.

The method of baking the food particles is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method of arranging the food particles on a net and applying a hot wire or hot air from above or below the net. As the irradiation source of the heat rays or hot air, a ceramic heater that generates far infrared rays, more specifically, a ceramic heater that generates far infrared rays heated by a gas burner is suitable, and the heat rays may be directly applied, or the heat rays may be applied. You may apply the hot air generated from.

After drying or baking, the pet food may be further coated with a coating agent containing crude beef tallow, seasonings or flavors and the like.
The coating method is not particularly limited, and for example, a vacuum coating method can be used.
The vacuum coating method is a method in which the heated food particles and the coating agent are brought into contact with or adhered to each other to reduce the pressure and then slowly open to the atmosphere. The coating agent may be liquid or powder. The coating can improve the palatability (bite) of the pet.

[Step (b)]
The step (b) is a step of measuring the weight of the obtained pet food after the step (a). That is, in the step (b), the weight of the pet food including the base and the coating portion that covers a part of the base is measured.
The method of measuring the weight of the obtained pet food after the step (a) is not particularly limited and can be measured by a known method.
As one embodiment of the step (b), for example, after the step (a), a predetermined number of food particles are taken, and the weight of the food particles is measured with a weight scale.

[Step (c)]
The step (c) is a step of controlling the flow rate of the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction based on the weight of the pet food measured in the step (b). For example, when the weight of the pet food measured in the step (b) is equal to or higher than the upper limit value of the predetermined range, the flow rate of the coating portion-forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction is controlled to increase. On the other hand, when the weight of the pet food measured in the step (b) is less than or equal to the lower limit value of the predetermined range, the flow rate of the coating portion-forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction is controlled to be reduced. ..
By repeating the above-mentioned steps (a), (b) and (c), the amount of the coating part forming composition with which the substrate is coated is controlled, and the substrate and a part of the substrate are coated. Part, and it is possible to manufacture a pet food that meets the standard of comprehensive nutrition food.

As one embodiment of the step (c), for example, the flow rate of the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction is controlled by the following steps (i) to (iii).
(I) Before the step (a), the weight (g1) of a predetermined number of substrates is measured in advance.
(Ii) The weight (g2) of the same number of food particles as the number of substrates whose weight is measured in the above procedure (i) is measured (the step (b)).
(Iii) The ratio [weight (g2)/weight (g1)] between the weight (g2) and the weight (g1) is preferably more than 1.0 and 1.2 or less, more preferably 1.03 to 1 The flow rate of the coating portion-forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction is controlled so as to fall within the range of 0.17, more preferably 1.05 to 1.15.
A pet food obtained by controlling the flow rate of the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction so that the [weight (g2)/weight (g1)] ratio is within the above range is obtained. It will be easier to control to meet the criteria of a general nutrition diet.

[Arbitrary process]
The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may include an optional step in addition to the steps (a) to (c). Examples of the optional step include a nozzle adjusting step, a substrate temperature adjusting step, a coating part forming composition solidifying step, and a connection breaking step.

[Nozzle adjustment process]
The nozzle adjusting step includes (a1) a step of detecting the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction by a detection means, and (a2) the step (a1) of forming the covering part for a predetermined time or more. When the composition for use is not detected by the detection means, the step of operating the nozzle clogging elimination means is included.

[Step (a1)]
The step (a1) is a step of detecting the coating portion forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction by a detection means.
In the step (a1), there is no particular limitation on the detection means for detecting the composition for forming the coating portion, which is discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction, and a known sensor such as a laser sensor, a fluid sensor, a flow sensor, or a pressure sensor is used. be able to.
As one embodiment of the step (a1), for example, a laser is applied to the composition for forming a coating portion, which is discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction by a laser sensor.

[Step (a2)]
The step (a2) is a step of activating the nozzle clogging elimination means when the coating part forming composition is not detected by the detection means for a predetermined time or longer in the step (a1).
Nozzle clogging elimination means is not particularly limited. Examples thereof include a method of operating a needle installed inside the nozzle, a method of rotating the nozzle itself by a rotating body, and a method of heating the inside of the nozzle.
As one embodiment of the step (a2), for example, when the coating portion-forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction is not detected for a predetermined time or longer, a needle installed inside the nozzle is operated to The coating part forming composition which is solidified inside is removed.

The production method according to the present aspect further includes the nozzle adjusting step, whereby clogging of the coating portion forming composition in the nozzle can be eliminated, and the coating portion forming composition can be easily discharged stably from the nozzle. Therefore, it becomes easier to control the amount of the composition for forming a coating part that coats the substrate, and the pet food that includes the substrate and the coating part that coats a part of the substrate can efficiently provide a pet food that meets the standard of comprehensive nutrition food. Easier to manufacture.

