# US 2019/0166883 A1 · Palatable expanded food products and methods of manufacture thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0166883 A1 - Document ID: US20190166883A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/271,141 - Filed: 2019-02-08 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-16 - Assignees: Big Heart Pet, Inc. - Applicants: Big Heart Pet, Inc. - Inventors: Sergio A. Jimenez-Marquez; Darin Y. Matsubara; Adelmo Monsalve-Gonzalez; Lina Pruitt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190166883A1 ## CPC - A23K 50/42: Dry feed - A23K 10/18: of live microorganisms - A23K 10/26: from waste material, e.g. feathers, bones or skin (A23K10/24 takes precedence) - A23K 10/30: from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms (obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10) - A23K 20/163: Sugars; Polysaccharides - A23K 20/174: Vitamins - A23K 20/179: Colouring agents, e.g. pigmenting or dyeing agents - A23K 20/189: Enzymes - A23K 20/20: Inorganic substances, e.g. oligoelements - A23K 40/25: by extrusion - A23K 40/30: by encapsulating; by coating - A23K: FODDER ## Abstract Palatable food products are provided with low bulk density of about 4-12 lb/ft3 and comprise an expanded matrix of intercommunicated pores defined by a skeletal structure of gelatinized starch. The products produce an audible crunch sound when crushed by applied force and include low calorie, energy-dense characteristics of about 2-6 Kcal/g. The total weight of the product comprises about 20-60% starch, about 30% or less flowable fat, about 2-12% water, and a coating of flavorants and/or aromants. The product can optionally comprise health promoting ingredients. The products are manufactured by extruding batched ingredients including starch and water under processing conditions to promote starch gelatinization to form a substantially homogenous dough that, after extrusion, expands into a porous matrix. The porous matrix can undergo vacuum infusion to fill the matrix with flowable fat, dry palatant, and wet palatant. After infusion, the porous matrix can be dust coated with dry palatant. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-33. (canceled) ### Claim 34 A pet food product comprising: an expanded porous matrix having a bulk density from 3 to 12 lb/ft3; and flowable fat infused into a plurality of pores of said expanded matrix, wherein said pet food product comprises no less than about 30% by weight of said flowable fat. ### Claim 35 A pet food product comprising: a matrix having a bulk density from about 3 to about 12 lb/ft3, said matrix comprising a porosity from about 50 to about 95% provided by a plurality of pores defined by a skeletal structure of said matrix, said skeletal structure comprising: starch gelatinized from about 50 to about 100% by weight of said starch and having a density from about 30 to about 80 lb/ft3; wherein said plurality of pores of said matrix are infused with flowable fat at no less than 30% by weight of said pet food product. ### Claim 36 A pet food product comprising: a porous matrix comprising: starch at about 70% or more by weight of said porous matrix; water from about 2 to about 12% by weight of said porous matrix; flowable fat infused into said porous matrix at least at about 30 wt % of said pet food product; and a dry palatant coated on said pet food product at a ratio of dry palatant to flowable fat of 1:1 to 1:5. ### Claim 37 A method for manufacturing a food product comprising: forming a porous matrix by: extruding ground grain mixed with water to gelatinize at least about 50% of more of starch in said ground grain to form an extrudate in a first pressure; expanding said extrudate at a second pressure, which is less than said first pressure, by passing it through a die to form pores in said extrudate; cutting expanded extrudate into disks comprising substantially gelatinized starch; and dehydrating said disks to a moisture of about 30% by weight or less; and infusing said disks with flowable fat by: applying a negative pressure of about 150 mmHg or less to a sealed chamber containing said disks, coating said disks with said flowable fat added to said chamber in an amount sufficient to coat said disks, and releasing said negative pressure to permit said chamber to reach atmospheric pressure in a controlled manner, thereby promoting infusion of said flowable fat into said disks to form fat infused disks; and wherein said fat infused disks comprise a bulk density from about 3 to about 12 lb/ft3 with about 30% by weight or more of flowable fat. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein said method further comprises recoating said fat infused disks with one or more of flowable fat, wet palatants, or dry palatants. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38, wherein said recoating comprises infusing wet palatant, flowable fat, or flowable fat suspending dry palatant into said fat infused disks during said releasing of said negative pressure. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38, wherein said method further comprises dust coating dry palatant on said fat infused disks. ### Claim 41 A method for manufacturing a fat infused porous food product comprising: extruding a mixture of starch and water at a ratio of about 25:1 with high shear to substantially gelatinize starch of said ground grain flour and then passing said mixture through a die under conditions that promote vaporization of a substantial amount of said water to expand said mixture into a porous matrix having a density from about 30 to about 80 lb/ft3, whereafter said porous matrix is portioned into pellets and said pellets are dehydrated to about 30% or less by weight of moisture; and infusing said pellets to about 30% by weight or more with flowable fat by: applying a negative pressure to a sealed chamber containing said pellets, contacting said pellets with said flowable fat added to said chamber in an amount sufficient to coat said pellets and infuse said pellets with a sufficient volume of said flowable fat, and releasing said negative pressure at a predetermined rate so that said chamber reaches atmospheric pressure, whereby said flowable fat infiltrates into said porous matrix of said pellets. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The method of claim 41, wherein said method further comprises coating said pellets with at least one of flowable fat, wet palatant, and blend of dry palatant with flowable fat. ### Claim 43 (depends on 42) The method of claim 42, wherein said coating of said pellets occurs while releasing said negative pressure. ### Claim 44 (depends on 42) The method of claim 42, wherein said method further comprises dust coating said pellets with a dry palatant. ### Claim 45 A pet food product comprising: an expanded matrix comprising: at least one starch at about 70% or more by weight of the expanded matrix, the starch gelatinized from about 50% to about 100% by weight of the starch, and a plurality of pores defined by surfaces of the expanded matrix and dispersed throughout the expanded matrix and a portion of the plurality of pores open through an external surface of the expanded matrix; and one or more palatants incorporated into the expanded matrix and infiltrated into pores of the expanded matrix at about 5% to about 45% of weight of the pet food product.