WO2024033825A1 - Food composition for monogastric animals - Google Patents

Food composition for monogastric animals Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024033825A1
WO2024033825A1 PCT/IB2023/058037 IB2023058037W WO2024033825A1 WO 2024033825 A1 WO2024033825 A1 WO 2024033825A1 IB 2023058037 W IB2023058037 W IB 2023058037W WO 2024033825 A1 WO2024033825 A1 WO 2024033825A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
bread
food composition
stale
feed
weight
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2023/058037
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Gianbattista MALAGRINÒ
Luigi MALAGRINÒ
Original Assignee
Panificazione Malagrinò S.R.L.
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Panificazione Malagrinò S.R.L. filed Critical Panificazione Malagrinò S.R.L.
Publication of WO2024033825A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024033825A1/en

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23K—FODDER
    • A23K10/00—Animal feeding-stuffs
    • A23K10/30—Animal feeding-stuffs from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms
    • A23K10/37—Animal feeding-stuffs from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms from waste material
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A21—BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS
    • A21D—TREATMENT, e.g. PRESERVATION, OF FLOUR OR DOUGH, e.g. BY ADDITION OF MATERIALS; BAKING; BAKERY PRODUCTS; PRESERVATION THEREOF
    • A21D17/00—Refreshing bakery products or recycling bakery products
    • A21D17/002—Recycling, e.g. for use in baking or for animal consumption
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23K—FODDER
    • A23K10/00—Animal feeding-stuffs
    • A23K10/30—Animal feeding-stuffs from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23K—FODDER
    • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
    • A23K50/30—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for swines
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23K—FODDER
    • A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
    • A23K50/70—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for birds
    • A23K50/75—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for birds for poultry

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to: a method of preparing a food composition (feed) destined to feed animals, a food composition, and a use of the food composition.
  • the invention is particularly suitable to be used in the zootechnical field. More particularly, the food composition can be used for feeding animals, particularly productive livestock.
  • the category of the productive livestock is defined in this way because indicates a category of animals bred for producing food commodities (in other words products destined to the nutrition) or other consumables destined to the trade. It is observed that, the Italian legislation contains a law exactly framing the definition of productive livestock, in other words the Legislative Decree 26 March 2001 , No. 146.
  • the food composition is used for feeding monogastric animals such as poultry (e.g.: fattening poultry and laying hens) and swine.
  • Such feeds have often an industrial origin and are improvable under many points of view, particularly with reference to the nutrition of monogastric animals.
  • the Applicant has observed the possibility of making a quality food composition, capable of feeding animals, particularly monogastric animals, in a correct and balanced way.
  • a main object of the present invention consists of overcoming the inconveniences beforehand described with reference to the prior art.
  • An object of the present invention consists of providing a method of preparing a food composition and an associated food composition destined to feed animals, particularly monogastric animals, in a healthy and balanced way.
  • a further object of the invention consists of preparing, in other words of producing and therefore making available, a food composition in order to avoid wasting raw materials.
  • the invention provides a technical solution having a substantial efficacy, al- ternative to the prior art solutions.
  • the invention provides a food composition (or feed or food product) made from stale bread which is suitably processed.
  • the stale bread in other words the bread which cannot be anymore considered as freshly baked bread (for example because it becomes hard due to the elapse of a determined time interval, which can occur for example when the bread is not sold/used in a suitable time and therefore is returned), is subjected to a step of removing the residual moisture until the dry matter thereof is at least equal to 90% with reference to the weight of the bread. Then, the bread is subjected to a size reduction or is shredded (ground to flour) to a granulometry apt to enable to feed monogastric animals and to be excellently digested by the same.
  • the food composition comprises, in addition to the stale bread, also one or more among the following components/ingredients, preferably all: soybean, wheat and/or barley, bran and corn.
  • components/ingredients preferably all, are added to the bread processed as described above.
  • Mixing soybean, wheat, bran, corn and barley with the stale bread, and optionally also one or more supplements (preferably a single mineral vita- minic supplement), enables to obtain a food composition (mix) having excellent nutritional properties.
  • said components/supplements (optionally unless the bran, which can have a granulometry less than the one of the stale bread) have the same granulometry as the one of the stale bread or anyway a granulometry analogous or corresponding to the one of the stale bread; moreover, in addition or as an alternative, the granulometry of the mix can be homogeneous.
  • the bran which can have a granulometry less than the one of the stale bread
  • the bran which can have a granulometry less than the one of the stale bread
  • the food composition comprises also one or more supplements, such as vitaminic and/or mineral supplement/s, particularly mineral vitaminic supplement/s.
  • supplements such as vitaminic and/or mineral supplement/s, particularly mineral vitaminic supplement/s.
  • the food composition is shredded and/or is in the form of flour.
  • the food composition does not have the shape of sheets or pellets or other unshredded aggregates.
  • the food composition is not extruded.
  • Method of preparing a food composition or feed for animals, particularly monogastric animals comprising the steps of:
  • the stale bread shredding step comprises grinding to powder the stale bread
  • stale bread after shredding the stale bread, mixing the stale bread with: o soybean, o at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both, o bran, o corn, in order to form the food composition.
  • the stale bread is bread from the original production of which, a period of time of at least 20 or 24 hours has elapsed, particularly at least 36 hours, still more particularly of about 48 hours,
  • the step of removing the residual moisture is performed at least 20 or 24 hours after the original production of the bread, particularly at least 36 hours after the original production of the bread, still more particularly about 48 hours after the original production of the bread.
  • the method further comprises a step of bringing soybean, wheat, corn, and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry, for example by shredding, the step of mixing bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley being performed after bringing soybean, wheat, corn, and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry.
  • the method further comprises the step of sieving the food composition in order to preferably obtain a final food composition having a granulometry at least partially or mainly homogeneous, preferably the step of sieving the food composition is made after mixing bread, soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley.
  • the step of removing residual moisture comprises preventing undesired biological and/or chemical processes, particularly biochemical processes, for example the leavening process, or processes apt to deteriorate the bread such as fermentation processes, particularly an abnormal fermentation, potentially harmful to the animals which the food composition is destined to.
  • the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread comprises subjecting the stale bread to a temperature of at least 150°C, preferably to a temperature comprised between 175°C and 275°C, still more preferably to a temperature comprised between 200°C and 260°C.
  • the method further comprises the step of cooling down the stale bread for at least 3 or 4 or 5 hours, particularly in order to bring the stale bread to room temperature, said step of cooling down the stale bread being performed after the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread and before the stale bread shredding step.
  • step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread is performed for at least 15 or 20 minutes, still more particularly for a duration comprised between 20 and 40 minutes, preferably for about 30 minutes.
  • composition or feed for animals prepared according to the method according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the composition comprising:
  • Food composition or feed for animals comprising:
  • bran at least 6% by weight of bran
  • bran - about 12% by weight of bran
  • soybean, wheat, corn, and barley have substantially the same granulometry of the bread or a corresponding or analogous granulometry.
  • stale bread from which residual moisture is removed means stale bread having the dry matter by percentage by weight of the total weight of the stale bread at least equal to about 95% or 98%, preferably equal to about 95% or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99%, or almost 100%.
  • one or more supplements such as one or more mineral vitaminic supple- ment/s.
  • composition means a mix comprising the components/ingredients specified in the attached claims
  • “food composition” means a composition destined to feed, particularly to feed animals, still more particularly monogastric animals;
  • the “food composition” is preferably “feed”; such expressions can be interchanged with each other, when required.
  • the expressions “food composition” and “feed”, besides being interchangeable with each other, can be also interchanged, when required, with the expression “food product” or “food”;
  • stale bread means already baked bread, from the baking of which a time interval has elapsed so that the bread can be no more considered as freshly baked bread.
  • the stale bread is at least partially dry and/or hard and can be distinguished by this; it is observed that the at least partially dry stale bread does not exclude the presence of a determined residual moisture inside it, which is removed according to the respective step of the method according to the invention.
  • Such time interval can be at least equal to 20 or 24 hours after the original production of the bread (or simply bread production or panification), particularly at least 36 hours after the original production of the bread, still more particularly 48 hours after the original production of the bread.
  • the stale bread dries at room temperature.
  • bread can be considered stale bread when from the original production thereof a time interval of at least 20 or 24 hours has elapsed; therefore, for the purpose of the present discussion, the not-consumed bread which is returned the day after its production is considered stale bread.
  • An example of stale bread is the bread, which was returned, for example to the bakery which originally produced the bread, from a shopkeeper, seller, or from any economic activity or selling point after a determined time interval has elapsed, such as the just described one, wherein said bread was not sold. From the point of view of timing, the unsold bread can be returned stale the following day (or the following days) which was delivered as freshly baked bread;
  • “shredding” means “reducing the dimensions”; preferably, “shredding” and/or derived expressions (shredding, shredded, etc.) can be substituted with “grinding to flour” and/or with derived expressions (grinding to flour, ground to flour, etc.),
  • granulometry means a dimensional property or dimensional characteristic of particles (grains) of a component (such as stale bread, barley, wheat, soybean, corn, bran) of the food composition or of a product (such as the food composition obtained from the mix of said components), particularly of a component or product which was subjected to a shredding step of a dimension reduction or grinding step;
  • a component such as stale bread, barley, wheat, soybean, corn, bran
  • a product such as the food composition obtained from the mix of said components
  • average granulometry of the food composition or feed means the granulometry obtained by the average of the different granulometries of the components of the food composition or feed;
  • the percentages (%) mean the percentages by weight of the total weight of the product, particularly of the food composition or of the stale bread, which they refer to. It is considered that, obviously, the total weight and the weight percentages correspond to a total mass and to percentages by mass of the product which they refer to; in absolute terms, the mass can be expressed in grams (g) or kilograms (kg);
  • dry matter or “dry residual” of a food in this particular case of the bread, means all the reminder except for moisture; moreover, in case of stale bread, particularly with reference to the embodiments wherein the stale bread has at least 90%, particularly 95% or 96% of dry matter, the remaining 10%, particularly the remaining 5% or 4%, consists of the following elements (components contributing to the residual moisture):
  • E.E. fats, oils, waxes, vegetal pigments, steroids, fat soluble vitamins
  • raw fibers R.F. (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignine),
  • the present invention refers to a method of preparing a food composition for feeding animals, particularly monogastric animals.
  • the preparing method is substantially a process of making, otherwise defined as process of manufacturing, a food composition.
  • the method comprises the step of predisposing a determined amount of stale bread, in other words bread no more considered as freshly baked bread. It can be considered stale bread, when a time interval of at least 20 or 24 hours has elapsed from the original production thereof (otherwise simply defined as bread production or panification).
  • the stale bread can be bread, which is returned, particularly which is returned to the bakery which has produced the bread in consideration, because it was not sold.