[Substrate temperature adjustment process]
The substrate temperature adjusting step includes (z1) a step of measuring the surface temperature of the substrate before the step (a), (z2) a step after the step (z1), and a step before the step (a). Controlling the heating means or the cooling means in accordance with the surface temperature of the substrate measured in the step (z1).

[Step (z1)]
The step (z1) is a step of measuring the surface temperature of the substrate before the step (a).
In the step (z1), the method for measuring the surface temperature of the substrate is not particularly limited, and a known temperature measuring device such as a surface temperature measuring sensor can be used.

[Step (z2)]
The step (z2) controls the heating means or the cooling means after the step (z1) and before the step (a) according to the surface temperature of the substrate measured in the step (z1). It is a process.
As one embodiment of the step (z2), for example, a predetermined surface temperature range (st) at which the substrate can be previously coated with the composition for forming a coating portion to form the coating portion is set. When the surface temperature of the substrate is equal to or lower than the lower limit value of the surface temperature range (st), the heating means is operated to raise the surface temperature of the substrate. On the other hand, when the surface temperature of the substrate is equal to or higher than the upper limit value of the surface temperature range (st), the cooling means is operated to lower the surface temperature of the substrate.
In the present embodiment, the surface temperature range (st) may be set to 25°C to 30°C, for example.

In the step (z2), the method of controlling the heating means or the cooling means is not particularly limited, and, for example, a method of controlling hot air or cold air to be blown onto the substrate by a blower or the like according to the surface temperature of the substrate, or a predetermined temperature Examples thereof include a method of passing the substrate through a heated or cooled atmosphere.
In this embodiment, for example, when the surface temperature of the substrate is equal to or lower than the lower limit value of the surface temperature range (st), warm air of 55° C. to 75° C. may be blown onto the substrate by a blower. On the other hand, when the surface temperature of the substrate is equal to or higher than the upper limit of the surface temperature range (st), cold air of 10°C to 20°C may be blown onto the substrate by a blower.

The manufacturing method according to this aspect includes the substrate temperature adjusting step, whereby the surface temperature of the substrate can be adjusted before the step (a). Therefore, it becomes easy to control the amount of the composition for forming a coating part that coats the substrate, and at the same time, the shape retaining property of the coating part is improved, and bleeding and spreading can be suppressed to form a coating part having an appropriate height. This makes it possible to efficiently efficiently produce a pet food that includes a base and a coating portion that covers a part of the base and that meets the criteria for total nutritional food and has an excellent appearance.

[Coating part forming composition solidifying step]
The coating portion forming composition solidifying step is a step of solidifying the coating portion forming composition which covers a part of the substrate.

The method for solidifying the composition for forming a coating part is not particularly limited, and a known method can be used. Examples of such a method include cooling. The cooling may be performed by lowering the temperature to the solidification temperature of the coating part forming composition, and the cooling temperature may be selected according to the composition of the coating part forming composition. The cooling temperature is, for example, 30° C. or lower, 25° C. or lower, or 15° C. or lower. The coating portion-forming composition can be solidified at room temperature, but it may be cooled by a spot cooler or the like in order to shorten the time until solidification.

[Connect breaking process]
The connection breaking step is a step of breaking the lump of the pet food bonded with the coating portion forming composition. The breaking of the connection can be performed by applying an impact to the base. The method of applying an impact is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a method of loosening the connection using a ladder shooter and the like, a method of applying vibration, and the like. The connection breaking step may be performed between the step (a) and the coating portion forming composition solidifying step, or may be performed after the coating portion forming composition solidifying step, and the step (a) and the coating portion forming step may be performed. It may be performed both during the composition solidifying step and after the coating part forming composition solidifying step.

≪Pet food≫
The pet food manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the present aspect includes a base and a coating portion that covers a part of the base. The substrate is not entirely covered with the coating, and a part of the substrate is exposed.

The shape of the covering portion is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a line shape as shown in FIG. 1 from the viewpoint of manufacturing efficiency. For example, when the pet food is granular, the coating portion may be formed so as to cross or cut the pet food particles. The shape of the covering portion is not limited to the line shape, and may be a dot shape, a circular shape, a polygonal shape, or the like, and various shapes can be selected according to the shape of the substrate.
When the coating part has a line shape, the width of the line-shaped coating part can be controlled by the nozzle diameter of the decorator or the like used in the step (a). The width of the line-shaped covering portion may be, for example, 0.1 to 10 mm, 0.5 to 5 mm, 1 to 5 mm, or 2 to 5 mm. In the production method according to this aspect, the amount of the coating part forming composition can be appropriately controlled by the steps (a) to (c). Therefore, it becomes easy to control the width of the covering portion.

