Pet food product and method for forming same

{
  "publication_number": "US3908025A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Pet food product and method for forming same",
  "abstract": "A method of preparing an expanded pet food product is disclosed. The product may be prepared from balanced farinaceousproteinaceous sources containing fat by reacting the nutrient materials under heat, pressure, and mechanical working in the presence of an edible fat transporting agent such as lecithin. The worked material is extruded through an orifice into a medium of lower pressure where part of the water content flashes off as steam forming an expanded product. The fat and fat transporting agents are retained in the product to produce a soft crumb texture.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SOFT CRUMB TEXTURED EXPANDED FOOD PRODUCT CONTAINING FAT FROM FARINACEOUS-PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF MIXING FARINACEOUS-PROTEINACEOUS MATERIAL HAVING NUTRITIONALLY BALANCED PROPERTIES, EDIBLE FAT, AND LECITHIN AT A LEVEL OF BETWEEN ABOUT 1 AND 8 PERCENT BY WEIGHT WITH THE FARINACEOUS-PROTEINACEOUS MATERIALS AND FAT, ADJUSTING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE MIXTURE TO BE TWEEN ABOUT 20 AND 35 PERCENT BY WEIGHT BY ADDING WATER TO THE MIXTURE, MECHANICALLY WORKING THE MIXED MATERIAL WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING ELEVATED PRESSURES THERETO AND ALSO HEATING IT TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURES ABOVE 212*F, FOR A TIME PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID MATERIAL INTO A FLOWABLE SUBSTANCE, AND THEN EXTRUDING THE HEATED, PRESURIZED, MECHANICALLY WORKED MATERIAL THROUGH RESTRICTED OFIFICE MEANS INTO AN ENVIRONMENT OF A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER PRESSURE, CAUSING EXPANSION OF THE MATERIAL AND FORMATION OF AN EXPANDED STRUCTURE THEREIN HAVING A SOFT CRUMB TEXTURE.",
    "2. The product of the process of claim 1.",
    "3. A method of producing a soft crumb textured expanded food product from farinaceous-proteinaceous food material and fat comprising the steps of mixing farinaceous-proteinaceous material having nutritionally balanced properties, fat and lecithin; adding water to the mixture to adjust the moisture to between about 20 and 35 percent by weight; mechanically working the mixed materials while simultaneously applying elevated pressures thereto and also heating it to elevated temperatures above 212* F. for a time period sufficient to convert said material into a flowable substance; and then extruding the heated, pressurized, mechanically worked material through restricted orifice means into an environment of a substantially lower pressure causing expansion of the material and formation of an expanded product having a soft crumb texture.",
    "4. A method of treating a nutrient material to form a soft crumb textured palatable and nutritious food product comprising the steps of providing nutrient material including fat; mixing lecithin into the nutrient material at a level of between about 1 and 8% by weight of the mixture; adjusting the moisture content of the mixture to between about 20 and 35 percent by weight; mechanically working the mixed nutrient material while simultaneously heating it to elevated temperatures above 212* F. and also applying elevated pressures for a time period sufficient to convert said material into a flowable substance; then forcing the heated, pressurized, plasticized, mechanically worked material through a restricted orifice means into an environment of a pressure substantially lower than said elevated pressures causing expansion of the product with evaporation of at least part of the equilibrium moisture and the formation of a soft crumb texture.",
    "5. A method of converting a nutrient material into a palatable and nutritious product that has an excellent soft crumb texture comprising providing nutrient material including fat; mixing a lecithin at a level of between about 1 percent by weight but less than about 8 percent by weight of the mixture; adjusting the moisture content of the mixture to between about 20 and 35 percent by weight; mechanically working the mixed material while simultaneously heating it to a temperature of at least above 212* F. for a period of time sufficient to convert said material into a flowable substance while also applying an elevated pressure thereto; and then extruding the mechanically worked, heated and pressurized material through restricted orifice means into an environment of a pressure substantially lower than said elevated pressure to expand the material into an expanded structure having a pleasing soft crumb texture.",
    "6. The method of claim 5 wherein additional plasticizing, humectant, and preservative materials are added to the nutrient materials prior to extrusion.",
    "7. The method of claim 6 wherein the additional plasticizing materials are selected from the group consisting of glycerol, propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.",
    "8. The method of claim 6 wherein the additional humectant materials are selected from the group consisting of corn syrup, glucose syrup, invert sugar, sucrose, corn syrup solids, molasses, grain by-product sugars, and mixtures thereof.",
    "9. The method in claim 5 wherein said elevated temperature is within the range of about 220* to 300* F.",
    "10. The method in claim 5 wherein said elevated temperature is about 250* F.",
    "11. The method in claim 5 wherein said elevated pressure is within the general range of 200 to 700 psi.",
    "12. The method in claim 5 wherein said material is a nutritionally balanced mixture.",
    "13. The method of claim 5 wherein the extruded structure is dried to a moisture content of between about 8 and 17 percent by weight.",
    "14. The method of claim 5 wherein the fat is added at a level of between about 3 and 8 percent by weight of the farinaceous-proteinaceous material.",
    "15. The method of claim 5 wherein the ratio of lecithin to fat is between about 1:2 and 2:1."
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "A23K 30/00",
    "A23K 10/20",
    "A23K 10/30",
    "A23K 40/20",
    "A23K 40/25",
    "A23P 30/34",
    "Y10S 426/805"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A23K 1/00",
    "A23K 1/10",
    "A23K 1/14",
    "A23K 1/18",
    "A23K 3/00",
    "A23L 1/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Ralston Purina Co"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Timothy A Miller",
    "Carlo J Hansen"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1972-09-21",
  "publication_date": "1975-09-23",
  "grant_date": "1975-09-23",
  "priority_date": "1972-09-21",
  "application_number": "US-29079472-A",
  "family_id": "23117594",
  "cited_by_count": 83,
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  ]
}