  • the step of predisposing a determined amount of stale bread therefore can provide to receive and/or gather and/or collect a determined amount of unsold stale bread, which is preferably returned or given back by one or more subjects which it was previously (for example the preceding day with respect to the day which the bread is returned) delivered to, particularly delivered as freshly-baked bread, or by one or more other subjects.
  • the method provides to process the stale bread as described in the following.
  • the process starts by removing the residual moisture from the stale bread.
  • the bread obtained by said removal step has a percentage by weight of the total weight of the dry matter of the bread at least equal to about 90%, particularly at least equal to 93%.
  • the bread dry matter is substantially equal to about 95% or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%.
  • the Applicant has found that a complete removal of the residual moisture, by reaching in this way 100% of dry matter, is possible and was obtained.
  • the difference in the value of the residual moisture can be determined by the fact that, since food products are taken into consideration and since raw materials having slightly different moisture starting values are used, slight differences can appear.
  • the moisture of the stale bread usually stays constant with time.
  • a step providing to dry at room temperature the stale bread Before removing the residual moisture as described in the following, it is preferably performed a step providing to dry at room temperature the stale bread; such step can have for example a duration of 36 or 48 hours.
  • the complete or almost complete removal of moisture from the stale bread is simplified by said drying step at room temperature.
  • a method usable for calculating the moisture of the dry residual is described in the following. The method, which is used for this purpose, is the method C described in the chapter entitled “MOISTURE/DRY RESIDUAL” of the report No. 96/34 entitled “Methods of analysis used for the chemical control of food” (see pages 7-10 of said report) published by ISTISAN (National Institute of Health, i.e.
  • the method C (which is referred to in this paragraph also simply as “method”) can be applied to grain cereals, to the flours thereof and to the food doughs (thus to the bread and particularly to the stale bread).
  • the sample to be analyzed in terms of dry matter and of the moisture is dried in a stove and the present volatile substances are gravimetrically determined; more specifically, the sample is dried in an air stove, thermostated at 130 °C.
  • the method provides to operate as described in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No.
  • the calculation of the moisture content is referred to the weight of bread when is taken back.
  • the step of removing the residual moisture is performed after a determined time interval has elapsed, from the original production of the bread, so that the bread can be considered stale or at least partially stale (or anyway not freshly baked) after such time interval has elapsed.
  • the residual moisture is removed at least 20 or 24 hours after the original production of the bread, particularly at least 36 hours after the original production of the bread, still more particularly 48 hours after the original production of the bread.
  • the original production of the bread is preferably bread obtained by putting together flour, water, salt, and yeast; as it is known, this latter causes biochemical reactions enabling the mass (dough), once kneaded, to leaven, increasing in weight and volume.
  • the residual moisture removal from the bread provides to heat the stale bread.
  • the step of heating the stale bread provides to subject the stale bread to a temperature of at least 150°C, preferably at a temperature comprised between 175°C and 275°C, still more preferably at a temperature comprised between 200°C and 260°C. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the residual moisture removal is performed at about 250°C.
  • the residual moisture removal step is preferably made in oven, which enables to heat the bread by subjecting it at the above described temperatures; therefore, the method provides, before the step of removing the residual moisture, the step of introducing the stale bread in oven.
  • the residual moisture removal step is performed by the bakery which originally produced the bread.
  • the residual moisture removal from the stale bread is performed for a time consistent for an excellent moisture removal.
  • the moisture removal can last at least 15 or 20 minutes, particularly for a duration comprised between 20 and 40 minutes, preferably for about 30 minutes.
  • the moisture removal is preferably performed by keeping the stale bread inside the oven for one of said durations, particularly for a duration comprised between 25 and 35 minutes, preferably for about 30 minutes.
  • the step of removing the residual moisture from the stale bread enables to prevent undesired biological and/or chemical processes, particularly biochemical processes, for example the leavening process or processes apt to deteriorate the bread such as the fermentation processes, particularly the abnormal fermentation, potentially harmful to the animals which will be fed by the food composition prepared in this way.
  • It is necessary to prevent leavening and/or fermentation reactions because, in the field of the animal food compositions (feed field), the raw materials which are mixed in order to form the food composition or feed must not have substantially any form of life, in other words must be inert, in other words abound of nutritive substances but without anomalous fermentations.
  • the use of the above described high temperatures enables to deactivate the leavening and fermentation reactions which are considered undesired.
  • the obtained food composition is a premium composition and is nutritious for the animals which is destined to.
  • the method provides to shred the bread, in other words to reduce the dimensions and therefore the granulometry.
  • Such step substantially provides to grind the bread to powder or to flour (step of grinding to flour the bread).
  • the step of shredding or of reducing the dimensions of the bread provides to bring the bread to a determined resultant granulometry, which is clearly less than the starting dimensions or granulometry of the bread.
  • the step of shredding or reducing the dimensions of the bread can be performed by a grindstone, particularly a grindstone for bread or a bread grinder, or analo- gous devices or apparatuses configured to shred the bread.
  • the granulometry value of the stale bread for example 1 or 3 or 4 mm, can be directly set by the bread grinder.
  • the step of shredding or reducing the dimensions of the bread can be performed in a bakery, particularly in the bakery where the stale bread was returned.
  • the method can provide to cool down the stale bread.
  • Such step is performed for a time sufficient to take the stale bread to a temperature less than the one which it was subjected to in the moisture removal step; particularly, the cooling down step provides to take the stale bread to room temperature.
  • the cooling down time (or duration of the cooling down step) can be dependent on the temperature which the bread was heated at in the moisture removal step; preferably the duration of the cooling down step can last 3 or 4 or 5 hours, optionally can last from 3 to 6 hours.
  • cooling down step duration is also dependent on the season; for example, cooling down the stale bread in Summer can take more time than cooling down the stale bread in Winter.
  • the step of cooling down the stale bread is advantageous because enables to prepare the bread for the following shredding step, enabling a better reduction of the dimensions; the Applicant has indeed observed that processing (shredding) the bread under heat could determine the growth of molds, a more difficult bread shredding and/or other undesired disadvantages.
  • the method After shredding the stale bread, the method provides to mix the stale bread with: o soybean, o at least one between barley and wheat, particularly at least wheat, preferably both barley and wheat, o bran, o corn.
  • the so constituted food composition exhibits an excellent starchy contents and at the same time an excellent proteineous content and therefore is a complete and excellent food for the animals which is destined to, particularly poultry and swine. Details about the contribution of each component of the mix will be given in the following.
  • Soybean delivers an excellent proteineous contribution to the food composition because has a very high proteineous percentage (in some cases 48% of proteins).
  • Barley is responsible of an excellent starchy contribution; it exhibits a quick fermentability (quicker than the one of corn). Moreover, it is noted that barley gives also, even though less than soybean, a proteineous contribution.
  • Wheat has also the function of providing starch and has a quicker fermentability (quicker than the one of corn). Further, wheat gives a greater proteineous contribution than the one of barley.
  • the food composition could be prepared by using only one of them; however, it is noted that the preferred embodiment of the invention, which will be more particularly explained, provides both.
  • Corn delivers an excellent starchy contribution and has a limited proteineous contribution; it exhibits a slow fermentability. Due to its characteristics, the presence of corn balances barley and/or wheat, particularly it balances the quick fermentability of barley and/or corn.
  • Bran exhibits a high fiber contents, which contributes to the digestion of the food composition by the animals which the feed is destined to and has a low proteineous percentage.
  • corn, barley, and wheat are graminaceous plants which are used for the food composition, mainly due to their contribution of starch, at the same time they deliver a smaller contribution of proteins, however they are delivered mainly by soybean.
  • the presence of corn cooperates with the other components of the mix because it balances the presence of barley and/or of wheat.
  • the presence of bran cooperates in promoting the digestibility of the feed by the animal which is destined to.
  • each of the above described components cooperates in providing a feed having an excellent proteineous starchy contribution and a high digestibility.
  • the food composition provides an excellent contribution of proteins and starch to the animals which is destined to; particularly, the excellent presence of starch provides the mix with “energy” for the animals which are fed by this feed.
  • soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley can be considered the raw materials for making the food composition.
  • the method provides that soybean, wheat, corn, and barley have substantially the same granulometry as the one of the bread or an analogous granulometry or a corresponding one.
  • the method can provide to bring one or more among soybean, wheat, corn and barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran), substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread and to an analogous or corresponding granulometry, for example by shredding; such step provides to reduce the granulometry of soybean, wheat, corn, barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran).
  • the step of bringing one or more among soybean, wheat, corn, barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran) substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry, can be obtained by a mill. It is observed that the step of shredding one or more among soybean, wheat, corn, barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran) is preferably performed separately from the step of shredding the stale bread; for example, shredding said raw materials can be made in mill while shredding the stale bread can be made in bakery.
  • mixing the bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley is preferably performed after taking soybean, wheat, corn, and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry.
  • Providing the same or an analogous or corresponding granulometry between stale bread and soybean, wheat, corn, and barley enables to optimize the digestion of the food composition by the animals which the composition is destined to; such effect is particularly enhanced when the granulometries of stale bread and soybean, wheat, corn, barley and optionally bran are the same.
  • bran With reference to bran, it can be in the form of small, elongated grains having an order of magnitudes of millimeters; particularly, bran can exhibit in the mix the same shape and/or a same characteristic delivery dimension (in other words the same shape and/or dimension exhibiting when it was bought), for example a characteristic dimension of 0.2 mm or 0.5 mm. Therefore, it can be conceived the possibility of skipping the step of shredding bran for obtaining the mix because dimensions of bran are already smaller than the granulometry of the mix.
  • the granulometry of the mix is homogeneous and changes in dependence of the type of animal which the food composition is destined to.
  • the provision of a homogeneous granulometry also simplifies and optimizes the digestion of the food composition by the animals. It is considered that the granulometry of the mix could be homogeneous with the exception of bran (in other words it could be mainly homogeneous, still in other words homogeneous for all its components with the exception of bran), which however, given the high contents of fibers and the smaller dimensions than the ones of said homogeneous granulometry, is anyway very digestible.
  • the granulometry of the food composition is important because it affects two determining factors: the ingestion capacity (the intake limit of a substance/composition) of the animal, and the digestibility, these are fundamental elements for the growth of animals, for the quality of the obtained meat, and for the health of the animal. Therefore, the provision of a suitable granulometry, as herein described, optimizes the properties of the feed.
  • the granulometry of the food composition is determined by a grid and/or a hopper, particularly a grid of a hopper; so that it sieves the mix, by enabling to pass through the meshes of the grid only the mix having the desired granulometry.
  • the meshes of the grid can be in the shape of circular holes, with reference to the relationship between granulometry of the food composition and type of animal, which is destined to, it is observed that the granulometry with reference to swine is determined by using in the mill a grid having a hole diameter of 1 mm, while with reference to poultry, the hole diameter of the grid can be of about 3 or 4 mm.
