Process for making a pet food in the form of a coated kibble

Abstract

A process of making a pet food include providing a core pellet; providing at least one coating material; applying the coating material to the core pellet to form a coated kibble using a continuous fluidizing mixer; wherein application of the coating material occurs at a Froude number range of from about 0.8 to about 3 and a Peclet number greater than about 6.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A process, comprising:
 introducing core pellets into a continuous fluidizing mixer that includes a first end, a second end, two counter-rotating axes, and paddles that extend from and are oriented at an angle relative to each of the counter-rotating axes;   rotating the two counter-rotating axes such that the mixer has a Froude number of about 0.5 to about 3.0 and a Peclet number greater than about 6;   applying a first coating to the core pellets in the mixer to form coated core pellets; and   discharging the coated core pellets from the second end of the mixer.   
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein, during the rotating step, the paddles are configured to move the core pellets from the first end toward the second end of the mixer 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the pore pellets have a residence time of about 10 seconds to about 600 seconds in the mixer. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 6 , further comprising, prior to the discharging step, a step of applying a second coating to the coated core pellets. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the first coating includes a component selected from Probiotic, mannoheptulose, an emulsifier, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 6 , further comprising, after the discharging step, a step of introducing the coated core pellets into a second mixer. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising applying a second coating to the coated core pellets within the second mixer.