The pet food produced by the production method according to this embodiment is preferably a dry type or soft type pet food, and more preferably a dry type pet food. The pet food may be a comprehensive nutrition food or a snack, but is preferably a comprehensive nutrition food. The pet food produced by the production method according to the present aspect can control the amount of the composition for forming a covering portion by the steps (a) to (c), and thus can meet the standard of comprehensive nutrition food. In addition, even when a highly-preferable raw material is used for the covering portion, the appearance of the pet food can be improved without impairing the nutritional balance of the entire pet food. Therefore, the method for producing a pet food according to this aspect is suitable for producing a comprehensive nutrition food excellent in appearance.

(Other aspects)
A method of manufacturing a pet food according to another aspect of the present invention includes a substrate and a coating portion that covers a portion of the substrate, a portion of the substrate is exposed, and a component composition of the substrate is provided. The composition of the coating portion is different from the method of producing a pet food, wherein (a) a coating portion-forming composition having a composition different from that of the substrate is discharged from a nozzle in the TD direction, A step of coating a part of the substrate conveyed in the MD direction, (a1) a step of detecting the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction by a detection means, and (a2) the step In (a1), when the coating portion forming composition is not detected by the detection means for a predetermined time or longer, a step of operating the nozzle clogging elimination means is included.
In this case, the step (a), the step (a1) and the step (a2) are the same as the step (a), the step (a1) and the step (a2) described in the method for producing a pet food according to the above aspect.
According to the pet food manufacturing method of another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to eliminate clogging of the coating portion forming composition in the nozzle and easily discharge the coating portion forming composition from the nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to control the amount of the composition for forming a coating portion that coats the substrate, and efficiently produce a pet food that includes the substrate and the coating portion that coats a part of the substrate, and that satisfies the standard of comprehensive nutrition food. can do.

Further, a method of manufacturing a pet food according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a base and a coating portion that covers a part of the base, a part of the base is exposed, and the base of the base is exposed. In the method for producing a pet food, the component composition and the component composition of the coating portion are different, and (z1) a step of measuring the surface temperature of the substrate, (z2) after the step (z1), A step of controlling a heating means or a cooling means according to the surface temperature of the substrate measured in the step (z1); and (z3) formation of a coating portion having a composition different from that of the substrate after the step (z2). And a part of the substrate conveyed in the MD direction is coated with the composition for use in a TD direction by a nozzle.
In this case, the step (z1) and the step (z2) are the same as the step (z1) and the step (z2) described in the method for manufacturing a pet food according to the above aspect. The step (z3) is the same as the step (a) described in the method for manufacturing a pet food according to the above aspect.
According to the method for producing a pet food according to still another aspect of the present invention, the surface temperature of the substrate can be adjusted before coating the substrate with the composition for forming a coating portion. Therefore, it is possible to control the amount of the composition for forming a coating portion that coats the substrate, and efficiently produce a pet food that includes the substrate and the coating portion that coats a part of the substrate, and that satisfies the standard of comprehensive nutrition food. can do.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It is possible to add, omit, replace, and change other configurations without departing from the gist of the present invention. The invention is not limited by the above description, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Pet food, 10... Base, 11... Recessed part, 20... Covering part

Claims (7)

A substrate,
A covering portion for covering a part of the base,
Equipped with
A part of the base is exposed,
In the pet food manufacturing method, the component composition of the substrate and the component composition of the coating portion are different from each other,
(A) a step of discharging a coating portion forming composition having a composition different from that of the substrate from a nozzle in the TD direction to coat a part of the substrate transported in the MD direction;
(B) a step of measuring the weight of the obtained pet food after the step (a),
(C) controlling the flow rate of the composition for forming a coating part, which is discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction, based on the weight of the pet food measured in the step (b),
A method for producing pet food, comprising: (A1) a step of detecting the coating part forming composition discharged from the nozzle in the TD direction by a detecting means;
(A2) In the step (a1), when the coating part forming composition is not detected by the detection means for a predetermined time or longer, a step of operating the nozzle clogging elimination means,
The method for producing a pet food according to claim 1, further comprising: (Z1) a step of measuring the surface temperature of the substrate before the step (a),
(Z2) a step of controlling the heating means or the cooling means after the step (z1) and before the step (a) according to the surface temperature of the substrate measured in the step (z1),
The method for producing a pet food according to claim 1, further comprising: The method for producing a pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coating portion-forming composition contains a fat and oil and a powder raw material. The method for producing a pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the coating portion-forming composition contains a hardened oil and fat. The method for producing a pet food according to claim 1, wherein the base body is granular. The method for producing a pet food according to claim 6, wherein the substrate is expanded particles.

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