Method of making hypoallergenic pet food

• US 20030035882A1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestle Purina Petcare Company (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Hannah, Steven S., Stuckey, Robert M., McDaniel, Lawrence III, Laflamme, Dorothy P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,783,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/623
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/147 Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/40 for carnivorous animals, e.g. cats or dogs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 426/804 Low calorie, low sodium or hypoallergic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 426/805 Pet food for dog, cat, bird, or fish

Abstract

A composition comprising partially hydrolyzed proteins for use as a hypoallergenic pet food, and a process for producing it.

Claims

1. A pet food comprising a proteinaceous component that has been hydrolyzed whereby said component is rendered hypoallergenic to a pet.

2. The pet food of claim 1, wherein the weight-average molecular weight of the proteinaceous component is less than about 18 kD.

3. The pet food of claim 1, wherein no more than 20% of the proteinaceous component on a weight basis has a molecular weight greater than about 20 kD.

4. The pet food of claim 1, wherein the proteinaceous component has been partially hydrolyzed by a method selected from the group consisting of acidic hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, and enzymatic hydrolysis.

5. The pet food of claim 1, wherein the proteinaceous component is selected from the group consisting of plant sources and animal sources.

6. The pet food of claim 5, wherein the plant source is selected from the group consisting of soy beans, algae, yeasts, bacteria, flax seed, corn, wheat, oats, sorghum, kelp, barley, alfalfa, rye, quinoa, peanuts, rice, and potatoes.

7. The pet food of claim 5, wherein the animal source is selected from the group consisting of mammals and their milk, fowl, amphibians, reptiles, and fish.

8. The pet food of claim 7, wherein the animal source is selected from the group consisting of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, deer, rabbits, horses, kangaroos, catfish, herring, salmon, alligators, iguanas, quail and their eggs, ostriches and their eggs, turkeys and their eggs, chickens and their eggs, and ducks and their eggs.

9. The pet food of claim 1, wherein the pet food is in a form selected from the group consisting of a kibble, a liquid, a gruel, and a powder from which a liquid or gruel can be prepared.

10. The pet food of claim 1, wherein the pet is a dog or cat.

11. The pet food of claim 10, wherein the pet is a dog.

12. A process for preparing a hypoallergenic pet food, comprising the steps of

a) preparing a basal mix including a proteinaceous component comprising proteins that have been partially hydrolyzed whereby said component is rendered hypoallergenic to a pet, and

b) agglomerating with an agglomerating agent to promote efficient extrusion of the basal mix.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the proteinaceous source has an average molecular weight less than about 18 kD.

14. The process of claim 12, wherein no more than 20% of the proteinaceous component on a weight basis has a molecular weight greater than about 20 kD.

15. The process of claim 12, wherein the proteinaceous source is derived from soybeans.

16. The process of claim 12, wherein the proteinaceous component comprises protein that has been partially hydrolyzed by a method selected from the group consisting of acidic hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, and enzymatic hydrolysis.

17. The process of claim 12, wherein the agglomerating agent is an edible lipid selected from the group consisting of almond oil, apricot oil, avocado oil, borage oil, black oil, canola oil, carrot oil, coconut oil, corn oil, crambe oil, currant oil, flax oil, filbert seed oil, grapeseed oil, ground nut oil, hazel nut oil, hop oil, kiwi seed oil, kukui nut oil, macadamia nut oil, mango seed oil, marigold oil, mustard seed oil, neem oil, olive oil, palm oil, passionflower seed oil, peanut oil, pine nut oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, safflower seed oil, sesame seed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, tea seed oil, walnut oil, wheat germ oil, yucca oil, purified animal fats, purified fish oil, and purified poultry fat.

18. The process of claim 12, wherein the agglomerating agent comprises less than about 5% on a weight basis of the hypoallergenic pet food.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein the agglomerating agent comprises less than about 2% on a weight basis of the hypoallergenic pet food.

20. The process of claim 12, wherein the agglomerating agent is agglomerated with the basal mix by a method selected from the group consisting of atomization, spraying, and sonication.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the aggloermating agent is agglomerated with the basal mix by atomization of the agglomerating agent.

22. The process of claim 12, wherein the coconut oil is agglomerated with the basal mix to the extent of less than about 5% by weight.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein the coconut oil is agglomerated with the basal mix to the extent of about 1-2% by weight.

24. A method of diagnosing or treating a pet with food hypersenitivity, comprising the step of feeding a food having a proteinaceous component that comprises protein that has sufficiently hydrolyzed to be hypoallergenic to the pet.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the proteinaceous component comprises protein that has been partially hydrolyzed by a method selected from the group consisting of acidic hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, and enzymatic hydrolysis.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the proteinaceous component has an average molecular weight of less than about 18 kD.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the proteinaceous component is derived from soybeans.

28. An article of manufacture comprising a package containing a hypoallergenic pet food.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein the pet food is in a form selected from the group consisting of a kibble, a liquid, a gruel, and a powder from which a liquid or gruel can be prepared.

30. The article of claim 28, wherein the hypoallergenic pet food is derived from soybeans.

31. The article of claim 28, wherein the package comprises packaging material that comprises an anti-oxidant.

32. The article of claim 31, wherein the anti-oxidant is selected from the group consisting of vitamin E, butylated hydroxy toluene butylated hydroxy anisol, 4,4-methylene-bis-2,6-di-t-butylphenol, 2,4-dimethyl-6-t-butyl phenol, 2,6-di-t-butylphenol, ethoxyquin, tetrakis-methylene-[3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamate)methane, t-butylhydroquinone.

33. The article of claim 32, wherein the anti-oxidant is vitamin E.