  • the food composition can be completed by providing one or more supplements, in par- ticular one or more mineral vitaminic supplements.
  • the method can provide a step of adding, to the bread or to the mix of bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley, one or more supplements, particularly one or more mineral vitaminic supplements, in other words supplements which are a complement both to vitamins and minerals (for example mineral salts).
  • the step of adding supplements is performed in the step of mixing the stale bread with the other raw materials.
  • Adding one or more mineral vitaminic supplements, preferably a single mineral vitaminic supplement enables to integrate and therefore increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in the mix; this can be advantageous for optimizing the feed of animals, for obtaining for example a determined growth and/or a desired weight in a relatively limited period of time (e.g.: during the step of fattening poultry and/swine), and for reducing the stress on said animals.
  • the food composition obtained by the method comprises the single compo- nents/ingredients with the percentages which are described in the following with reference to the description of the food composition. Therefore, the amounts of bread, soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley are preferably provided and/or dispensed based on the percentage which the single component exhibits in the food composition obtained by the preparation method.
  • yeasts and other substances used in the field of the panification causes the food composition to be the best for monogastric animals, particularly for poultry and swine.
  • the food composition made in this way whose main component is the stale bread (only stale bread) is more easily digested by monogastric animals (particularly poultry such as chicken and swine, etc.), while is less digestible by polygastric animals (sheep, goats, oxen, etc.).
  • monogastric animals particularly poultry such as chicken and swine, etc.
  • polygastric animals so that the food composition is more adapted to feed monogastric animals, this fact does not exclude an a priori applicability to the feed of polygastric animals.
  • the Applicant has verified that the preservation times of a so-obtained food composition extend to 6 or 8 months from its preparation (production), clearly in dependence on the conditions and measures provided for a correct preservation of the food product.
  • Such preservation time is a good duration particularly if it is considered the fact that preservatives are not added to the mix.
  • the so-obtained food composition exhibits excellent nutritious values for the animals which is destined to and enables an easy digestion, particularly for monogastric animals.
  • the method according to the invention does not comprise any extrusion step. Therefore, preferably, the food composition or feed is not extruded.
  • the method according to the invention does not comprise any specific step of removing the residual moisture following the step of mixing the stale bread with: soybean, bran, corn, and at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both.
  • the method, according to the invention does not comprise any specific step of removing moisture from the food composition or feed.
  • the invention regards a food composition or feed.
  • the expressions “food composition”, “feed” or “food product” can be interchanged with each other.
  • the food composition is specifically destined to feed animals, particularly monogastric animals such as swine and/or poultry and is preferably made according to the beforehand described method. It is observed that, among the monogastric animals, the food composition is particularly adapted to poultry and swine because it exhibits excellent nutritious values for poultry and swine; therefore, it can be used in the growth stage of poultry/hens and swine because it is a substantially complete food.
  • the food composition comprises stale bread, soybean, bran, corn, and at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both.
  • the preferred embodiment of the invention comprising: stale bread, soybean, bran, corn, barley, and wheat is described in the following.
  • the food composition comprises, with reference to the total weight of the composition:
  • bran at least 6% by weight of bran
  • one or more supplements present by at least 1% by weight.
  • the percentages of soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley must be considered as percentages of the raw materials which are added to the stale bread, in other words as percentages not tied (separated from) to a possible presence of such compo- nents/ingredients in the stale bread; this reasoning can be particularly applied to wheat.
  • the percentage to be considered for the purpose of the hereinbefore list is the percentage Y (not X + Y); a similar reasoning can be applied when required and once the necessary changes have been made, to the above listed components/ingredients.
  • the food composition comprises, with reference to the total weight of the composition:
  • bran - about 12% by weight of bran
  • the residual moisture is removed from the stale bread in oven, at a temperature comprised between 200°C and 275°C (preferably at about 250°C) keeping the stale bread in oven for a duration comprised between 25 and 35 minutes (preferably for about 30 minutes); the result obtained by such step is that the dry matter of the stale bread, after removing the residual moisture, is equal to 95% or 96% or is greater (can be substantially equal to 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%).
  • the main component or ingredient of the food composition according to the invention is the stale bread, wherein component or main ingredient means the component or ingredient which is present in the composition by a percentage by weight greater than the percentage by weight of each single other component or ingredient.
  • component or main ingredient means the component or ingredient which is present in the composition by a percentage by weight greater than the percentage by weight of each single other component or ingredient.
  • the food composition exhibits excellent nutritious values.
  • the finished product in other words the feed obtained according to the method of the invention, can have a moisture contents of about 12% due to the addition of other components to the stale bread which the residual moisture was beforehand removed from; therefore, an animal, when is fed with said feed, absorbs an amount of dry matter of about 88%.
  • Example preparation of a food composition for monogastric animals
  • the stale bread is returned to the bakery which originally produced it by subjects which it was delivered to the preceding day (unsold bread).
  • the stale bread is introduced in oven at a temperature of about 250°C for about 30 minutes and the result is stale bread whose dry matter is equal to 95 or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100% (such calculation was performed according to the beforehand described method; the values can be rounded to the nearest integer).
  • the stale bread is shredded (ground to flour) in the bakery by a bread grinder for obtaining stale bread with a desired granulometry (1 mm for the swine feed and from 3 to 4 mm for poultry feed).
  • a mill shreds barley, corn, wheat, and soybean which are then mixed with stale bread which residual moisture was beforehand removed from, in other words with stale bread whose dry matter is equal to 95 or 96% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%.
  • a mineral vitaminic integrator is added to the mix for delivering a suitable contribution of vitamins and minerals.
  • the mixing step is performed by providing the following percentages by weight (of total weight of the food composition).
  • the mix is sieved by a grid for obtaining the desired granulometry (1 mm for the swine feed and from 3 to 4 mm for the poultry feed). Therefore, the average granulometry of the mix is of 1 mm for the swine feed (or slightly less due to the presence of the bran, which can have a characteristic dimension of 0.2 mm or 0.5 mm) and from 3 to 4 mm for the poultry feed (or slightly less due to said presence of bran).
  • the food composition is ready to be administered, immediately after or after a short or suitable preservation, to poultry or swine, based on said granulometry.
  • the invention refers to a use of the beforehand described food composition.
  • the use of the food composition is done in the zootechnical field.
  • the use of the food composition is for feeding one or more animals, particularly, one or more monogastric animals. Still more particularly, the use of the food composition is destined to feed swine and/or poultry, for example for their growth.
  • the use of the food composition can be done in one or more non-intensive type breeding farms; however, it is not excluded the use for intensive farm breedings.
  • the food composition can be administered once a day, both for swine and poultry, or also with a different timing.
  • the food composition can be dispensed as often as required or twice a day.
  • integrating the mix with mineral vitaminic supplements is particularly important in view of the presence of stress disease in the animals, for example due to the competition caused by the number of animals present in a limited space, for example in single boxes.
  • the amount of food composition which is administered (dispensed) changes according to the type of animal to be fed; for example, for the breeding of poultry, the amount to be administered can be from about 120 to 150 gr/head/day, for swine during the fattening stage the amount to be administered can be of about 2.5 or 3.5 kg/head/day, for pregnant sows the amount to be administered can be of about 2 or 4 kg/head/day according to the conditions under which the animal arrives to the delivery.
  • the Applicant observes that using the food composition according to the invention for feeding animals expresses its desire to give a contribution in terms of better quality of the farm breeding and, at the same time, to strongly discourage the phenomenon of food waste. Therefore, feeding animals by the food composition, herein disclosed, enables to operate consciously and respectfully for the environment and its resources, avoiding waste, in the interest of all of us and of the environment sustainability.
  • the Applicant has developed the practical test for the feed following two lines, the poultry one and the swine one.
  • the used feed is according to the beforehand described example of the invention and thus comprises stale bread, barley, corn, bran, wheat, soybean and mineral vitaminic supplements.
  • the poultry used in the experimental test were broilers, particularly the Red Bro broilers, while with reference to laying hens, it was considered the Petra reddish pullet.
  • the efficiency of food conversion measures the capacity of an animal (in this case: poultry or swine) to transform the ingested food (the food composition or feed) into a body weight increase.
  • the experimental poultry test started on 18 November 2022, referred to broiler breeding and provided to use 20 chickens, having a starting weight of 1.125 kg/head.
  • the chickens were bred following the standard regulating the animal wellbeing; a space of about 50 m 2 was used, which was characterized by a free space for letting them to scratch around and a covered space of 17 m 2 was used for protecting them during the night or in case of bad weather.
  • the space used for breeding poultry is characterized by an excellent ventilation and airing, where there are not air currents and is very sunny; the space used for breeding is provided with fresh and drinkable water.
  • the used feed is rationed and is not uncontrolled so that, every morning, 2.4 kg of feed are administered according to the invention; it should be remembered that each chicken eats about 120 g.
  • the used heads were 10, the starting weight was of 1.150 kg with a monthly average ECI of 1.210 kg/head; the slaughtering average live weight was of 3.300 kg, and it was found an average dead weight of 2.040 kg on day 6 June 2023.
  • the test on the field referred to broilers and the duration was of 75 days; in this period, on day 30 of each month random samples of the weights were recorded.
  • the poultry bred with the feed according to the invention exhibited a correct percentage of fat accumulated almost around the anal orifice, the organs exhibited a vivid color without any anomalies, the meat had a pink color with a proper softness and were very resistant when detached from a bone.
  • the third test referred to a laying hen and started on day 18 November 2022; 10 pullets were considered which were recovered in a hen house as hereinbefore described, but with an additional shelter for laying eggs (egg deposition), the starting weight was of 1.100 kg/head and the monthly average ECI was of 1.550 kg/head; the egg deposition started day 15 March 2023 with a daily average of 1 egg/day.
  • the productive cycle (the time required to obtain the weight required for slaughtering), in other words the herein described trial on poultry, lasted about seven months.
  • test performed on swine refers to four categories/g roups:
  • the ECls were determined by feeding the swine with the feed according to the beforehand described example of the invention (therefore feed comprising both barley and wheat);
  • the “adverse test” was performed, in other words in this test the feed was devoid of a component, in this case barley (i.e., the feed according to the invention without a raw material, in this case barley, was used), under this condition the results related to growth, ECI, and the meat quality were determined;
  • slaughtering live weight of swine was 192.00 kg, 185.50 kg, 161.00 kg.
  • the second group refers to the “adverse test”, the starting weights on day 4 November, 2022 of the three pigs were respectively of 49.50 kg; 66.00 kg; 49.00 kg and in this case, the food conversion index was 19.23 kg/head. Since the swine had an average weight of about 50 kg, they were fed with about 2.5 kg/head/day, consequently the monthly consumption was of about 75 kg/head; ECI being equal to about 3.9 kg of feed to obtain about 1 kg of meat.
