Process of preparing a wet pet food, wet pet food produced by the process and uses thereof

Abstract

A process of preparing a sterilized wet pet food product is provided, as well as a sterilized wet pet food product provided by the process. Use of the wet pet food product to feed a companion animal is also contemplated.

1 . A wet pet food product comprising:
 a meaty mass comprising:
 at least 40% of the meaty mass by weight of water; 
 30-80% of the meaty mass by weight ground animal material comprising one or more of meat or animal by-products; and 
 15-40% of the meaty mass by weight heat settable binder comprising vegetable protein; and 
   one or more other pet food ingredients comprising:
 0.1-3% of the wet food product by weight of yeast extract; and 
 0.01-5% of the wet pet food product by weight of a Maillard component 
   comprising one or more of a carbonyl source or a process flavour.   
     
     
         2 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , wherein sterilizing the wet pet food product in a package by heating to a temperature of at least 80° C. causes a Maillard reaction to occur, forming one or more of:
 at least 1.7 mg/kg of substituted thiazoles selected from 2-acetylthiazole, 2-methylthiazole, 4-methylthiazole and combinations thereof; 
 at least 0.45 mg/kg of Strecker aldehydes selected from methional, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal and combinations thereof; 
 at least 1.5 mg/kg of substituted furans and furanones selected from 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, 4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, 3-Hydroxy-4,5-dimethylfuran-2(5H)-one and combinations thereof; or 
 at least 0.6 μg/kg of 2-furfurylthiol. 
 
     
     
         3 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , wherein the heat settable binder comprising vegetable protein comprises one or more of gluten or soy protein. 
     
     
         4 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , comprising the carbonyl source, wherein the carbonyl source comprises one or more of monosacharides, disaccharides, or uronic acids. 
     
     
         5 . The wet food product of  claim 4 , wherein the carbonyl source comprises one or more of xylose, glucose, sucrose, rhamnose, lactose, or maltose. 
     
     
         6 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , comprising 0.02-2.5% of the wet pet food product by weight of carbonyl source. 
     
     
         7 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , wherein, before the wet pet food product is sterilized, the wet pet food product comprises 0.01-2% by weight of an amino compound comprising one or more of proteinogenic amino acids, hydroxyproline, cystine, or ornithine. 
     
     
         8 . The wet food product of  claim 7 , comprising a source of the amino compound in an amount sufficient to provide a total amount of at least 0.01% of the pet food product by weight, said source of the amino compound comprising at least 5% of the amino compound by weight of dry matter. 
     
     
         9 . The wet food product of  claim 8 , wherein the amino compound is an amino acid comprising one or more of cysteine, cystine, methionine, proline, leucine, phenylalanine, or glutamic acid. 
     
     
         10 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , wherein the meaty mass is combined with a sauce comprising at least 0.02% by weight of the Maillard component. 
     
     
         11 . The wet food product of  claim 7 , wherein the meaty mass is combined with a sauce comprising at least 0.02% by weight of the amino compound. 
     
     
         12 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , comprising 0.1-1% taurine by weight of the wet pet food product. 
     
     
         13 . The wet food product of  claim 1 , wherein the vegetable protein is a vegetable protein concentrate.