Pet food composition and method

A process for preparing a meat and carbohydrate based canine pet food composition having a solid mass essentially assuming the shape of its container 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) mixing separately from the meat portion in (a) and the fluid or slurry in (c) a non-chemically modified carbohydrate or a mixture of non-chemically modified carbohydrates together with water to a temperature that will achieve or essentially achieve hydration, gelatinization and retrogradation of the carbohydrate or mixture of carbohydrates;
• and
• (c) preparing separately from the meat portion in (a) and non-chemically modified carbohydrate or mixture of non-chemically modified carbohydrates of (b) a viscosity building fluid or slurry comprising a non-chemically modified carbohydrate or mixture thereof which when combined with the meat portion in (a) and the non-chemically modified carbohydrate or mixture thereof of (b) forms at least an essentially homogeneous mass during a container filling process, and
• (d) combining the meat portion of (a) the non-chemically modified carbohydrates or mixture thereof of (b) and the liquid or slurry of (c) and mixing while maintaining the temperature of the combination.