  • the monthly average ECI was about 10.30 kg and during the weaning, the daily average consumption of feed was about 1 .0 kg/head, with a monthly consumption of about 30 kg, so that about 29 kg of feed were used to obtain about 1 kg of meat/day.
  • the observed swine starting weights were respectively 106.50 kg; 82.50 kg; 135.50 kg.
  • the monthly average ECI was 29.80 kg, so that about 3.5 kg day/head of feed were used for obtaining about 1 kg/day.
  • the industrial feed used was a mix consisting of whey and middlings, a not particularly balanced product in terms of micro and macro elements, but with a high proteinic source and a good presence of starch, determining a good development of the muscle layer, but surely not of the skeletal structure.
  • the fourth test in other words the test on the fourth group, lasted only three months; slightly higher ECls were obtained (3.5 kg of feed per each kg of meat per head/day) due to the use of very concentrated products in terms of proteins, and due to the test duration, so that only the weight increasing stage could be observed (it is noted that it was not possible to quantify/perform the other stages: the one in which the weight remained constant and the one in which the weight decreased, which is physiological in all the living beings), so that the monthly average ECI was calculated only during the weight increasing stage of the animal.
  • the weight increase was not proportionally accompanied by an increase of the whole skeletal structure, so that due to an unbalanced feed, the animal can take a higher weight and have a more fragile skeletal structure, with a risk of fractures or even bone fractures, due to the excessive weight, with negative impacts on the economy of the firm.
  • the Applicant has observed that, upon the slaughtering, the organs of swine fed by the feed made according to the invention, exhibited a vivid color, and they did not show anomalies and were eatable. Meats had a vivid red color with a regular marbling, the color of fat was bright white, concentrated especially outside the cut, with a thickness of about 4/5 cm, giving softness and taste to meat. This demonstrates the quality of the feed according of the invention.
  • the content of bread provided in the food composition according to the invention can reach a maximum of 70%, the other components/ingredients being reduced and/or suitably adapted in terms of their presence by percentage in the mix.
  • the food composition comprises at least one among: stale bread, corn, wheat, soybean, and bran
  • the other raw materials of the feed are compensated.
  • the invention enables to make a food composition in a sustainable way and such to prevent waste, particularly waste of bread.
  • the invention enables to recover the stale bread (for example unsold bread) by efficiently reusing it.
  • the invention enables to make a cost effective food composition because it uses stale bread and does not therefore require producing freshly baked bread for preparing it. In this way, it is minimized or even substantially eliminated the cost for producing the main ingredi- ent/component of the food composition, which is bread.
  • the invention enables to “extend the life of bread” because it enables to use stale bread, after making the food composition, for other 6 or 8 months (preservation time of the food composition); if the bread were not used for making the food composition, it would have a shorter preservation time.
  • the invention thanks to the additional components/ingredients of the food composition, such as soybean, wheat, bran, corn, barley, and/or supplements, makes available a food composition capable of healthfully feeding animals.
  • the additional components/ingredients of the food composition such as soybean, wheat, bran, corn, barley, and/or supplements
  • the invention enables to prevent the animals from being fed with industrial food compositions, and enables to provide them with a better feed, with consequent advantages for the involved animals and for the products such as the meat, obtained by them.
  • the better the advantageous nutritious effects of the food composition will be, the more, besides the beforehand purely alimentary considerations, the following factors will synergically cooperate with each other: pedo-climatic conditions, location of the firm, feeding and breeding techniques, animal wellbeing. The more these factors are favorable, the more they will synergically cooperate, thus contributing to boost and better highlight the nutritious properties of the food composition.
  • the invention enables the Applicant to contribute to a reduction of food waste and thus enables it to advance an eco-sustainable production respecting starving people.
  • each element, component/ingredient and/or step of prod- uct/method according to the invention can be substituted with an equivalent element, component/ingredient and/or step (in the following “equivalent/s”); such equivalent/s can be already present at the filing date or priority date of the present patent text or can be subsequently devised/developed.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a food composition for animals, in particular monogastric animals. The method comprises preparing a certain amount of stale bread and removing residual moisture from the stale bread. After removing residual moisture, the bread is shredded, e.g. ground to powder or to flour form. After shredding the bread, the method comprises mixing the bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn, barley and optionally one or more supplements, thus forming the food composition.

Description

“FOOD COMPOSITION FOR MONOGASTRIC ANIMALS”
D E S C R I P T I O N
Technical field of the invention
The present invention refers to: a method of preparing a food composition (feed) destined to feed animals, a food composition, and a use of the food composition.
The invention is particularly suitable to be used in the zootechnical field. More particularly, the food composition can be used for feeding animals, particularly productive livestock. The category of the productive livestock is defined in this way because indicates a category of animals bred for producing food commodities (in other words products destined to the nutrition) or other consumables destined to the trade. It is observed that, the Italian legislation contains a law exactly framing the definition of productive livestock, in other words the Legislative Decree 26 March 2001 , No. 146. Preferably, the food composition is used for feeding monogastric animals such as poultry (e.g.: fattening poultry and laying hens) and swine.
Background of the invention
Feeds for monogastric animals are known.
Such feeds have often an industrial origin and are improvable under many points of view, particularly with reference to the nutrition of monogastric animals.
Therefore, the Applicant has observed the possibility of making a quality food composition, capable of feeding animals, particularly monogastric animals, in a correct and balanced way.
Objects of the invention
Therefore, a main object of the present invention consists of overcoming the inconveniences beforehand described with reference to the prior art.
An object of the present invention consists of providing a method of preparing a food composition and an associated food composition destined to feed animals, particularly monogastric animals, in a healthy and balanced way.
A further object of the invention consists of preparing, in other words of producing and therefore making available, a food composition in order to avoid wasting raw materials.
Thus, it is an additional object of the invention, related to the just discussed object, to make a food composition which simultaneously respects both the environment (eco sustainability aspect of the invention) and the poorest populations which do not have the availability of sufficient amount of food and therefore starve (humanitarian responsibility aspect of the invention).
Moreover, the invention provides a technical solution having a substantial efficacy, al- ternative to the prior art solutions.
These and other objects are met by a method of preparing a food composition, by a food composition, and by a use of the food composition according to the following description, attached claims, and following aspects.
Summary of the invention
Aspects of the invention, forming an integral part of the technical content of the present patent text, are herein described. Said aspects can be used for limiting the claims and/or defining further claims during the duration of the present patent rights.
The invention provides a food composition (or feed or food product) made from stale bread which is suitably processed. The stale bread, in other words the bread which cannot be anymore considered as freshly baked bread (for example because it becomes hard due to the elapse of a determined time interval, which can occur for example when the bread is not sold/used in a suitable time and therefore is returned), is subjected to a step of removing the residual moisture until the dry matter thereof is at least equal to 90% with reference to the weight of the bread. Then, the bread is subjected to a size reduction or is shredded (ground to flour) to a granulometry apt to enable to feed monogastric animals and to be excellently digested by the same.
The food composition comprises, in addition to the stale bread, also one or more among the following components/ingredients, preferably all: soybean, wheat and/or barley, bran and corn. One or more of said components/ingredients, preferably all, are added to the bread processed as described above. Mixing soybean, wheat, bran, corn and barley with the stale bread, and optionally also one or more supplements (preferably a single mineral vita- minic supplement), enables to obtain a food composition (mix) having excellent nutritional properties.
Preferably, said components/supplements (optionally unless the bran, which can have a granulometry less than the one of the stale bread) have the same granulometry as the one of the stale bread or anyway a granulometry analogous or corresponding to the one of the stale bread; moreover, in addition or as an alternative, the granulometry of the mix can be homogeneous. Each of said two aspects improves the digestion of the feed by the animals.
Preferably, the food composition comprises also one or more supplements, such as vitaminic and/or mineral supplement/s, particularly mineral vitaminic supplement/s.
The food composition is shredded and/or is in the form of flour. In other words, preferably, the food composition does not have the shape of sheets or pellets or other unshredded aggregates. In addition or as an alternative, preferably the food composition is not extruded.
Numbered aspects of the invention follow.
1 . Method of preparing a food composition or feed for animals, particularly monogastric animals, comprising the steps of:
- predisposing a determined amount of stale bread,
- removing residual moisture from the stale bread until the dry matter of the stale bread is a percentage by weight of the total weight of the stale bread at least equal to about 90%, particularly at least equal to 93%, preferably equal to about 95% or 96%,
- after removing residual moisture, shredding the stale bread, wherein preferably the stale bread shredding step comprises grinding to powder the stale bread,
- after shredding the stale bread, mixing the stale bread with: o soybean, o at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both, o bran, o corn, in order to form the food composition.
2. Aspect according to the aspect 1 , wherein: the stale bread is bread from the original production of which, a period of time of at least 20 or 24 hours has elapsed, particularly at least 36 hours, still more particularly of about 48 hours,
- the step of removing the residual moisture is performed at least 20 or 24 hours after the original production of the bread, particularly at least 36 hours after the original production of the bread, still more particularly about 48 hours after the original production of the bread.
3. Aspect according to the aspect 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises a step of bringing soybean, wheat, corn, and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry, for example by shredding, the step of mixing bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley being performed after bringing soybean, wheat, corn, and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry.
4. Aspect according to the aspect 1 or 2 or 3, wherein the method further comprises the step of sieving the food composition in order to preferably obtain a final food composition having a granulometry at least partially or mainly homogeneous, preferably the step of sieving the food composition is made after mixing bread, soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley.
5. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the step of removing residual moisture comprises preventing undesired biological and/or chemical processes, particularly biochemical processes, for example the leavening process, or processes apt to deteriorate the bread such as fermentation processes, particularly an abnormal fermentation, potentially harmful to the animals which the food composition is destined to. 6. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread comprises subjecting the stale bread to a temperature of at least 150°C, preferably to a temperature comprised between 175°C and 275°C, still more preferably to a temperature comprised between 200°C and 260°C.
7. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread is performed in oven.
8. Aspect according to the aspect 6 or 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of cooling down the stale bread for at least 3 or 4 or 5 hours, particularly in order to bring the stale bread to room temperature, said step of cooling down the stale bread being performed after the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread and before the stale bread shredding step.
9. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread is performed for at least 15 or 20 minutes, still more particularly for a duration comprised between 20 and 40 minutes, preferably for about 30 minutes.
10. Food composition or feed for animals, particularly for monogastric animals, prepared according to the method according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the composition comprising:
- stale bread, from which residual moisture has been removed,
- soybean,
- at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both,
- bran,
- corn.
11 . Food composition or feed for animals, particularly for monogastric animals, such as swine and/or poultry, comprising:
- at least 30% by weight of stale bread,
- at least 10% by weight of soybean,
- at least 5% by weight of wheat,
- at least 6% by weight of bran,
- at least 5% by weight of corn,
- at least 5% by weight of barley,
- preferably at least 1% by weight of one or more supplements, each percentage being expressed by the total weight of the composition, optionally the food composition being according to the aspect 10.
12. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the food composition or feed comprises:
- about 40% by weight of stale bread, - about 15% by weight of soybean,
- about 10% by weight of wheat,
- about 12% by weight of bran,
- about 10% by weight of corn,
- about 10% by weight of barley,
- about 3% by weight of one or more supplements, preferably mineral vitaminic supplements, each percentage being expressed by the total weight of the composition.
13. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein the main component or ingredient of the food composition is stale bread.
14. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein soybean, wheat, corn, and barley have substantially the same granulometry of the bread or a corresponding or analogous granulometry.
15. Use of a food composition or feed according to anyone of claims from 10 to 14 for feeding one or more animals, for example in a breeding farm, preferably the use of the food composition or feed being carried out in one or more non-intensive type breeding farms and/or in one or more intensive type breeding farms.
16. Aspect according to the aspect 15 wherein the use is for feeding one or more monogastric animals, still more particularly for feeding swine and/or poultry.
17. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, wherein each of the preceding aspects can be combined with anyone of the attached claims.
18. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the food composition or feed has a granulometry or an average granulometry which is of about 1 mm or less, for example when it is destined to feed swine.
19. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the food composition or feed has a granulometry or an average granulometry which is of about 3 or 4 mm or less, for example when it is destined to feed poultry.
20. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the term stale bread from which residual moisture is removed means stale bread having the dry matter by percentage by weight of the total weight of the stale bread at least equal to about 95% or 98%, preferably equal to about 95% or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99%, or almost 100%.
21. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the method does not comprise any extrusion step and/or the food composition or feed is not extruded.
22. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the food composition or feed is based on stale bread. 23. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the method does not comprise the step of removing residual moisture after the step of mixing the stale bread with: soybean, bran, corn and at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both, and/or the method does not comprise any specific step of removing residual moisture from the food composition or feed.
24. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the food composition or stale bread comprises only:
- stale bread,
- soybean,
- at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both,
- bran,
- corn,
- preferably one or more supplements, such as one or more mineral vitaminic supple- ment/s.
25. Aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects and/or to anyone of the attached claims, wherein the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread provides to remove residual moisture from the stale bread alone, in other words not from the stale bread mixed with other raw materials or ingredients of the food composition or feed.
Conventions and definitions
In the context of the present discussion, one or more of the following defini- tions/conventions, when required and unless otherwise stated and/or unless excluded by the context, can be applied:
- “composition” means a mix comprising the components/ingredients specified in the attached claims;
- “food composition” means a composition destined to feed, particularly to feed animals, still more particularly monogastric animals;
- the “food composition” is preferably “feed”; such expressions can be interchanged with each other, when required. The expressions “food composition” and “feed”, besides being interchangeable with each other, can be also interchanged, when required, with the expression “food product” or “food”;
- “stale bread” means already baked bread, from the baking of which a time interval has elapsed so that the bread can be no more considered as freshly baked bread. Usually, the stale bread is at least partially dry and/or hard and can be distinguished by this; it is observed that the at least partially dry stale bread does not exclude the presence of a determined residual moisture inside it, which is removed according to the respective step of the method according to the invention. Such time interval can be at least equal to 20 or 24 hours after the original production of the bread (or simply bread production or panification), particularly at least 36 hours after the original production of the bread, still more particularly 48 hours after the original production of the bread. During such time interval, the stale bread dries at room temperature. In other words, bread can be considered stale bread when from the original production thereof a time interval of at least 20 or 24 hours has elapsed; therefore, for the purpose of the present discussion, the not-consumed bread which is returned the day after its production is considered stale bread. An example of stale bread is the bread, which was returned, for example to the bakery which originally produced the bread, from a shopkeeper, seller, or from any economic activity or selling point after a determined time interval has elapsed, such as the just described one, wherein said bread was not sold. From the point of view of timing, the unsold bread can be returned stale the following day (or the following days) which was delivered as freshly baked bread;
- “shredding” means “reducing the dimensions”; preferably, “shredding” and/or derived expressions (shredding, shredded, etc.) can be substituted with “grinding to flour” and/or with derived expressions (grinding to flour, ground to flour, etc.),
- “granulometry” means a dimensional property or dimensional characteristic of particles (grains) of a component (such as stale bread, barley, wheat, soybean, corn, bran) of the food composition or of a product (such as the food composition obtained from the mix of said components), particularly of a component or product which was subjected to a shredding step of a dimension reduction or grinding step;
- “average granulometry” of the food composition or feed means the granulometry obtained by the average of the different granulometries of the components of the food composition or feed;
- the percentages (%), unless otherwise stated and/or in case of incompatibilities with the following convention, mean the percentages by weight of the total weight of the product, particularly of the food composition or of the stale bread, which they refer to. It is considered that, obviously, the total weight and the weight percentages correspond to a total mass and to percentages by mass of the product which they refer to; in absolute terms, the mass can be expressed in grams (g) or kilograms (kg);
- “dry matter” or “dry residual” of a food, in this particular case of the bread, means all the reminder except for moisture; moreover, in case of stale bread, particularly with reference to the embodiments wherein the stale bread has at least 90%, particularly 95% or 96% of dry matter, the remaining 10%, particularly the remaining 5% or 4%, consists of the following elements (components contributing to the residual moisture):
• raw proteins,
• ethereal extracts, E.E. (fats, oils, waxes, vegetal pigments, steroids, fat soluble vitamins), • raw fibers, R.F. (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignine),
• ashes (salts, inorganic elements),
• free-nitrogen extracts, F.N.E. (simple sugars, starches, organic acids, resins, tannins).
Detailed description of embodiments of the invention
Method of preparing a food composition
The present invention refers to a method of preparing a food composition for feeding animals, particularly monogastric animals. The preparing method is substantially a process of making, otherwise defined as process of manufacturing, a food composition.
The method comprises the step of predisposing a determined amount of stale bread, in other words bread no more considered as freshly baked bread. It can be considered stale bread, when a time interval of at least 20 or 24 hours has elapsed from the original production thereof (otherwise simply defined as bread production or panification). For example, the stale bread can be bread, which is returned, particularly which is returned to the bakery which has produced the bread in consideration, because it was not sold. The step of predisposing a determined amount of stale bread therefore can provide to receive and/or gather and/or collect a determined amount of unsold stale bread, which is preferably returned or given back by one or more subjects which it was previously (for example the preceding day with respect to the day which the bread is returned) delivered to, particularly delivered as freshly-baked bread, or by one or more other subjects.
Therefore, the method provides to process the stale bread as described in the following.
The process starts by removing the residual moisture from the stale bread. Preferably, the bread obtained by said removal step has a percentage by weight of the total weight of the dry matter of the bread at least equal to about 90%, particularly at least equal to 93%. Preferably, after the step of removing the residual moisture, the bread dry matter is substantially equal to about 95% or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%. The Applicant has found that a complete removal of the residual moisture, by reaching in this way 100% of dry matter, is possible and was obtained. The difference in the value of the residual moisture can be determined by the fact that, since food products are taken into consideration and since raw materials having slightly different moisture starting values are used, slight differences can appear. The moisture of the stale bread usually stays constant with time.
Before removing the residual moisture as described in the following, it is preferably performed a step providing to dry at room temperature the stale bread; such step can have for example a duration of 36 or 48 hours. The complete or almost complete removal of moisture from the stale bread is simplified by said drying step at room temperature. A method usable for calculating the moisture of the dry residual (in other words of the dry matter) is described in the following. The method, which is used for this purpose, is the method C described in the chapter entitled “MOISTURE/DRY RESIDUAL” of the report No. 96/34 entitled “Methods of analysis used for the chemical control of food” (see pages 7-10 of said report) published by ISTISAN (National Institute of Health, i.e. italian administration known as Istituto Superiore di Sanita). The method C (which is referred to in this paragraph also simply as “method”) can be applied to grain cereals, to the flours thereof and to the food doughs (thus to the bread and particularly to the stale bread). From the perspective of the principle of the method, the sample to be analyzed in terms of dry matter and of the moisture is dried in a stove and the present volatile substances are gravimetrically determined; more specifically, the sample is dried in an air stove, thermostated at 130 °C. As specified in the section no. 5 “Process” of said chapter of the ISTISAN report, the method provides to operate as described in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic No. 145 of June 21 , 1985 - “Official method for the determination of the moisture content in cereal grains, in their ground flours and in the pasta products”. Moreover, said section No. 5 provides, for the bread, that the determination (said calculation) must be performed on a portion of the sample, not less than 100 g and cut in small pieces and dried in aluminum cans. As specified in the section No. 6 “Expression of the results” of said chapter of the ISTISAN report, the moisture content of the sample, expressed by percentage, is calculated by the following formula:
Moisture (g / 100 gr) = (E - m) x 100/ E
The value of the dry residual of the sample, expressed by percentage, is calculated by the following formula:
Dry residual (g/100 g or 100 ml)= 100 x M / E wherein:
E = starting mass in grams of the sample m = mass in grams of the dry sample.
For the bread, the calculation of the moisture content is referred to the weight of bread when is taken back.
Preferably, the step of removing the residual moisture is performed after a determined time interval has elapsed, from the original production of the bread, so that the bread can be considered stale or at least partially stale (or anyway not freshly baked) after such time interval has elapsed. Preferably, the residual moisture is removed at least 20 or 24 hours after the original production of the bread, particularly at least 36 hours after the original production of the bread, still more particularly 48 hours after the original production of the bread. It is observed that the original production of the bread is preferably bread obtained by putting together flour, water, salt, and yeast; as it is known, this latter causes biochemical reactions enabling the mass (dough), once kneaded, to leaven, increasing in weight and volume. The residual moisture removal from the bread provides to heat the stale bread. The step of heating the stale bread provides to subject the stale bread to a temperature of at least 150°C, preferably at a temperature comprised between 175°C and 275°C, still more preferably at a temperature comprised between 200°C and 260°C. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the residual moisture removal is performed at about 250°C.
The residual moisture removal step is preferably made in oven, which enables to heat the bread by subjecting it at the above described temperatures; therefore, the method provides, before the step of removing the residual moisture, the step of introducing the stale bread in oven. Preferably, the residual moisture removal step is performed by the bakery which originally produced the bread.
The residual moisture removal from the stale bread is performed for a time consistent for an excellent moisture removal. The moisture removal can last at least 15 or 20 minutes, particularly for a duration comprised between 20 and 40 minutes, preferably for about 30 minutes. The moisture removal is preferably performed by keeping the stale bread inside the oven for one of said durations, particularly for a duration comprised between 25 and 35 minutes, preferably for about 30 minutes.
