Pet food composition and method

Abstract

A feline pet food composition comprising a meat based material having an essentially solid mass assuming the shape of the container in which it is packed, said pet food having meat particles with a moisturized appearance and visually recognizable discrete food particles upon slicing the pet food mass after departure from the said container.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A feline pet food composition comprising a meat based material having an essentially solid mass assuming the shape of the container in which it is packed, said pet food having visually recognizable discrete meat particles with a moisturized appearance upon slicing the pet food mass after departure from the said container.  
     
     
         2 . The composition in accordance with  claim 2  having about 40 wt % to about 70 wt % meat.  
     
     
         3 . The composition in accordance with  claim 3  having about 45 wt % to about 65 wt % meat.  
     
     
         4 . A meat and grain based feline pet food composition which visually is a hybrid between a ground loaf composition and a chunk and gravy composition, said pet food composition prepared by a process comprising (a) heating the meat portion of the pet food composition to a temperature at or below the denaturation point of the meat portion, (b) separately from the meat portion (a) and the fluid or slurry (c) mixing grain together or a mixture of grains together with water to a temperature that will achieve or essentially achieve hydration, gelatinization, and retrogradation of the grain or mixture of grains (c) separately from the meat portion (a) and grains (b) preparing a viscosity building fluid or slurry which when combined into components (a) and (b) forms at least an essentially homogenous mass during a container filling process and (d) combining (a), (b) and (c) and mixing while maintaining temperature of combined mass.  
     
     
         5 . The composition in accordance with  claim 4  which component (a) is heated to about 180° F. or higher for a diet having skeletal muscle protein of cattle.  
     
     
         6 . The composition in accordance with  claim 4  which component (b) grain is selected from the group consisting of oat fiber, cellulose, peanut hull, beet pulp, parboiled rice, cornstarch, corn gluten meal, and a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         7 . The composition in accordance with  claim 4  which component (c) starch is selected from modified cornstarch, guar gum, glucose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup and a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         8 . A process for preparing a meat and grain based feline pet food composition which comprises (a) heating the meat portion of the pet food composition to a temperature at or below the denaturation point of the meat portion, (b) separately from the meat portion (a) and the fluid or slurry (c) mixing grain or a mixture of grains together with water to a temperature that will achieve or essentially achieve hydration, gelatinization, and retrogradation of the grain or mixture of grains (c) separately from the meat portion (a) and grains (b) preparing a viscosity building fluid or slurry which when combined with components (a) and (b) forms at least an essentially homogenous mass during a container filling process and (d) combining (a), (b) and (c) and mixing while maintaining temperatures of combined mass.  
     
     
         9 . A process in accordance with  claim 8  wherein component (a) is heated to about 180° F. or higher for a diet having skeleton muscle protein of cattle.  
     
     
         10 . A process in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the component (b) grain is selected from the group consisting of oat fiber, cellulose, peanut hull, beet pulp, parboiled rice, cornstarch, corn gluten meal, and a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         11 . A process in accordance with  claim 8  wherein component (c) starch is selected from modified cornstarch, guar gum, glucose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup and mixtures thereof.