JP5270149B2 - Pet food - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pet food represented by a jerky or the like.

  The number of pets is increasing due to the pet boom, and as a result, pet food in the form of snacks represented by jerky is used as a supplement to supplement pet nutrition or as a tool for communication between owners and pets. Is growing. On the other hand, pets that become obese due to aging, lack of exercise, overnutrition, etc. due to pet obesity, diabetes, liver disease, etc. that are similar to adult diseases in humans, such as hormonal imbalance after contraceptive surgery Has also increased. Therefore, it is not preferable for pets and their owners to give unlimited foods that are delicious for pets, and there is a desire to provide highly-preferenceable products in consideration of the health of pets.

The pet food is softer than the hard one, and the palatability is higher, and this can be achieved by increasing the amount of water or expanding the food. However, since it is difficult to expand when the amount of water is increased, there is a technique for solving this problem by further containing water after expanding (Patent Document 1). In addition, there is a technique in which a dough containing a large amount of bubbles is used and is expanded by an oven or microwave heating (Patent Document 2). Furthermore, although it is not for pets, there is also a technique of increasing the palatability of meat by expanding it by generating carbon dioxide gas or the like (Patent Document 3). In addition, semi-moist pet food manufactured by expanding raw materials has a product moisture content of 13 to 23% by weight and an expansion rate of expansion of 200 to 350%. There is also a technology that makes it easy to eat even a cat or a young dog / cat with low chewing ability (Patent Document 4).
On the other hand, pet food is often stored indoors, and storage measures such as placing it in a cool and dark place are not always taken. In such an environment, changes in appearance such as browning may occur and effects such as a decrease in pet's palatability due to changes in taste may appear, and it is important to maintain quality during storage. The following techniques are known for preventing coloring. Patent Document 5 discloses a method for preventing coloration of a rice fermentation extract, wherein one or more selected from the group consisting of cysteine, acetylcysteine, glutathione and hyposulfite is added to the rice fermentation extract. . Patent Document 6 discloses a fresh food discoloration preventing agent containing kojic acid and a sulfur-containing amino acid as active ingredients. Patent Document 7 discloses that during storage of miso or miso processed food, characterized in that it contains one or more substances selected from the group consisting of sulfur-containing compounds and compounds having an enediol structure. A technique for controlling the progress of browning of the rice is disclosed.

JP-A 63-56257 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-243869 JP 2003-259840 A JP 2006-158265 A Japanese Patent No. 3403438 JP-A-8-266245 JP 2000-236834 A

  As mentioned above, increasing the amount of water and increasing the amount of water can increase the palatability of the pet food, but increasing the amount of water decreases storage stability, and lowering the amount of water causes the food to expand. It became clear that the feeling became hard and fragile, and that the pet had a problem of contaminating the breeding environment and house after eating. In addition, pet food that has been excessively swollen not only causes the problem of loss of surface smoothness and poor appearance, but also makes the structure part that forms bubbles too thin and brittle and hard, making it difficult to shred. Therefore, there was room for improvement.

  On the other hand, in order to examine coloring prevention during storage, the object in Patent Document 5 is a rice fermented extract added to cosmetics and bathing agents that are expected to have a skin conditioning effect and a skin beautifying effect, and is not a food product. The impact on is unknown. The object in Patent Document 6 is a fresh product such as a crustacean or fruit and vegetable, and is not a food that a pet likes. The target in Patent Document 7 is miso or miso processed food, and is not food that pets prefer. Moreover, miso has a strong taste, and the effect of the additive on the taste is small. As described above, although many substances are known as substances that suppress browning, no substance that considers the influence on the preference is found, and no example of examining the pet's preference is found. That is, there is no known preservative that can achieve both storage stability and palatability in pet food.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is a pet food that has low moisture content and good storage stability, and is brittle and not hard but easy to shred despite having a low bulk density. Is to provide.