The step of removing the residual moisture from the stale bread enables to prevent undesired biological and/or chemical processes, particularly biochemical processes, for example the leavening process or processes apt to deteriorate the bread such as the fermentation processes, particularly the abnormal fermentation, potentially harmful to the animals which will be fed by the food composition prepared in this way. It is necessary to prevent leavening and/or fermentation reactions because, in the field of the animal food compositions (feed field), the raw materials which are mixed in order to form the food composition or feed must not have substantially any form of life, in other words must be inert, in other words abound of nutritive substances but without anomalous fermentations. The use of the above described high temperatures enables to deactivate the leavening and fermentation reactions which are considered undesired.
It should be taken in account that the above described bread processing does not change organoleptic characteristics of the bread and therefore the obtained food composition is a premium composition and is nutritious for the animals which is destined to.
After removing the residual moisture, the method provides to shred the bread, in other words to reduce the dimensions and therefore the granulometry. Such step substantially provides to grind the bread to powder or to flour (step of grinding to flour the bread). The step of shredding or of reducing the dimensions of the bread provides to bring the bread to a determined resultant granulometry, which is clearly less than the starting dimensions or granulometry of the bread. The step of shredding or reducing the dimensions of the bread can be performed by a grindstone, particularly a grindstone for bread or a bread grinder, or analo- gous devices or apparatuses configured to shred the bread. The granulometry value of the stale bread, for example 1 or 3 or 4 mm, can be directly set by the bread grinder. The step of shredding or reducing the dimensions of the bread can be performed in a bakery, particularly in the bakery where the stale bread was returned.
Between the moisture removal step where the bread is subjected to the beforehand indicated temperatures and the step of shredding the stale bread, the method can provide to cool down the stale bread. Such step is performed for a time sufficient to take the stale bread to a temperature less than the one which it was subjected to in the moisture removal step; particularly, the cooling down step provides to take the stale bread to room temperature. The cooling down time (or duration of the cooling down step) can be dependent on the temperature which the bread was heated at in the moisture removal step; preferably the duration of the cooling down step can last 3 or 4 or 5 hours, optionally can last from 3 to 6 hours. It should be taken in account that the cooling down step duration is also dependent on the season; for example, cooling down the stale bread in Summer can take more time than cooling down the stale bread in Winter. The step of cooling down the stale bread is advantageous because enables to prepare the bread for the following shredding step, enabling a better reduction of the dimensions; the Applicant has indeed observed that processing (shredding) the bread under heat could determine the growth of molds, a more difficult bread shredding and/or other undesired disadvantages.
After shredding the stale bread, the method provides to mix the stale bread with: o soybean, o at least one between barley and wheat, particularly at least wheat, preferably both barley and wheat, o bran, o corn.
In this way, the food composition is obtained.
The so constituted food composition, as it will be understood in the following, exhibits an excellent starchy contents and at the same time an excellent proteineous content and therefore is a complete and excellent food for the animals which is destined to, particularly poultry and swine. Details about the contribution of each component of the mix will be given in the following.
Soybean delivers an excellent proteineous contribution to the food composition because has a very high proteineous percentage (in some cases 48% of proteins).
Barley is responsible of an excellent starchy contribution; it exhibits a quick fermentability (quicker than the one of corn). Moreover, it is noted that barley gives also, even though less than soybean, a proteineous contribution.
Wheat has also the function of providing starch and has a quicker fermentability (quicker than the one of corn). Further, wheat gives a greater proteineous contribution than the one of barley.
Since the main function of barley and wheat consists of providing starch, the food composition could be prepared by using only one of them; however, it is noted that the preferred embodiment of the invention, which will be more particularly explained, provides both.
Corn delivers an excellent starchy contribution and has a limited proteineous contribution; it exhibits a slow fermentability. Due to its characteristics, the presence of corn balances barley and/or wheat, particularly it balances the quick fermentability of barley and/or corn.
Bran exhibits a high fiber contents, which contributes to the digestion of the food composition by the animals which the feed is destined to and has a low proteineous percentage.
Summarizing, corn, barley, and wheat are graminaceous plants which are used for the food composition, mainly due to their contribution of starch, at the same time they deliver a smaller contribution of proteins, however they are delivered mainly by soybean. Moreover, the presence of corn cooperates with the other components of the mix because it balances the presence of barley and/or of wheat. In addition, the presence of bran cooperates in promoting the digestibility of the feed by the animal which is destined to. Substantially, each of the above described components cooperates in providing a feed having an excellent proteineous starchy contribution and a high digestibility.
Therefore, the food composition, according to the invention, provides an excellent contribution of proteins and starch to the animals which is destined to; particularly, the excellent presence of starch provides the mix with “energy” for the animals which are fed by this feed.
Besides the stale bread, soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley can be considered the raw materials for making the food composition.
Preferably, the method provides that soybean, wheat, corn, and barley have substantially the same granulometry as the one of the bread or an analogous granulometry or a corresponding one. For this purpose, the method can provide to bring one or more among soybean, wheat, corn and barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran), substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread and to an analogous or corresponding granulometry, for example by shredding; such step provides to reduce the granulometry of soybean, wheat, corn, barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran). The step of bringing one or more among soybean, wheat, corn, barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran) substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry, can be obtained by a mill. It is observed that the step of shredding one or more among soybean, wheat, corn, barley, preferably all of them (possibly with the exception of bran) is preferably performed separately from the step of shredding the stale bread; for example, shredding said raw materials can be made in mill while shredding the stale bread can be made in bakery. In the embodiment which provides such shredding step, mixing the bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley is preferably performed after taking soybean, wheat, corn, and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry. Providing the same or an analogous or corresponding granulometry between stale bread and soybean, wheat, corn, and barley enables to optimize the digestion of the food composition by the animals which the composition is destined to; such effect is particularly enhanced when the granulometries of stale bread and soybean, wheat, corn, barley and optionally bran are the same. With reference to bran, it can be in the form of small, elongated grains having an order of magnitudes of millimeters; particularly, bran can exhibit in the mix the same shape and/or a same characteristic delivery dimension (in other words the same shape and/or dimension exhibiting when it was bought), for example a characteristic dimension of 0.2 mm or 0.5 mm. Therefore, it can be conceived the possibility of skipping the step of shredding bran for obtaining the mix because dimensions of bran are already smaller than the granulometry of the mix.
Preferably, the granulometry of the mix is homogeneous and changes in dependence of the type of animal which the food composition is destined to. The provision of a homogeneous granulometry also simplifies and optimizes the digestion of the food composition by the animals. It is considered that the granulometry of the mix could be homogeneous with the exception of bran (in other words it could be mainly homogeneous, still in other words homogeneous for all its components with the exception of bran), which however, given the high contents of fibers and the smaller dimensions than the ones of said homogeneous granulometry, is anyway very digestible.
The granulometry of the food composition is important because it affects two determining factors: the ingestion capacity (the intake limit of a substance/composition) of the animal, and the digestibility, these are fundamental elements for the growth of animals, for the quality of the obtained meat, and for the health of the animal. Therefore, the provision of a suitable granulometry, as herein described, optimizes the properties of the feed.
Preferably, the granulometry of the food composition is determined by a grid and/or a hopper, particularly a grid of a hopper; so that it sieves the mix, by enabling to pass through the meshes of the grid only the mix having the desired granulometry. The meshes of the grid can be in the shape of circular holes, with reference to the relationship between granulometry of the food composition and type of animal, which is destined to, it is observed that the granulometry with reference to swine is determined by using in the mill a grid having a hole diameter of 1 mm, while with reference to poultry, the hole diameter of the grid can be of about 3 or 4 mm. By said grid, the mix of stale bread and of the other components is substantially sieved in order to obtain the desired granulometry of the food composition.
The food composition can be completed by providing one or more supplements, in par- ticular one or more mineral vitaminic supplements. Thus, the method can provide a step of adding, to the bread or to the mix of bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley, one or more supplements, particularly one or more mineral vitaminic supplements, in other words supplements which are a complement both to vitamins and minerals (for example mineral salts). Preferably, the step of adding supplements is performed in the step of mixing the stale bread with the other raw materials. Adding one or more mineral vitaminic supplements, preferably a single mineral vitaminic supplement, enables to integrate and therefore increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in the mix; this can be advantageous for optimizing the feed of animals, for obtaining for example a determined growth and/or a desired weight in a relatively limited period of time (e.g.: during the step of fattening poultry and/swine), and for reducing the stress on said animals.
The food composition obtained by the method comprises the single compo- nents/ingredients with the percentages which are described in the following with reference to the description of the food composition. Therefore, the amounts of bread, soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley are preferably provided and/or dispensed based on the percentage which the single component exhibits in the food composition obtained by the preparation method.
It is observed that the method was devised by the Applicant for feeding animals, preferably monogastric animals.
Moreover, it is noted that the presence of yeasts and other substances used in the field of the panification causes the food composition to be the best for monogastric animals, particularly for poultry and swine.
Indeed, the food composition made in this way, whose main component is the stale bread (only stale bread) is more easily digested by monogastric animals (particularly poultry such as chicken and swine, etc.), while is less digestible by polygastric animals (sheep, goats, oxen, etc.). However, even though the food composition is more adapted to feed monogastric animals, this fact does not exclude an a priori applicability to the feed of polygastric animals.
The Applicant has verified that the preservation times of a so-obtained food composition extend to 6 or 8 months from its preparation (production), clearly in dependence on the conditions and measures provided for a correct preservation of the food product. Such preservation time is a good duration particularly if it is considered the fact that preservatives are not added to the mix.
The so-obtained food composition exhibits excellent nutritious values for the animals which is destined to and enables an easy digestion, particularly for monogastric animals.
Preferably, the method according to the invention does not comprise any extrusion step. Therefore, preferably, the food composition or feed is not extruded. In addition or as an alternative, preferably, the method according to the invention does not comprise any specific step of removing the residual moisture following the step of mixing the stale bread with: soybean, bran, corn, and at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both. In other words, the method, according to the invention, does not comprise any specific step of removing moisture from the food composition or feed.
Food composition
Moreover, the invention regards a food composition or feed. In the context of the present discussion, the expressions “food composition”, “feed” or “food product” can be interchanged with each other.
The food composition is specifically destined to feed animals, particularly monogastric animals such as swine and/or poultry and is preferably made according to the beforehand described method. It is observed that, among the monogastric animals, the food composition is particularly adapted to poultry and swine because it exhibits excellent nutritious values for poultry and swine; therefore, it can be used in the growth stage of poultry/hens and swine because it is a substantially complete food.
As said with reference to the method, the food composition comprises stale bread, soybean, bran, corn, and at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both. The preferred embodiment of the invention comprising: stale bread, soybean, bran, corn, barley, and wheat is described in the following.
The food composition comprises, with reference to the total weight of the composition:
- at least 30% by weight of stale bread,
- at least 10% by weight of soybean,
- at least 5% by weight of wheat,
- at least 6% by weight of bran,
- at least 5% by weight of corn,
- at least 5% by weight of barley,
- preferably, one or more supplements present by at least 1% by weight.
