CA1064760A - Low sugar intermediate moisture pet food - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
In a semi-moist pet food, the sugar is at least partially replaced with a composition comprising corn syrup, and at least one polyhydric component selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol and 1,3-butanediol.

Description

~0~76O

This invention relates to a pet food, and more par-ticularly to a semi-moist pet ~ood having sugar replaced there-in with a corn syrup, and at least one polyhydric component.
Within the class o~ pet foods, there are three gen-eral subdivisions -- dry pet ~ood, semi-moist pet ~ood, and moist pet food. Dry pet food generally has a moisture content less than about 15%. Semi-moist pet food generally has a mois-ture content o~ about 15~ to about 50~ Moist pet ~ods gen-erally have a moisture content in excess of about 50%. By ~'moisture content" is meant the amount of water present in the total ~ood composition -- either in combination with one or more of the ingredients in the food or as free water, or com-binations thereof. The semi-moist pet food combines the ease of handling and storing found in dry pet foods with the good palatability of the moist pet foods. Thus, it may be seen that the semi-moist pet foods are highly acceptable.
Among the standard components of a semi-moist pet ~ood is sugar. Sugar is not as reacLily obtainable as it used to be. Such difficulty with a key component adversely a~ects the making a semi-moist pet ~ood. A more readily available component to replace sugar is, there~ore, desirable. However~
a sugar replacement i9 di~ficult to find because sugar con-tributes to both the stability and palatability o~ the semi-moist pet ~ood. It follows thak research is necessary to solve the problem and to find a suitable sugar replacement.
The substitute must permit use of a process that is relatively simple to carry out. In this manner, the cost can be kept down and a suitable nutritious component or product i9 provided. If the process must be changedj the process should be capable o~ being carried out on the presently available equipment without substantial or difficult modi~ication.

~L~6~760 A ~urther problem for the replacement o~ sugar in a semi-moist pet food is the Maillard-browning reaction. Al-though other reactions occur in the Maillard-browning reaction the most readily apparent reaction involving a reducing group of the sugar reacting with an amino group attached to an amino '~ acid preæent in a protein. This reaction produces an undesir-ab'le browning of the product which destroys the physical ap-pearanc`e o~ the product. Also, this reaction produces a drop in the protein content of the product. Thus, the product which suffers from this Maillard-browning reaction has, not only a loss in appearance, but also a loss in nutrition or protein value. A common sugar -- sucrose -- is~used in semi-moist pet foods because it contains substantially no reducing group to react with the epsilon amino group on lys'ine. This sugar~ however, is expensive. Thus, it is not cost e~ective to avoid the use of the browning reaction by using a product which has no reducing group. Furthermore, to this point no suitable repl~cement i9 known which avoids the Maillard-brown-ing reaction.
Thus, it ls clear that replacement o~ a component in a compo~itio~ has sub'stantial di~iculty and resaarch problems connected therewith. These problems are further compounded when the replacement is being made in a food composition.
Therefore, it is an object o~ this invention to pro-vide a semi-moist pet food having the sugar repla~ed therein at least in part.
The present invention provides a composi~ or re-placing at least a part of the sugar in a semi-moist pet ~ood comprising corn syrup and at least one polyhydric component '30 selected ~rom propylene glycol or 1,3-butanediol.
The prese,nt invention also provides a semi-moist pet ~L0~476~

food comprising:
a.) about 3% to about 65% by weight of the pet food of a protein source wherein the protein source is at least one selected from the group consisting of at least one meat, at least one meat b~-product, and at least one vegetable protein source;
b.) up to 35% by weight of the pet food of sugar;
c.) about 0~5O/o to about 3.0% of at least one edible acid;
d.) about 0.01% to about 0.35% of at least one anti-mycotic.
The improvement wherein the semi-moist pet food fur-ther comprises:
: 1. about 7% to about 14% by weight o the pet food of corn syrup wherein the corn syrup has a dextrose equivalent of about 10 ko about 60; and