Therefore, the present inventors have intensively studied the water content, specific component content, and bulk density of pet food. As a result, by using a large amount of raw materials such as chicken and adjusting the content of specific ingredients, it is low in moisture and low in bulk density, is not brittle, has a smooth surface, has a good appearance, and is easy to eat. Found that food can be obtained.
Furthermore, it has been found that by containing a specific amount of cysteine in this pet food, coloring during storage can be reduced even in a light pet food that uses a large amount of chicken, and at the same time, a pet food with high palatability can be obtained. .
That is, the present invention includes chicken meat as a crude protein source, the blending amount of chicken meat is 8% by mass or more as a solid content, 0.01 to 1% L-cysteine, and a water content of 20% by mass. The water-insoluble mineral content is 1% by mass or less, the bulk density is in the range of 0.3 to 0.7 g / cm ³ , and the a ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system is The pet food which is less than 20 is provided.

  The pet food of the present invention has low moisture, good storage stability, and is low in bulk density, is not brittle and has a smooth surface, is easy to eat, is low in calories and has excellent palatability. The finished product has a light color and does not easily cause a browning reaction during storage.

  The chicken meat used in the pet food of the present invention refers to chicken skeletal muscles such as chicken breast, chicken thigh, and chicken fillet, and preferably does not contain internal organs, bones, heads, legs, wings, and other by-products. By doing so, it becomes possible to suppress content of a water-insoluble mineral. The raw chicken may be a raw product and / or a dried product as it is, or may be refrigerated or frozen. It is preferable to make it mince before use from the viewpoint of easy blending and uniform mixing. The pet food of the present invention contains 8% by mass (hereinafter simply referred to as “%”) or more of chicken meat as a solid content in order to improve palatability and prevent brittleness even if the bulk density is lowered. To do. The blending amount of the chicken meat in the pet food of the present invention is 8 to 50%, further 10 to 40%, particularly 12 to 30%, especially 15 to 25% as a solid content. It is preferable from the viewpoint of improvement and easiness of foaming. In addition, "solid content" here means parts other than moisture, and when oil and fat is contained, this is also converted as solid content. The thing after drying chicken true meat at 135 degreeC for 2 hours is made into solid content.

  The pet food of the present invention has a moisture content of 20% or less in terms of storage stability and easiness of foaming. Since the moisture content of raw chicken meat is usually 70-80%, in order to mix chicken meat with a solid content of 8% or more, when raw chicken meat is used as a raw material, a drying process is required. Although necessary, it is preferable to combine with a dried chicken meat product or to use only a dried product with a certain range of moisture from the viewpoint of simplification of the manufacturing process and cost reduction. It is preferable that the moisture of the dried product is adjusted in advance with a heating device such as an oven. When using a dried chicken meat product, the water content is preferably 5 to 30%, more preferably 8 to 25%, and particularly 10 to 20%, because it is easy to foam and the strength after foaming. It is preferable from the viewpoints of maintenance and ease of molding. In addition, it is preferable that the moisture content of the chicken meat in the case of using a dried product alone, or the moisture content of the chicken meat after combining raw meat and a dried product is 20 to 70%, and further 30 to 65%. In particular, 40 to 60% is preferable from the viewpoints of easiness of foaming, maintenance of strength after foaming, easiness of molding, and the like.

In particular, when 10% or more, preferably 20% or more, and more preferably 30% or more of the chicken meat is a dried product, the meat can be distinguished from the appearance of the pet food, and the savory flavor peculiar to the dried meat is obtained. It is preferable because it enhances palatability. That 10% or more of the chicken meat is a dried product means that the raw product and the dried product are converted into solid content, and 10% or more of the solid content is a dried product and less than 90% is a raw product. In addition, the dried meat is a meat fiber that has been subjected to a drying treatment, and because physical and chemical changes such as fine fibers have occurred, when blended in the pet food of the present invention, Excessive swelling at the exit of the extruder is prevented. As a result, the product is not brittle and hard, which is desirable because it enhances the smoothness of the pet food appearance and ease of shredding.
Further, 5% or more, preferably 5 to 50%, more preferably 7 to 40%, and still more preferably 10 to 30% of the dried chicken meat passes through a sieve having an opening of 3.0 mm and the opening is 0. It is more preferable that the particles have a size that does not pass through a sieve of .85 mm because the meat particles can be easily distinguished from the appearance.