The percentages of soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley (raw materials) must be considered as percentages of the raw materials which are added to the stale bread, in other words as percentages not tied (separated from) to a possible presence of such compo- nents/ingredients in the stale bread; this reasoning can be particularly applied to wheat. For example, if wheat is present by a percentage X in the stale bread (in other words the percentage X indicates the presence of wheat among the ingredients of the bread, in the flour) and is mixed by a percentage Y with the stale bread and with the other compo- nents/ingredients, the percentage to be considered for the purpose of the hereinbefore list is the percentage Y (not X + Y); a similar reasoning can be applied when required and once the necessary changes have been made, to the above listed components/ingredients.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, according to which the food composition is made in conformity with the beforehand described method, the food composition comprises, with reference to the total weight of the composition:
- about 40% by weight of stale bread,
- about 15% by weight of soybean,
- about 10% by weight of wheat,
- about 12% by weight of bran,
- about 10% by weight of corn,
- about 10% by weight of barley,
- about 3% by weight of one or more mineral vitaminic supplements.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the residual moisture is removed from the stale bread in oven, at a temperature comprised between 200°C and 275°C (preferably at about 250°C) keeping the stale bread in oven for a duration comprised between 25 and 35 minutes (preferably for about 30 minutes); the result obtained by such step is that the dry matter of the stale bread, after removing the residual moisture, is equal to 95% or 96% or is greater (can be substantially equal to 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%).
It is observed that the main component or ingredient of the food composition according to the invention is the stale bread, wherein component or main ingredient means the component or ingredient which is present in the composition by a percentage by weight greater than the percentage by weight of each single other component or ingredient. Such characteristic enables to reduce the manufacturing costs of the food composition; moreover, it is considered that using stale bread, in other words already produced bread instead of using suitably produced bread for making the food composition, contributes to the reduction of the costs. Moreover, this enables to reduce the manufacturing costs of the food composition, because the stale bread is already available (and therefore it is not required to wait the long bread manufacturing times).
In the light of its components, the food composition exhibits excellent nutritious values.
It is observed that the finished product, in other words the feed obtained according to the method of the invention, can have a moisture contents of about 12% due to the addition of other components to the stale bread which the residual moisture was beforehand removed from; therefore, an animal, when is fed with said feed, absorbs an amount of dry matter of about 88%.
Example: preparation of a food composition for monogastric animals
An example corresponding to the preferred embodiment of the invention will be herein described in an illustrative and non-limiting way. The stale bread is returned to the bakery which originally produced it by subjects which it was delivered to the preceding day (unsold bread). The stale bread is introduced in oven at a temperature of about 250°C for about 30 minutes and the result is stale bread whose dry matter is equal to 95 or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100% (such calculation was performed according to the beforehand described method; the values can be rounded to the nearest integer). After cooling down the bread for at least 3 hours, anyway after taking it to room temperature, the stale bread is shredded (ground to flour) in the bakery by a bread grinder for obtaining stale bread with a desired granulometry (1 mm for the swine feed and from 3 to 4 mm for poultry feed).
A mill shreds barley, corn, wheat, and soybean, which are then mixed with stale bread which residual moisture was beforehand removed from, in other words with stale bread whose dry matter is equal to 95 or 96% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%. During the mixing step, a mineral vitaminic integrator is added to the mix for delivering a suitable contribution of vitamins and minerals.
The mixing step is performed by providing the following percentages by weight (of total weight of the food composition).
Figure imgf000018_0001
At this point, the mix is sieved by a grid for obtaining the desired granulometry (1 mm for the swine feed and from 3 to 4 mm for the poultry feed). Therefore, the average granulometry of the mix is of 1 mm for the swine feed (or slightly less due to the presence of the bran, which can have a characteristic dimension of 0.2 mm or 0.5 mm) and from 3 to 4 mm for the poultry feed (or slightly less due to said presence of bran).
Then, the food composition is ready to be administered, immediately after or after a short or suitable preservation, to poultry or swine, based on said granulometry.
Use of the food composition
Further, the invention refers to a use of the beforehand described food composition. The use of the food composition is done in the zootechnical field.
The use of the food composition is for feeding one or more animals, particularly, one or more monogastric animals. Still more particularly, the use of the food composition is destined to feed swine and/or poultry, for example for their growth.
The use of the food composition can be done in one or more non-intensive type breeding farms; however, it is not excluded the use for intensive farm breedings. For non-intensive type farm breedings, for example family business farm breedings, the food composition can be administered once a day, both for swine and poultry, or also with a different timing. On the contrary, in case of an intensive swine breeding, the food composition can be dispensed as often as required or twice a day. In case of feed used in an intensive farm breeding, integrating the mix with mineral vitaminic supplements is particularly important in view of the presence of stress disease in the animals, for example due to the competition caused by the number of animals present in a limited space, for example in single boxes.
The amount of food composition which is administered (dispensed) changes according to the type of animal to be fed; for example, for the breeding of poultry, the amount to be administered can be from about 120 to 150 gr/head/day, for swine during the fattening stage the amount to be administered can be of about 2.5 or 3.5 kg/head/day, for pregnant sows the amount to be administered can be of about 2 or 4 kg/head/day according to the conditions under which the animal arrives to the delivery.
The Applicant observes that using the food composition according to the invention for feeding animals expresses its desire to give a contribution in terms of better quality of the farm breeding and, at the same time, to strongly discourage the phenomenon of food waste. Therefore, feeding animals by the food composition, herein disclosed, enables to operate consciously and respectfully for the environment and its resources, avoiding waste, in the interest of all of us and of the environment sustainability.
Experimental tests and associated experimental evidence
The Applicant has developed the practical test for the feed following two lines, the poultry one and the swine one. Unless otherwise stated, the used feed is according to the beforehand described example of the invention and thus comprises stale bread, barley, corn, bran, wheat, soybean and mineral vitaminic supplements.
The poultry used in the experimental test were broilers, particularly the Red Bro broilers, while with reference to laying hens, it was considered the Petra reddish pullet.
With reference to the swine farming, the breed used is an autochthonouos breed of Calabria known as “nero di Calabria”. This is an ancient breed which was at risk of extinction in the nineties; research institutions, such as the University of Calabria and ARSAC, made provision to spread again this breed, which is now strongly established. The selection of these poultry and swine breeds was made in order to have animals genetically provided with a discrete conversion index, in order to make evident the nutritious and growth capabilities of the feed object of the present patent application.
The efficiency of food conversion, indicated also in the following by ECI, measures the capacity of an animal (in this case: poultry or swine) to transform the ingested food (the food composition or feed) into a body weight increase.
Experimental tests on poultry
The experimental poultry test, started on 18 November 2022, referred to broiler breeding and provided to use 20 chickens, having a starting weight of 1.125 kg/head. The chickens were bred following the standard regulating the animal wellbeing; a space of about 50 m2 was used, which was characterized by a free space for letting them to scratch around and a covered space of 17 m2 was used for protecting them during the night or in case of bad weather.
The space used for breeding poultry is characterized by an excellent ventilation and airing, where there are not air currents and is very sunny; the space used for breeding is provided with fresh and drinkable water.
The used feed is rationed and is not uncontrolled so that, every morning, 2.4 kg of feed are administered according to the invention; it should be remembered that each chicken eats about 120 g.
It was possible to observe that on day 19 January 2023, the monthly average ECI was of 1 .525 kg/head; with a slaughtering live weight of 4.09 kg and an average dead weight (just the carcass without the internal organs) of 3.350 kg.
On day 16 March 2023, a second test, which was still made on a poultry breeding having the same characteristics of the preceding one, started, the only difference being the use of a line feed from a feed firm (industrial feed).
The used heads were 10, the starting weight was of 1.150 kg with a monthly average ECI of 1.210 kg/head; the slaughtering average live weight was of 3.300 kg, and it was found an average dead weight of 2.040 kg on day 6 June 2023.
The test on the field referred to broilers and the duration was of 75 days; in this period, on day 30 of each month random samples of the weights were recorded.
Referring to the meat, the poultry bred with the feed according to the invention exhibited a correct percentage of fat accumulated almost around the anal orifice, the organs exhibited a vivid color without any anomalies, the meat had a pink color with a proper softness and were very resistant when detached from a bone.
With reference to the meats of poultry bred with the industrial feed, these exhibited a very low fat percentage, compromising the softness of the meat, and above all the taste. The third test referred to a laying hen and started on day 18 November 2022; 10 pullets were considered which were recovered in a hen house as hereinbefore described, but with an additional shelter for laying eggs (egg deposition), the starting weight was of 1.100 kg/head and the monthly average ECI was of 1.550 kg/head; the egg deposition started day 15 March 2023 with a daily average of 1 egg/day. The productive cycle (the time required to obtain the weight required for slaughtering), in other words the herein described trial on poultry, lasted about seven months.
Experimental tests on swine
The test performed on swine refers to four categories/g roups:
- on the first group the ECls were determined by feeding the swine with the feed according to the beforehand described example of the invention (therefore feed comprising both barley and wheat);
- on the second group the “adverse test” was performed, in other words in this test the feed was devoid of a component, in this case barley (i.e., the feed according to the invention without a raw material, in this case barley, was used), under this condition the results related to growth, ECI, and the meat quality were determined;
- on the third group, the weaning was determined/observed;
- on the fourth group, a competitive feed (industrial feed) was used, and then the difference with the feed object of the invention was observed.
For the first group, on day 4 November 2022, it was observed the starting weights of three pigs under consideration were respectively of 82.50 kg, 82.50 kg, 77.50 kg. The observed monthly average ECI was of 22.50 kg/head. The average monthly consumption of feed was of about 90 kg/head, so that the food conversion index was of about 4 kg of feed for obtaining about 1 kg of meat.
The slaughtering live weight of swine, observed on day 11 May 2023, was 192.00 kg, 185.50 kg, 161.00 kg.
The second group refers to the “adverse test”, the starting weights on day 4 November, 2022 of the three pigs were respectively of 49.50 kg; 66.00 kg; 49.00 kg and in this case, the food conversion index was 19.23 kg/head. Since the swine had an average weight of about 50 kg, they were fed with about 2.5 kg/head/day, consequently the monthly consumption was of about 75 kg/head; ECI being equal to about 3.9 kg of feed to obtain about 1 kg of meat. Therefore, the Applicant has observed that the embodiment of the feed according to the invention, without barley (second group) and the embodiment of the feed according to the invention with barley (first group) reacted in a similar way; for this matter, please compare the ECls of the second group with the ones of the first group. Obviously, when barley is not present, the other raw materials of the feed were compensated in terms of reciprocal presence in the feed mix. The slaughtering live weights of swine on day 11 May 2023 were the following: 172.50 kg; 138.00 kg; 147.00 kg.
For the third group, with reference to the weaning it is observed that the starting weights of swine on day 4 November 2022, were respectively 19.00 kg; 23.50 kg; 22.30 kg; 20.00 kg.
