Pet food product and method of producing same
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsAndreas Schopf, Michael G. Rayner, Luz Rayner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pet food product is produced having a colored exterior that simulates the appearance of real meat that has been imparted a marinated or grilled appearance. The product may be manufactured using a vegetarian (meat free) formulation or a formulation combining meat with dry proteinaceous materials. The ingredients are processed to form an emulsion-like mixture, which is rapidly heated in a confined zone to allow the protein to coagulate. An injector/shredder assembly is positioned in the zone to disrupt and shred the coagulated product mass and inject a colorant. The colorant adheres to some of the exterior surfaces of the final product to create a simulated grilled or roasted appearance.
Claims33
A process for producing a pet food comprising:
- mixing a protein source to produce an emulsion;
- heating said emulsion above the boiling point of water;
- pressurizing said emulsion in a confined pressurized zone;
- disrupting the emulsion mechanically in said confined pressurized zone using an injector/shredder assembly to form individual pieces or chunks of pet food having irregular exterior surface contours;
- coloring said exterior surface contours in said confined pressurized zone by utilizing the injector/shredder assembly to inject negatively charged colorant into the emulsion to adhere the colorant to the exterior surface contours;
- and
- discharging said individual pieces or chunks of pet food.
A process for producing a pet food comprising:
- mixing a protein source to produce an emulsion;
- heating said emulsion above the boiling point of water;
- pressurizing said emulsion in a confined pressurized zone;
- disrupting the emulsion in said confined pressurized zone to form individual pieces or chunks of pet food having irregular exterior surface contours;
- coloring said exterior surface contours in said confined pressurized zone by adhering a colorant to the exterior surface contours, wherein the colorant is negatively charged with respect to the emulsion;
- and
- discharging said individual pieces or chunks of pet food.
A process for producing a pet food having a layered, meat-like appearance and chunky, irregularly-shaped, individual pieces having a darkened exterior surface to simulate grill marks which comprises:
- passing a product mass through a confined processing zone;
- disrupting the product mass in the confined processing zone to form individual pieces or chunks of pet food having irregular exterior surface contours;
- and
- contacting at least a portion of the exterior surface contours of the pieces or chunks with a colorant while in the confined processing zone, wherein the colorant is negatively charged with respect to the product mass to promote adhesion of the colorant to the product mass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.