  As described above, the moisture content of the pet food of the present invention is 20% or less, more preferably 5 to 20%, even more preferably 7 to 18%, and particularly 8 to 17%. In addition to this, it is preferable from the viewpoints of increasing palatability and improving texture. Further, the water activity is preferably 0.79 or less, more preferably 0.4 to 0.79, particularly 0.45 to 0.75, and particularly preferably 0.5 to 0.7. It is preferable from the viewpoint of suppression of bacterial growth. Here, the water activity can be measured with a water activity measuring device by weighing 2 g of a sample on a measuring pan.

  The pet food of the present invention contains 0.01 to 1% L-cysteine. Addition of this amount of L-cysteine can suppress browning changes during storage of pet food without reducing palatability. The content of L-cysteine in the pet food is preferably 0.02 to 0.8%, more preferably 0.03 to 0.5%, and particularly preferably 0.1 to 0.5%.

The hue of pet food can be measured with a colorimeter, and the brownness can be evaluated using the a ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system (CIE 1976). Moreover, the brown change during storage can be evaluated using the difference (Δa ^* ) between a ^* before and after storage. The pet food of the present invention has an a ^* value of less than 20, preferably less than 10, and more preferably less than 8.

If the bulk density is too large, large bubbles exceeding 3 mm are generated unevenly, resulting in uneven texture and brittleness. Therefore, the bulk density of the pet food of the present invention is 0.3 to 0.7 g / cm. ³ is preferable, and 0.35 to 0.65 g / cm ³ , particularly 0.4 to 0.65 g / cm ³ , increases palatability, enhances texture, and reduces calories. From the point of view, it is preferable.

  In order to make a bulk density into the said range, it is achieved by including a bubble in a manufacturing process and making it foam. Foaming in the manufacturing process can be achieved by baking in an oven, but foaming by using an extruder such as an extruder is easy to foam and simplifies the manufacturing process. preferable.

The extruder refers to a screw heating and pressure extrusion molding machine, and it is preferable to use a biaxial extruder in the pet food according to the present invention.
In the case of foaming using an extruder, it is preferable that the water content in the raw material mixture is 30% or less from the viewpoint of easy foaming and strength sufficient not to re-shrink after foaming. The water content in the raw material mixture is preferably 10 to 28%, more preferably 15 to 25% from the same point.

  For foaming in the production process, a water-soluble swelling agent may be further used. The water-soluble swelling agent means one that generates a reactive gas such as carbon dioxide when dissolved in water, and examples thereof include baking powder, baking soda, and ammonium hydrogen carbonate. The blending amount of the water-soluble swelling agent is preferably 0.1 to 2.0%, more preferably 0.1 to 1.0%, particularly preferably 0.1 to 0.5% in the pet food. good. Above all, when baking powder is blended, the pH can be made weakly acidic and the smell of the pet food is improved, so that it is preferable for improving the storage stability and the taste of the pet food.

  As another method of foaming in the manufacturing process, a porous substance containing small bubbles and suitable for food, for example, water-insoluble inorganic substances such as eggshell calcium and calcium phosphate are used as foaming aids. There is also a way to do it. However, when this method is adopted, the water-insoluble mineral plays a role as a foam nucleus and abrupt foaming occurs, the state of the bubbles is roughened, and the part constituting the bubbles is thinned and brittle, or it is repelled. A large number of bubble debris adheres to the surface, resulting in a significant deterioration in texture and surface roughness that stimulates the mouth corner, and a product having a smooth surface may not be obtained. Therefore, the water-insoluble mineral content in the pet food of the present invention is 1% or less, preferably 0.8% or less, more preferably 0.5% or less, and particularly preferably 0.3% or less. The water-insoluble mineral in the present invention is measured by weighing after ashing (600 ° C., oven heating for 2 hours), dissolving the ashed product in water, filtering and drying the water-insoluble matter, Examples thereof include oxides of Ca and Ma, carbonates, phosphates, and oxides of Al and Si.