The monthly average ECI was about 10.30 kg and during the weaning, the daily average consumption of feed was about 1 .0 kg/head, with a monthly consumption of about 30 kg, so that about 29 kg of feed were used to obtain about 1 kg of meat/day. The swine final weight, observed on day 11 May 2023, was respectively about 101.50 kg; 121.80 kg; 128.00 kg; 140.00 kg; 98.70 kg.
With reference to the fourth group, which refers to the use of an industrial feed, on day 4 November 2022, the observed swine starting weights were respectively 106.50 kg; 82.50 kg; 135.50 kg. The monthly average ECI was 29.80 kg, so that about 3.5 kg day/head of feed were used for obtaining about 1 kg/day. The swine slaughtering weight, observed on day 7 February 2023, was respectively 151.00 kg; 118.00 kg; 191.00 kg.
Referring to this last test, the industrial feed used was a mix consisting of whey and middlings, a not particularly balanced product in terms of micro and macro elements, but with a high proteinic source and a good presence of starch, determining a good development of the muscle layer, but surely not of the skeletal structure.
The fourth test, in other words the test on the fourth group, lasted only three months; slightly higher ECls were obtained (3.5 kg of feed per each kg of meat per head/day) due to the use of very concentrated products in terms of proteins, and due to the test duration, so that only the weight increasing stage could be observed (it is noted that it was not possible to quantify/perform the other stages: the one in which the weight remained constant and the one in which the weight decreased, which is physiological in all the living beings), so that the monthly average ECI was calculated only during the weight increasing stage of the animal. Moreover, the weight increase was not proportionally accompanied by an increase of the whole skeletal structure, so that due to an unbalanced feed, the animal can take a higher weight and have a more fragile skeletal structure, with a risk of fractures or even bone fractures, due to the excessive weight, with negative impacts on the economy of the firm.
The Applicant has observed that, upon the slaughtering, the organs of swine fed by the feed made according to the invention, exhibited a vivid color, and they did not show anomalies and were eatable. Meats had a vivid red color with a regular marbling, the color of fat was bright white, concentrated especially outside the cut, with a thickness of about 4/5 cm, giving softness and taste to meat. This demonstrates the quality of the feed according of the invention.
Lastly, it is observed that the University of Calabria was involved in the analysis of meat samples.
Examples of possible modifications
The present invention can be subjected to modifications and/or further improvements.
For example, the content of bread provided in the food composition according to the invention, can reach a maximum of 70%, the other components/ingredients being reduced and/or suitably adapted in terms of their presence by percentage in the mix. For example, as hereinbefore indicated, if barley is not present (so that the food composition comprises at least one among: stale bread, corn, wheat, soybean, and bran), the other raw materials of the feed are compensated.
With reference to the method some means for performing determined steps (for example in oven, bread grinder, grid, etc.) were described; however, it should be considered that the step can be performed, when required, by other means, also in dependence on the technology development and other technical considerations.
Further adjustments can be provided in the light of specific necessities or contingencies regarding the implementation of the invention.
Further advantages and final observations
The invention enables to make a food composition in a sustainable way and such to prevent waste, particularly waste of bread.
More, advantageously the invention enables to recover the stale bread (for example unsold bread) by efficiently reusing it.
The invention enables to make a cost effective food composition because it uses stale bread and does not therefore require producing freshly baked bread for preparing it. In this way, it is minimized or even substantially eliminated the cost for producing the main ingredi- ent/component of the food composition, which is bread.
Moreover, the invention enables to “extend the life of bread” because it enables to use stale bread, after making the food composition, for other 6 or 8 months (preservation time of the food composition); if the bread were not used for making the food composition, it would have a shorter preservation time.
The invention, thanks to the additional components/ingredients of the food composition, such as soybean, wheat, bran, corn, barley, and/or supplements, makes available a food composition capable of healthfully feeding animals.
Moreover, the invention enables to prevent the animals from being fed with industrial food compositions, and enables to provide them with a better feed, with consequent advantages for the involved animals and for the products such as the meat, obtained by them.
Moreover, it is observed that, by administering the product to sows during the lactation stage, the desired results, confirmed by the beforehand detailed experimental test, are excellent since the food is rather energetic and has a good presence (by percentage) of proteins, therefore the animal is supported during a very sensitive stage of its physiologic life, for the following reasons: high energy consumption both for its physiological needs, for taking care of the brood, for the delivery stress which is present for a substantial portion of the lactation stage, especially for primiparas (female animals at the first delivery), for the weather conditions (for example very hot, very cold, etc.) or for other particular conditions which can occur.
Clearly, the better the advantageous nutritious effects of the food composition will be, the more, besides the beforehand purely alimentary considerations, the following factors will synergically cooperate with each other: pedo-climatic conditions, location of the firm, feeding and breeding techniques, animal wellbeing. The more these factors are favorable, the more they will synergically cooperate, thus contributing to boost and better highlight the nutritious properties of the food composition.
Therefore, the invention enables the Applicant to contribute to a reduction of food waste and thus enables it to advance an eco-sustainable production respecting starving people.
It is observed that the rights obtained by the claims extend to each element, compo- nent/ingredient and/or step of the invention equivalent to the claimed one/s. For example, one or more or each among soybean, wheat, bran, corn, and barley could be substituted with an equivalent component or ingredient (e.g., equivalent from the nutritional and/or proteinic contribution and/or starch contribution point of view), particularly when the nutritional values are not altered and/or worsened by such substitutions, without however falling out of the field of the independent claims.
It is understood that each element, component/ingredient and/or step of prod- uct/method according to the invention can be substituted with an equivalent element, component/ingredient and/or step (in the following “equivalent/s”); such equivalent/s can be already present at the filing date or priority date of the present patent text or can be subsequently devised/developed.

Claims

1. Method of preparing a food composition or feed for animals based on stale bread, particularly for monogastric animals, comprising the steps of:
- predisposing a determined amount of stale bread,
- removing residual moisture from the stale bread until the dry matter of the stale bread is a percentage by weight of the total weight of the stale bread at least equal to about 95% or 98%, preferably equal to about 95% or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%, the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread comprising subjecting the stale bread to a temperature of at least 150°C,
- after removing residual moisture, shredding the stale bread, wherein preferably the stale bread shredding step comprises grinding the stale bread to powder or to flour form,
- after shredding the stale bread, mixing the stale bread with: o soybean, and o at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both, and o bran, and o corn, in order to form the food composition or feed.
2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein:
- the stale bread is bread from the original production of which a period of time of at least
20 or 24 hours is elapsed, particularly at least 36 hours, still more particularly of about 48 hours,
- the step of removing residual moisture is performed 20 or 24 hours after the original production of the bread, particularly at least 36 hours after the original production of the bread, still more particularly about 48 hours after the original production of the bread.
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of bringing soybean, wheat, corn and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry, for example by shredding, the step of mixing bread with soybean, wheat, bran, corn and barley being performed after bringing soybean, wheat, corn and barley substantially to the same granulometry as the one of the bread or to an analogous or corresponding granulometry.
4. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of sieving the food composition, in order to preferably obtain a final food composition having a granulometry at least partially or mainly homogeneous, preferably the step of sieving the food composition is made after mixing bread, soybean, wheat, bran, corn and barley.
5. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the step of removing residual moisture comprises preventing undesired biological and/or chemical processes, particularly biochemical processes, for example the leavening process, or processes apt to deteriorate the bread such as fermentation processes, particularly an abnormal fermentation, potentially harmful to the animals which the food composition is destined to.
6. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread comprises subjecting the stale bread to a temperature comprised between 175°C and 275°C, preferably to a temperature comprised between 200°C and 260°C.
7. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread is performed in oven.
8. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of cooling down the stale bread for at least 3 or 4 o 5 hours, particularly in order to bring the stale bread to room temperature, said step of cooling down the stale bread being performed after the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread and before the stale bread shredding step.
9. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the step of removing residual moisture from the stale bread is performed for at least 15 or 20 minutes, still more particularly for a duration comprised between 20 and 40 minutes, preferably for about 30 minutes.
10. Food composition or feed for animals based on stale bread, particularly for monogastric animals, prepared according to the method according to anyone of the preceding claims, the composition comprising:
- stale bread that has dry matter in a percentage by weight of the total weight of the stale bread at least equal to about 95% or 98%, preferably equal to about 95% or 96% or 97% or 98% or 99% or almost 100%, and
- soybean, and
- at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both, and
- bran, and
- corn.
11 . Food composition or feed for animals based on stale bread, particularly for monogastric animals, such as swine and/or poultry, comprising:
- at least 30% by weight of stale bread,
- at least 10% by weight of soybean,
- at least 5% by weight of wheat,
- at least 6% by weight of bran,
- at least 5% by weight of corn, - at least 5% by weight of barley,
- preferably at least 1% by weight of one or more supplements, each percentage being expressed by the total weight of the composition, optionally the food composition being according to claim 10.
12. Food composition or feed for animals according to claim 10 or 11 , or method according to anyone of claims from 1 to 9, wherein the food composition comprises:
- about 40% by weight of stale bread,
- about 15% by weight of soybean,
- about 10% by weight of wheat,
- about 12% by weight of bran,
- about 10% by weight of corn,
- about 10% by weight of barley,
- about 3% by weight of one or more supplements, preferably mineral vitaminic supplements, each percentage being expressed by the total weight of the composition.
13. Food composition or feed for animals according to claim 10 or 11 or 12, or method according to anyone of claims from 1 to 9, wherein the main component or ingredient of the food composition or feed is stale bread.
14. Food composition or feed for animals according to anyone of claims from 10 to 13, or method according to anyone of claims from 1 to 9, wherein soybean, wheat, corn and barley have substantially the same granulometry as the one of bread or a corresponding or analogous granulometry.
15. Use of a food composition or feed according to anyone of claims from 10 to 14 for feeding one or more animals, for example in a breeding farm, preferably, the use of the food composition or feed being carried out in one or more non-intensive type breeding farms and/or in one or more intensive type breeding farms.
16. Use according to claim 15, for feeding one or more monogastric animals, more particularly for feeding swine and poultry.
17. Use according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the food composition or feed is used to feed pigs and has a granulometry or average granulometry that is about 1 mm or less.
18. Use according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the food composition or feed is used to feed poultry and has a granulometry or average granulometry that is about 3 or 4 mm or less.
19. Use according to claim 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 or method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or food composition or feed according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the food composition or feed is in the form of flour.
20. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or 19, wherein the method does not comprise any extrusion step.
21 . Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or 19 or 20, wherein the method does not comprise any step of removing residual moisture after the step of mixing the stale bread with: soybean, bran, corn and at least one between barley and wheat, preferably both.
PCT/IB2023/058037 2022-08-12 2023-08-09 Food composition for monogastric animals WO2024033825A1 (en)

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