2. about 5% to about ~/O by weight of the pet food of propylene glycol, the combination of corn syrup and propylene glycol serving as a replacement for about 55 to 100 per cent of the sugar.
This invention relates to a semi-moist pet food hav-ing at least part of the sugar therein replaced with a compo-sition comprising a corn syrup and either propylene glycol, 1,3~butanediol or mixtures thereof and the process of forming the semi-moist pet food.
The basic composition for comprising the sugar re-placement in semi-moist pet food is corn syrup, and either propylene glycol, and 1,3-butanediol, or mixtures thereof.
. ~ -3-D

~0~i476() Corn syrup is a commercially available ingredient customarily measured in the terms of dextrose equivalents~ Suitable for this invention is corn syrup having a dextrose equivalent of about 15 to about 70. More preferably the corn syrup has a dextrose equivalent of about 20 to about 60 due to availabil-ity end cost effectivenessO Most preferably the dextrose -3a-~ d ~6476~:) equivalent (DE) ls 35 to 45.
Dextrose equivalent is a standard basis for compar-ing the sweetening power of various materials. Dextrose is assigned a value of 100. The other sweeteners are assigned values in round numbers which are related to the sweetness of an equal weight of dextros~.
In order to define the relative amounts of the com-position used as a replacement for sugar i~ a semi-moist pet food, three variations are used. In all threé variations the results are substantially the same. In one case, the amount of each component is based on the weight of the total sugar replacement (glycol or diol plus syrup). In the second caseJ
the percentage of each component based on the weight of the total semi-moist pet food is used. In the thira case, the amount of syrup is base~ on the sugar replaced.
In de~ining the sugar replacement based on the total weight of the sugar replacement, corn syrup comprises about t~,7a 40% tD about 90~, and polyhydrlc component about ~to about 60~. More preferably, the corn syrup co~prises about ~0-81%
by weight, polyhydric component about 19-50% by weight. In this manner, the most effective replacement for sugar is achieved.
Based on the weight of the semi-moist pet food, the amount of co~n s~rup is about 5% to about 25% by weight-of the semi-moist pet food. More pre~erably, the corn syrup is pres-ent in the semi-moist pet food about 6~ to about 17%. Most pre~erably, the corn syrup is present in the semi-moist pet food at an amount of 7~ to 14~. The corn syrup combines with the polyhydric component customarily in a semi-moist pet food to replace the pet food with only m~nor increases in the amount ~f glycol customarily in a semi-moist pet food.

~L~6~6~

Of the many polyhydric components customarily used in pet foods, ,only two are acceptable for use in com,bination with eorn syrup to replace the sugar component~ of the semi-moist pet food. These two polyhydric components are propylene gly-colg and l,3-butanediol. These'polyhydric compounds can be used singly or in combination wit~ the semi-moist pet food.
Usually~ about 3~ to about 14% by weight of the pet food is the polyhydric component. More~preferably, the polyhydric component comprises from'about 4% to,ab~ut 10~ by weight of the semi-moist pet ~ood.
; Of the total polyhydric component in the pet food, about 1% to 5% polyhydric component by weight of the pet food is added ~or sugar replacement purposes. The combination of corn syrup and polyhydric component replaces 55~ to 100% by weight of the sugar. More pre~erably, about 70-100% of the sugar is replaced by the composition. Most preferably 95% to 100% of the ~ugar is replaced by the polyhydric component syrup combination.
In the third case the amount o~ corn syrup used is based on the percent o~ the weight of the sugar replaced. In this fashion about 20% to about 100% based'of the sugar is re-placeable with corn syrup. More preferably 70% to 100~ of the sugar is replaced with corn syrup. Most preferably about 80 to 100~ o~ the sugar is replaced with corn syrup.
Within a semi-moist pet food which has about 5% to about 65~ of at least one protein source, the meat present in the semi-moist pet food is generally present within the range of about 5~ to'about 40% by weight of the semi-moist pet food.
More preferably the meat is present within the range of about 15% to about 35% by weight of the semi-moist pet food. Most preferably the meat is present in an amount in the range of ~6476~