  The pet food of the present invention can be obtained, for example, by the production method described below. A mixture prepared by uniformly premixing raw materials with a vertical mixer or the like is supplied from the raw material feeder of the extruder into the cylinder barrel. The mixture supplied into the cylinder barrel is kneaded and extruded by a twin screw while being heated and pressurized in the cylinder barrel. The cylinder barrel temperature is preferably 20 to 100 ° C. for the preheating barrel, 80 to 180 ° C. for the intermediate barrel, 100 to 300 ° C. for the tip barrel, and 100 to 200 ° C. for the die plate. Further, the screw rotation speed is preferably 50 to 300 r / min when the screw diameter is 50 mm and the screw length / screw diameter ratio is about 16. In addition, in order to adjust the moisture content and foaming degree of the pet food of the present invention to preferable levels, it is possible to add an arbitrary amount of water into the cylinder barrel. What is extruded from the extruder is preferably received by a belt conveyor so as not to be bent and cut after cooling. This is because if the raw material is cut immediately after being extruded, it is difficult to maintain a certain shape such as bending. Thus, the pet food of the present invention can be obtained by foaming the mixture by evaporation of water and expansion of bubbles.

  The pet food of the present invention preferably has a crude protein content of 20% or more from the viewpoints of palatability, foamability, strength maintenance after foaming, and the like. The crude protein content is further preferably 22 to 50%, particularly 25 to 35% from the same point. In addition, the crude protein content in pet food is measured using the improved Dumas method. Examples of the crude protein source include animal protein-containing substances, plant protein-containing substances, milk protein-containing substances, etc., and animal proteins include cattle, pigs, sheep, rabbits, kangaroos, etc. Products and processed products; chicken meat such as chicken meat, turkey, and quail, and by-products and processed products thereof; fish meat such as fish and white fish, and by-products and processed products thereof. Examples of plant protein-containing materials include soy protein, wheat protein, wheat gluten, and corn gluten. Examples of the milk protein-containing material include cheese, butter and processed products thereof. In the pet food of the present invention, it is preferable to use one or a combination of two or more selected from the above protein sources.

  Among these, wheat gluten is preferable from the viewpoints of ease of molding, imparting strength that does not re-shrink after foaming, and enhancing texture. When wheat gluten is used, 5 to 50% in pet food, 7 to 40%, especially 8 to 30% is easy to mold, impart strength enough to prevent re-shrinking after foaming, texture From the viewpoint of increasing

  Among them, cheese is very effective in improving palatability, and blending in the form of cheese food is desirable in terms of improving palatability and cost. The blending amount is 0.05 to 10% in the pet food, preferably 0.1 to 5%, more preferably 0.1 to 3%. Cheese food here contains 51% or more of cheese in the product. Milk, lactose, etc. derived from milk, or protein, fat, carbohydrate, etc. (within 10% by weight) and spices not derived from milk. , Refers to foods made by adding seasonings and the like (within 1/6 of ingredients other than moisture), and among them, those with particularly enhanced flavor are desirable.

  The pet food of the present invention preferably contains 20 to 70%, more preferably 30 to 60%, particularly 40 to 50% of a carbohydrate source from the viewpoints of effervescence, moldability, and texture. Examples of the carbohydrate source include cereals, sugars, dietary fiber, starches and the like.

Examples of cereals include wheat, barley, rye, corn, sorghum, rice, fin, awa, amaranth and quinoa.
The barley may be either Nijo barley or Rojo barley, including mixtures thereof used for feed. Barley contains 5% or more, more 5-80%, especially 10-70% in the carbohydrate source, economy, suppression of postprandial blood glucose level increase, postprandial blood insulin level increase, anti-obesity effect, ingestion It is preferable in terms of sex and fecal condition.

  Corn means normal corn, but includes not only corn flour made from this, but also corn starch. Corn is preferably contained in the carbohydrate source in an amount of 3% or more, more preferably 3 to 60%, particularly 5 to 50% from the viewpoints of economy, anti-obesity effect, ingestion and stool condition.

  Sorghum is a plant belonging to the family Gramineae, also known as Koryang, and also includes bloom corn, also known as broom sorghum, sweet sorghum, also known as sorghum, and grain sorghum, also known as milo. Sorghum is contained in a carbohydrate source at 3% or more, further 3 to 60%, particularly 5 to 50%, economical efficiency, postprandial blood glucose level increase suppression, postprandial blood insulin level increase suppression, obesity prevention effect, It is preferable from the viewpoint of ingestion and stool condition.

