GB915039A - A readily hydratable animal food and method for the preparation thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Animal food, for dogs particularly, which is readily hydratable on adding aqueous liquid to form a gravy and not lose its particulate character comprises particles of a gelatinized expanded farinaceous material, a layer of fat on the particles and, in or on the fat, a dry gravy-forming agent exemplified by gum guar, cornflour, pregelatinized starch with carboxymethyl cellulose, pre-cooked potato flour and an alginate. In making the food, the farinaceous material is moistened, the starch granules are swollen by heating and gelatinization completed at above 212 DEG F. underpressure; the gelatinized material is then extruded from the high pressure zone to a low pressure zone to expand and dry it, and the expanded product is coated with the fat and the gravy-forming agent. The farinaceous materials are of grains such as maize, wheat, barley and oats and of grain drivatives such as hominy and wheat flour middlings. The food may contain proteinaceous ingredients such as defatted soy bean meal, wheat germ meal, dried milk, meat meal and fish scrap, flavourings, e.g. liquid meat extract, colourings, fibrous materials, e.g. beet pulp, yeast, vitamins and mineral supplements. The fat is exemplified by beef tallow.