about 20~ to about 32% by weight of the semi-moist pet food.
The most pre~erred amount maximizes the prote1n content while minimizing the cost. In this manner the des~ ed nutrition and economics is maintained. By "meat" is meant the flesh o~
cattle, swine, sheep, goats, horses, whale and other mammalsg poultryJ and fish. Meat meals made of the above meats are also suitable ingredients. Bone meal ~s also suitable. By t'meat by-products" and "meat meals" is meant those things ac-cepted by Title 9, Chapter 1, Subchapter H of the Code of Federal Regulations, 1971 Edition.
The pet ~ood optionally also contains at least one vegetable protein ~rom sources such as soya, cottonseed, or the like. The vegetable protein provides additional protein, together with other desirable attributes. If a combination is used~ it may ~nclude granulation variations to impart control-led texture characteristics. Such texture control is easily determined and adjusted. Within the semi-moist pet food, the vegetable protein is present in a total amount of about 0 to 50 percent and more pre~erably 15 percent to about 45%. Even more preferred is about 20~ to about 40% by weight of vege-table pxotein. Most pre~erred, howeverJ is 34% to 38% by weight vegetable protein. Within the vegetable protein present in the semi-moist pet food, up to about 30~ is a coarse type of vegetable protein to provide the coarseness and firmness to the product. Up to about 20% by weight o~ the semi-moist product is a water binder form o~ vegetable protein~ More preferably, the water binder is present in an amount of about 20% and the coarse vegetable protein is present in an amount of about 15-25%.
A stabilizer suitable for use in this semi-moist pet food is a three component stabilizer comprising at least one ~6476~

polyhydric component which also combines with the corn syrup to replace the sugar, at least one edible acid~ and at least one antimycotic. Generally speaking~ the polyhydric component is present in the amounts above stated and serves as both a stabilizer component and a sugar replacement. The food grade acid is generally present in an amount up to about 3~ by weight of the semi-moist pet food. The antimycotic is general-ly present in an amount up to about 0.5% by weight of the semi-moist pet ~ood.
A suitable ~ood grade acid includes acids such as hydroehloric acid, citric acid and acetic acid. However, phosphoric acid is preferred because of the phosphorus content and the availability. A suitable antimycotic includes potas-sium sorbate, sorbic acid, calcium propionate, and meth~l/pro-pyl parabin. The preferred antimycot;ic is potassium sorbate.
Also for flavor and proces~ing characteristics a fat - is added to the semi-moist pet food. The fat is exemplified by at least one selected ~rom the group consisting of lard, tallow, and choice white greaæe. This choice of fat adds to the palatability and assists the processing of the final prod-uct. Other fats are also operable. The fat is generally pres-; ent in the composition at an a~ount 0~ to about 10~ by weighto~ the semi-moist pet ~ood. This percentage is easily varied by one skilled in the ark. The amount of ~at used depends on the amount of ~at present in the meat used in the pet food.
If the meat used in the pet food has a high fat content, then the meat or fat used is correspondingly reduced. If, however~
the meat has a low fat content the fat as such is increased.
These ad~ustments are easlly made by one having ordinary skill in the art.
Other additive present in the semi-moist comp~sition ~647~(~
include a vitamin mix, a mineral mix, and at least one dye. These dyes are present ~or the use of appearance. The mineral mix and the vitamin mix are added for nutritional purposes. A further additive to the pet food may be at least one salt added for pur-poses of taste, nutrition, another suitable reason, or a combina-tion of purposes which are well known in the art. Typical salts include sodium chloride (table salt - either iodized or uniodized), and potassium chloride.
Other additives are disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,380,832 to Bone, and 3,765,902 to Charter. (Additionally the patents illustrate semi-moist pet foods modifiable by this invention.) Other additives known in the art may also be added to the seml-moist pet food of this invention so long as the final product is not substantially affected. Specific examples of these other additives include, but are not limited to, vitamins, minerals, and c~lors.
The product of this inVention is in the semi-moist category of pet foods. The moisture content ranges from about 13%
to about 50% by weight of the product. More preferably the moisture content is 15~ to 40%. Most preferably the moisture content is 18% to 35%. By moisture content is meant the water content of the semi-moist pet food whether the water is present free wate~, part of at least one other pet food component, or combinations thereof.
In the following examples which are intended to illus-trate without unduly limiting the invention, all parts and percen-tages are by weight of the semi-moist pet food unless otherwise specified~
Example l 'rhe following ingredients are assembled as in 3L~6~76~