  Examples of the saccharide include monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. In the pet food of the present invention, saccharides are effective for adjusting water activity, preventing brittleness, and improving palatability, for example. As mentioned above, the compounding quantity of the saccharide | sugar to the pet food of this invention is 0.1 to 10%, Preferably it is 0.2 to 5%, More preferably, 0.3 to 5% is good.

  Examples of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides include galactooligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides, dairy oligosaccharides, raffinose, lactulose, palatinose oligosaccharides, nigerooligosaccharides, gentio-oligosaccharides, Examples include dextrose and indigestible dextrin, and these are also preferable because they are effective in activating enteric bacteria.

  Dietary fiber refers to materials that are not degraded by animal digestive enzymes, including water-insoluble dietary fiber and water-soluble dietary fiber. Specific examples of the former include pea fiber, chicory root, alfalfa meal containing cellulose, hemicellulose, etc. Specific examples of the latter include guar gum enzyme degradation product, psyllium seed coat, glucomannan, agar, water-soluble soybean polysaccharide, water-soluble corn fiber, inulin, carboxymethylcellulose, alginic acid and the like. In particular, in the pet food of the present invention, beet pulp containing both water-insoluble dietary fiber and water-soluble dietary fiber is preferable. The blending amount of dietary fiber in the pet food of the present invention is 0.1 to 10%, preferably 0.3 to 8%, and more preferably 0.5 to 5%.

Moreover, as starches, in addition to those using any of the above-mentioned cereals as a raw material, processed starch or high amylose starch that has been further processed can be used. Among these, the use of one or more selected from modified starch and high amylose starch suppresses changes over time in physical properties that affect the texture, such as aging of starch, and the like. It is preferable in terms of easiness.
Modified starch is a normal starch such as waxy corn starch, corn starch, wheat starch, rice starch, glutinous rice starch, potato starch, honeydew starch, tapioca starch, sago starch, etc. subjected to chemical treatment or chemically modified Etc. The content of the modified starch is 3% or more, more preferably 3 to 30%, particularly 3 to 20% in the carbohydrate source. Economic efficiency, suppression of postprandial blood glucose level increase, postprandial blood insulin level increase suppression, It is preferable from the viewpoint of obesity prevention effect, ingestion and stool condition.

  High amylose starch is starch having an amylose content of 40 to 99%, and in particular, high amylose corn starch, Glacier AC38 of hexagonal barley, su2 corn and the like. As commercial products, high amylose corn starch amylomaize V (amylose content 50-60%), amylomaise VI (amylose content 60-70%), amylomaise VII (amylose content 70-80%) or more manufactured by Nippon Food Processing Co., Ltd. , High amylose corn starch, etc., manufactured by NIPPON CHEMICAL CO., LTD.

  When high amylose starch is used, 5 to 50%, further 8 to 40%, especially 10 to 30% is blended in the pet food of the present invention. It is preferable from the viewpoints of suppression of increase in insulin concentration, obesity prevention effect, ingestion, and stool condition.

  It is preferable that the pet food of the present invention contains fats and oils from the viewpoint of increasing the palatability and supplying polyunsaturated fatty acids. Examples of fats and oils include safflower oil, olive oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil, sesame oil, lard, beef tallow, fish oil, milk fat, etc. It is not restricted to this, When the fats and oils are contained in another plant raw material or animal raw material, this is also included. Oils and fats are contained in the pet food of the present invention in an amount of 1 to 30%, further 2 to 25%, particularly 3 to 20%, which improves palatability, supply of polyunsaturated fatty acids, easiness of foaming This is preferable. Furthermore, it is preferable to add butter oil for the purpose of enhancing the flavor of milk because the palatability is further enhanced. The blending amount is 0.05% to 5%, preferably 0.1 to 2%, more preferably 0.1 to 1%.

  In particular, diacylglycerol is preferably contained at 15% or more in all fats and oils, and further contained in 15 to 85% and further 20 to 75% in all fats and oils, suppresses increase in blood insulin concentration after meals, and prevents obesity. From the point of view, it is preferable. That is, it is preferable to contain 0.5% or more, further 0.5 to 30%, further 1 to 20%, particularly 1 to 10% of diacylglycerol as fat in the pet food of the present invention.

