Method and apparatus for production of high meat content pet foods

Abstract

High meat content extruded pet feeds and methods of preparation thereof, make use of relatively high meat contents which include quantities of previously dewatered meat. In an embodiment, the total meat content of the feeds consists essentially of dewatered emulsified poultry meat or other meat sources commonly used in the pet food industry. In the methods, mixtures containing starch, fat, and meat, the latter including dewatered meat, are passed through an extruder followed by staged drying. The extruder may be of twin screw design having hollow core screws permitting introduction of steam or other heat exchange media into the screws.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An extruded animal feed product comprising individual quantities of starch, fat, and meat, the total meat content of said product including an amount of dewatered meat having a moisture content of from about 45-60% by weight, based upon the total weight of the dewatered meat taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         2 . The product of  claim 1 , said total meat content of the product being from about 40-60% by weight, based upon the total weight of the extruded product taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         3 . The product of  claim 1 , said meat content of said product having a dewatered meat amount of from about 50-100% by weight, based upon the total weight of the meat content taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         4 . The product of  claim 3 , said total meat content consisting essentially of said dewatered meat. 
     
     
         5 . The product of  claim 1 , said total meat content including an amount of emulsified meat. 
     
     
         6 . The product of  claim 5 , said amount of emulsified meat being from about 1-50% by weight, based upon the total weight of the meat content taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         7 . The product of  claim 5 , said emulsified meat comprising emulsified poultry meat or any other meat source commonly used in the pet food industry. 
     
     
         8 . The product of  claim 1 , said starch being present at a level of from about 5-50% by weight, and said fat being present at a level of from about 3-12% by weight, all of the foregoing percentages based upon the total weight of the product taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         9 . The product of  claim 1 , said product having a moisture content of from about 6-12% by weight. 
     
     
         10 . The product of  claim 1 , said product having a bulk density of from about 22-40 lb/ft 3 . 
     
     
         11 . The product of  claim 1 , said product having a cook value of at least about 85%. 
     
     
         12 . A method of making an animal feed product comprising the steps of passing a mixture containing individual quantities of starch, fat, and meat into and through an extruder, and processing said mixture by extrusion through a restricted orifice die to create an extrudate, followed by drying of the extrudate, the total meat content of said product including an amount of dewatered meat having a moisture content of from about 45-60% by weight, based upon the total weight of the dewatered meat taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , said meat content of the product being from about 40-60% by weight, based upon the total weight of the extruded product taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , said meat content of said product having a dewatered meat amount of from about 50-100% by weight, based upon the total weight of the meat content taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , said total meat content consisting essentially of said dewatered meat. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , said total meat content including an amount of emulsified meat. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , said amount of emulsified meat being from about 1-50% by weight, based upon the total weight of the meat content taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  said emulsified meat comprising emulsified poultry meat or other meat sources commonly used in the pet food industry. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , said starch being present at a level of from about 5-50% by weight, and said fat being present at a level of from about 3-12% by weight, all of the foregoing percentages based upon the total weight of the product taken as 100% by weight. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , said product having a moisture content of from about 6-12% by weight. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , said product having a bulk density of from about 22-40 lb/ft 3 . 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , said product having a cook value of at least about 85%. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , including the steps of creating said dewatered meat by passing a meat emulsion through a pair of counter-rotating, tapered, helically flighted, intermeshed screws. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 12 , said extruder having a pair of helically flighted, intermeshed, hollow core screws, said method including the step of directing a heating medium into the interior of said hollow core screws. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 12 , said extruder having a barrel equipped with jackets, said method further including the step of directing a heating medium into said jackets. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 12 , including the step of carrying out said extrusion without injection of moisture into the confines of the extruder. 
     
     
         27 . A product prepared in accordance with the method of  claim 12 .