Table I:
Beef ~ullets Beef ~ripe Beef intestines Sugar Corn Syrup, 42-43 DE
Dextrose Sorbitol Isomerose Soy flour Vitamln MiX~ Mineral Mix, Color blend and salts Potassium sorbate Animal fat Phosphoric acid Propylene glycol These ingredients are admixed together in the follow-ing sequence. The drys are added first. The drys include the soy flour, wheat flour, the salt, the potassium sorbate, the vitamin mix, the mineral mix, and the coloring. Then the liq-uids are added -- animal fat, propylene glycol, phosphoric acid. Then the beef gullets, beef tripe, beef intestines are added. As a final step the corn syrup is added. All of the ingredients thus added are mlxed until a homogeneous dough is achieved. This dough is ~imultaneously extruded and heated with an outlet temperature of 200~F. The final product has a moisture content of about 25~. The product is then shaped and packaged in a suitable fashion known in the art.

~L0647G0 ~q Ç~
.~ ~
X O O O O O O ~) N ~ N O O
O O O1~ ~) ~D ~) O N O ~ (~
tr~

~R
O O O O O O O L~ N ~ NO O
~ . . . . I . I
n o ~ o .~ O ~ o N O

tq O O O O O O O ~ N ~ NO
~ . . ..' I I I. . I
o o O O CS~ ri O N O:~
U~
H

o O O O O O ~C) N 1~ N O
~ o o o ~ a~ ~ ~ o cu o H
~ ~1 ~ ~O O O O O O ~C~J ~ N O
E~ ~ O O O ,i ~ ~D ~ O C~ O ~ I
U~ ~
.
~1 5-~ o O O O O ~ N ~ N O O
~ . . . . I I II . . . . .o O ~ ~ ~ ~1 0 N o ~ ~r) j~
-I

a td ~ ,1 I ~ ~d ~ o N :~ ~~~rl t) u~ X ~(U~
~ a? ~ m ~ c) S:~~ Q) H ~ ~ h ~ E3 cd ~1o O ~ ~~I h a)~1~ ~ h ~ 4 hS:~
.~1$~ OO O ~ Orl O
~:JE~ Hc~ cq O ~1h H ~1 HIq H 5 h h h rl bl ~ a) O bD h X hO ~ ~ ~ ,1 0 o ~
S:~O au O ~ O a) o~ o ~.-1 0 ~: ,Ch ~l H ~ ~ ~ cqc ) ~V~ H V~ ¢ 1 o ~647~;~

The above foods are tested for lysine content as re-ported in Table II to show the Maillard-browning effect.
T~BLE II
Control , Component Sucrose Sorbitol Corn Syrup Isomerose* Dextrose g lysine/16gN 5~ 5~5 5.2 4.2 2.9/4.0 Storage Time 10 10 10 10 10 (week~) Concentration 9 9 9 9 9~/3%
~ by weight *~igh fructose syrup As shown in Table II, corn syrup has the least Maillard-browning effect of the components containing a reduc-ing group. Sucrose and Sorbitol con~ain no signiflcant reduc-ing group~.
Example 2 The following ingredients of Table III are used to formulate a pet food having 36~ final product moisture and 70%
by weight of the sugar replaced with corn syrup.
TABLE III
Parts Bee~ tripe ' 10.0 Beef intestines 10.0 Bee'~ gulle~s 10.0 Sugar - 7.o Corn syrup 42 43 DE ~.0 Sby flour 3~
Vitamin mix, mineral mix, salts 5.2 and color blend Potassium sorbate 0.2 Animal fat 2.75 Phosphoric acid 0.25 Propylene glycol 7.0 ~heat flour 3.o Water 12.0 This food is ~ed twice in a 2-component feedlng test ag~inst the all sugar control food Df Example 1. The palat-ability of the test product was shown to be as acceptable as the control.