  In diacylglycerol, 80 to 100% of the constituent fatty acids are preferably unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), more preferably 90 to 100%, further 93 to 100%, particularly 93 to 98%, and particularly 94 to 98%. This is preferable from the viewpoints of suppressing the increase in blood insulin concentration after meals and preventing obesity. Here, it is preferable that carbon number of this unsaturated fatty acid is 14-24, and also 16-22.

  Among the fatty acids constituting diacylglycerol, the content of oleic acid is 20 to 65%, more preferably 25 to 60%, particularly 30 to 50%, and particularly 30 to 45% in terms of anti-obesity effect and ingestion. preferable.

  Among the fatty acids constituting diacylglycerol, the content of linoleic acid is 15 to 65%, more preferably 20 to 60%, particularly 30 to 55%, especially 35 to 50%, in terms of anti-obesity effect and ingestion. preferable. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of oxidation stability and anti-obesity effect, the content mass ratio of linoleic acid / oleic acid in diacylglycerol is 0.01 to 2.0, more preferably 0.1 to 1.8, especially 0.3 to 1. .7 is preferable.

  Among the fatty acids constituting diacylglycerol, the content of linolenic acid is less than 15%, more preferably 0 to 13%, especially 1 to 10%, and especially 2 to 9%. Anti-obesity effect, intake and oxidative stability From the viewpoint of sex. As linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid are known as isomers, and α-linolenic acid is preferable.

  Of the fatty acids constituting diacylglycerol, the content of saturated fatty acid (SFA) is preferably less than 20%, more preferably 0 to 10%, further 0 to 7%, especially 2 to 7%, especially 2 to 6%. It is preferable from the viewpoints of obesity prevention effect, ingestion, and oxidative stability. As the saturated fatty acid, those having 14 to 24 carbon atoms, particularly 16 to 22 carbon atoms are preferable, and palmitic acid and stearic acid are particularly preferable.

  In the fatty acid constituting diacylglycerol, the content of fatty acid having 12 or less carbon atoms is preferably 5% or less from the viewpoint of flavor and ingestion, more preferably 0 to 2%, particularly 0 to 1%, It is particularly preferred not to include it. The remaining constituent fatty acids preferably have 14 to 24 carbon atoms, particularly 16 to 22 carbon atoms.

  Further, from the viewpoint of suppressing the increase in blood insulin concentration and preventing obesity, the ratio of 1,3-diacylglycerol in diacylglycerol is 50% or more, more preferably 52 to 100%, further 54 to 90%, and particularly 56 to 90%. Preference is given to using 80% diacylglycerol.

  Although diacylglycerol may contain what is contained in the above-mentioned natural fats and oils, in order to adjust the content of diacylglycerol, esterification reaction of fatty acid derived from fats and oils and glycerin, fats and oils and glycerin It is preferable to blend those obtained by transesterification with Although diacylglycerol can be obtained by a chemical reaction using an alkali catalyst or the like, it can be obtained by a mild reaction through an enzyme such as a 1,3-position selective lipase. It is preferable in terms of stability and palatability.

  In the case where fats and oils are blended in the pet food of the present invention, triacylglycerol is included in addition, and some monoacylglycerol, free fatty acid, and the like may be included. These include those contained in the fats and oils contained in the produced diacylglycerol-containing fats and oils, plant raw materials to be blended, or animal raw materials in addition to those contained in the natural fats and oils described above.

  The pet food of the present invention further preferably contains a plant sterol in an amount of 0.1% or more, and more preferably 0.5% or more in terms of cholesterol lowering effect. The upper limit of the plant sterol content may be up to 30%. Examples of plant sterols include free forms such as α-sitosterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, α-sitostanol, β-sitostanol, stigmasteranol, campestanol, and cycloartenol, and the like. And fatty acid esters, ferulic acid esters, cinnamic acid esters and the like.

In the pet food of the present invention, amino acids other than glycerin, sugar alcohol, bran, moss, vegetables, vitamins, water-soluble minerals, and L-cysteine are provided as long as the storage stability and palatability are not impaired. , L-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10 and the like.
The blending amount of glycerin and sugar alcohol in the pet food of the present invention is 2% or more, further 3% or more, particularly 5% or more, which gives flexibility and suppresses changes in flexibility during storage. It is preferable from the point.

  As rice bran, rice bran, bran or the like is used, and as rice cake, soybean meal is used. It is preferable from the viewpoint of nutritional component supplementation that the amount of bran and moss to be added to the pet food of the present invention is 0.1% or more, further 0.3% or more, particularly 0.5% or more.

  Examples of vegetables include tomatoes, broccoli, squash, spinach, red peppers, carrots and the like, and these vegetables are preferably blended in the state of raw vegetables, dried chips, dried powder, vegetable extracts and the like. In addition, it is preferable that the dried chips have a diameter of 1 to 20 mm, preferably 1.0 to 15 mm, and more preferably about 1.0 to 10 mm because the vegetable particles can be distinguished from the appearance. The blending amount of the vegetables in the pet food of the present invention is 0.5 to 10%, preferably 1 to 10%, more preferably 2 to 7%, and further preferably 2 to 5% as a solid content. good.

Examples of vitamins include A, B ₁ , B ₂ , D, E, niacin, pantothenic acid, carotene and the like, and the blending amount in the pet food of the present invention is preferably 0.01 to 10%.
Examples of the water-soluble minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron and the like, and these may be blended as water-soluble salts, and the blending amount in the pet food of the present invention is 0.01 to 10%. It is preferable that

Examples of amino acids include arginine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine and the like, and the blending amount in the pet food of the present invention is preferably 0.1 to 5%.
In addition, gelling agents, shape-preserving agents, pH adjusters, seasonings, preservatives, nutritional reinforcements and the like that are generally used in pet foods are blended in the pet food of the present invention within a range not contrary to the above description. be able to. In addition, in the manufacturing process, it is preferable to manufacture while substituting with an inert gas such as nitrogen or degassing for the purpose of suppressing the oxidation of fats and oils because it is particularly effective in the heating step.

The physical properties of the pet food according to the present invention are as follows. The wedge-shaped plunger (for example, having a width of about 20 mm) is lowered from above at a speed of 50 mm / min so as to be perpendicular to the center of the sample, and the strain when the sample breaks is 4 mm or more. In addition, it has physical properties that are not brittle despite having a low bulk density, and is preferable from the viewpoint of suppressing changes in physical properties that affect the texture, and more preferably 5 mm or more, particularly 6 mm or more from the same point. . Further, when the strain is 4 mm or less, the stress is 0.6 N / mm ² or less, which has physical properties that are not brittle despite low moisture and low bulk density, and suppress changes in physical properties that affect the texture. From the point of view, it is preferable. Further, stress at strain 5mm is 0.6 N / mm ² or less, further 0.01~0.6N / mm ^2, it is preferred that particularly 0.02~0.4N / mm ^2.

The shape of the pet food of the present invention is preferably a rod having a cross-sectional area of 5 to 700 mm ² and a length of 15 to 200 mm from the viewpoint of ease of feeding, ease of handling, storage stability, and the like. The cross-sectional area is further preferably 8 to 500 mm ² , particularly preferably 10 to ²⁰⁰ mm ² , and the length is further preferably 20 to 170 mm, particularly preferably 30 to 150 mm. Moreover, although the shape of a cross section may be arbitrary, it is preferable from a point of the ease of shaping | molding and the ease of foaming to use a circle or a square.

  Further, the expansion rate of the pet food of the present invention, that is, the ratio of the diameter of the barrel of the pet food to the exit nozzle diameter of the extruder for extruding the raw material prevents the problem that the surface becomes unsmooth and the appearance is deteriorated. From the point of preventing the structure part forming the film from becoming too thin and brittle and hard, it is preferable that the content is 110 to 190%, preferably 120 to 185%, and more preferably 130 to 180%.

  The pet food of the present invention is preferably a pet jerky (provided as a snack). In general, jerky refers to dried animal meat, but when it comes to pets, a mixture of animal meat and carbohydrates is also called jerky. The pet food of the present invention is preferably a so-called pet jerky because it has high palatability among pet foods and is optimal for discipline and answering. In particular, it can be suitably used for dogs.

[Measurement method of bulk density]
It was measured by dividing the weight (g) by the volume (cross-sectional area × length) (cm ³ ).