~476~

Example 3 The following ingredients as listed in Table V are assembled and formulated into a pet food to illustrate that a ; suitable pet food is formulated with increasing reductions of sugar.
TABLE IV
Parts Parts Parts Parts Beef tripe 10,0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Beef intestines 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Beef udders 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 Sugar 14.0 4.0 _ _ Corn syrup 42-43 DE 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 Vegetable protein 36.o 36.o 36.o 3600 Vitamin mix, mineral mix, salts ~ color blend 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 Potassium sorbate 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Animal fat 2.75 2.75 2.75 2.75 Phosphoric acid 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 Propyle~e glycol 4.0 7.0 7.0 4.0 : 20 Wheat flour - 3.0 7.0 10.0 Water 12.0 12.0 12.0 4.0 Example 4 The ingredients of Table V are assembled and ~ormed into a suitable pet ~ood in a standard fashion with 100% sugar re'ductiDn uslng 1,3-butylene glyc~l.
TABLE V
Parts Bee~ tripe ~o.o Beef intestines 15.0 Pork spleen 5.0 Su~ar Corn syr~p 42-43 DE 9.0 Vegetable Protein 36.o Vitamin mixJ mineral mix, salts & color blend 5.2 Potassium sorbate 0.2 Animal fat 2.75 Phosphoric acid 0.25 1,3-butylene glycol 7.0 Wheat flour 7.0 Water 12.0 Example 5 The ingredients of Table VI are assembled a~d formed into a suitable pet food in a standard ~ashion with 70~ and ~12-10647~

100~ sugar replacemenk using 30 DE corn syrup~
TABLE YI
Parts Parts Beef tripe 10.0 10.0 Beef intestines lOo O 10~ 0 Beef gullets 10.0 10~0 Sugar 7.o Corn syrup 30 DE 900 9.0 Vegetable protein 36D 0 36.o Vitamin mix, mineral mix, salts & color blend 5.2 5.2 Potassium sorbate 0.2 0.2 Animal fat 2.75 2.75 Phosphoric acid 0.25 0.25 Propylene glycol 7.0 7.0 Wheat flour 3.o 7.0 Water 12.0 12.0 ExamRle 6 The ingredients of Table VII are as~embled and formed into a suitable pet food in a standard fashion using 60 DE corn syrup as 70~ and 100~ sugar replacement.
TA _ E VII
Parts Parts Bee~ tripe 10.0 10.0 Beef intestines 10.0 10.0 Beef gullets 10.0 10.0 Sugar 7.0 Corn syrup 60 DE 9.0 9.0 ~egetable protein 36.o 36.o Vitamin mix, mineral mix) salts & color blend 5.2 5.2 Potassium sorbate 0.2 0.2 Animal fat 2.75 2.75 : Phosphoric acid 0.25 0.25 Propylene glycol 7.0 7.0 Wheat flour 3.0 7.0 Water 12.0 12.0 ~e~z The ingredients of Table VIII are assembled and formed into a suikable pet food in a standard fashion to 70sugar reductlon with a corn syrup-propylene glycol combina-tion.

TABLE VIII
Parts Beef tripe 10.0 Beef intestines lOo O
Meat & bone meal 3 Sugar 7.0 Corn syrup 42-43 DE 9.
Vegetable pr~tein 3~
Vitamin mix, mineral mix, salts & color blend 5.2 Potassium sorbate 0,2 Animal ~at 2.75 Phosphoric acid 0.2 Propylene glycol ~.
Wheat flour 6.o Water 19.0

Claims (5)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. In a semi-moist pet food comprising:
(a) about 3 percent to about 55 percent by weight of the pet food of a protein source wherein the protein source is at least one selected from the group con-sisting of at least one meat, at least one meat by-product, and at least one vegetable protein source;
(b) up to 35 percent by weight of' the pet food of sugar;
(c) about 0.5 percent to about 3.0 percent of at least one edible acid;
(d) about 0.01 percent to about 0.35 percent by weight of the pet food of at least one antimycotic;
the improvement wherein the semi-moist pet food further comprises:

1. about 7 percent to about 14 percent by weight of the pet food of corn syrup, wherein the corn has-a dextrose equivalent of about 10 to about 60; and 2. about 5 percent to about 9 percent by weight of the pet food of propylene glycol the combination of corn syrup and propylene glycol serving as a replacement for 55 to 100 percent of the sugar.

2. The food of claim 1 wherein the combination re-places about 95 percent to 100 percent of the sugar.

3. The food of claim 1 wherein the dextrose equiva-lent is 35 to 45.

4. The food of claim 3 wherein the combination of corn syrup and propylene glycol replaces 100% of the sugar.

5. The semi-moist pet food of claim 1 wherein the composition replaces about 70 percent to 100 percent of the sugar.