[Method of measuring moisture content]
About 2 g of the sample was weighed in an aluminum pan and dried in an oven at 135 ° C. for 2 hours. The sample was weighed after cooling in a desiccator, and the moisture content (% by mass) was determined by dividing the mass difference before and after drying by the sample mass before drying.

[Method for measuring water activity]
About 2 g of the sample was weighed on a measuring pan, and measured by a water activity measuring device (Pawkit manufactured by Decagon Device).

[Method for measuring crude protein]
About 2 g of the sample was weighed with a measuring pan and measured using a protein measuring instrument Tru Spec N (manufactured by LECO) according to the improved Dumas method (AOAC 990.03). The protein factor (coefficient when converting the nitrogen content to the crude protein amount) was 6.25.

[Method of measuring hue]
It was expressed by L ^* a ^* b ^* color system (CIE 1976) using a colorimeter, and the brownness was evaluated by a ^* . A color reader CR-13 (manufactured by Konica Minolta Sensing Co., Ltd.) was used as the color meter.

[Preference evaluation method]
Evaluation of the palatability of the pet food was performed for all combinations of 29 samples of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 25 and, further, as a control. First, two samples to be compared were placed in separate dishes one by one and placed side by side in front of the test dogs shown in Table 1. Next, before the start of the test, each dog smelled the test dog and the test was started after the smell was sufficiently recognized. The pre-eating property was determined based on which one was eaten first. Moreover, about the same combination, the test of the 2nd time which made the position which puts the plate of each sample left-right reversed was done by the method similar to the 1st time. When the results of the first time and the second time were different, the position where each dish was placed was returned to the same position as the first time, and the third test was performed. After testing for all combinations, the preference of each sample was evaluated using Scheffe's paired comparison method. When comparing, as a standard, the dry product of the scissors was 0.07, and the numerical value of Comparative Example 1 was 0.35.

Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-25
[Manufacture of pet food]
Each raw material shown in Table 2 and Table 3 was put into a vertical mixer, and sufficiently stirred and mixed to prepare a mixture. Subsequently, the obtained mixture was used, using an extruder (EA-20 manufactured by Suehiro EPM Co., Ltd.) having a die diameter of 5 mm (1 hole), a screw rotation speed of 200 rpm, a cylinder barrel temperature (C1: 40 ° C., C2: 120). C., C3: 180.degree. C.) Die plate temperature: 120.degree. C., foamed under the conditions of a supply rate of 20 kg / hour, and cooled to obtain a pet food.
[Evaluation of palatability]
According to the above-mentioned method, the palatability of the pet food of an example and a comparative example was evaluated. The results are shown in Tables 2 and 3.
[Evaluation of preservability]
After storage at 40 ° C. for 3 months, the color difference obtained from the hue before and after storage was measured. The results are shown in Tables 2 and 3.

  From Examples 1 to 3, it was found that the pet food of the present invention is excellent in appearance, has little coloring after storage, and has high palatability. When kojic acid, ascorbic acid, and citric acid, which are generally known as anti-coloring agents, were blended, the effect of suppressing coloring during storage was low, and the palatability was also lowered. It can be seen that the pet food of the present invention is excellent in palatability, has a light finished product color, and hardly undergoes a browning reaction even during storage.

Claims (10)

Chicken raw meat is included as a crude protein source, and the blended amount of chicken meat is 8% by mass or more as a solid content, 0.01 to 1% by mass of L-cysteine, and 8 to 20 % by mass of water content, The water-insoluble mineral content is 1% by mass or less, the bulk density is in the range of 0.35 to 0.7 g / cm ³ , and the a ^* value in the L ^* a ^* b ^* color system is less than 20. Pet food. The pet food according to claim 1, wherein the amount of dietary fiber is 0.1 to 8% by mass. The pet food according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water content is 12.5 to 20% by mass. The pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the dried chicken and / or raw food are blended as chicken meat. The pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pet food is molded using an extruder. The pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the fat or oil contains 0.5% by mass or more of diacylglycerol. The pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the high amylose starch content is 5 to 50 mass%. The pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the strain when the sample breaks is 4 mm or more, and the stress when the strain is 4 mm is 0.6 N / mm ² or less. The pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , which is for dogs. Cross-sectional area is 5-700mm ² The pet food according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the pet food has a rod shape with a length of 15 to 200 mm.