Vitamin retention of pet food
A pet food in the form of a coated kibble that improves vitamin retention. A process of improving vitamin retention of a pet food in the form of a coated kibble. The process can include extruding a mixture to form a core pellet, providing a coating, wherein the coating comprises a vitamin; and applying the coating to the core pellet to form a coated kibble. The vitamin retention can be improved by applying the coating comprising the vitamin when compared to extruding a core with a vitamin.
1 . A process of improving vitamin retention of a pet food in the form of a coated kibble, comprising:
extruding a mixture to form a core pellet, wherein the mixture comprises a starch source, a protein source, and a fat source, and wherein extruding results in the starch source being gelatinized, the mixture and core pellet being substantially free of one or more vitamins;
providing a coating, wherein the coating comprises a vitamin;
applying the coating to the core pellet to form a coated kibble comprising less than 12% moisture;
wherein vitamin retention is improved by applying the coating comprising the vitamin when compared to extruding a core with a vitamin.
2 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the coated kibble is nutritionally balanced.
3 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the applying the coating comprises:
feeding the core pellet to a fluidizing mixer
feeding the coating into the fluidizing mixer;
mixing the core pellet and the coating to form a coated kibble.
4 . The process of claim 1 and wherein vitamin loss during coating is less than 10%.
5 . The process of claim 1 and wherein vitamin loss during coating is less than 5%.
6 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the vitamin comprises vitamin A.
7 . The process of claim 6 and wherein the vitamin loss of vitamin A during coating is less than 4%.
8 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the vitamin comprises vitamin E.
9 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the coating comprises vitamin A, vitamin E, a fat component, a palatant component, and any combinations and mixtures thereof.
10 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the coating comprises a homogenized beadlet comprising a binder component and a vitamin component.
11 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the coating comprises a binder solution and a water soluble form of the vitamin component, wherein the vitamin component is part of a starch matrix.
12 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the coated kibble comprises between 0.1% and 0.15% vitamin component.
13 . The process of claim 1 and wherein the coated kibble comprises up to 0.3% vitamin component.
14 . A process of improving vitamin stability in a pet food in the form of a coated kibble, comprising:
extruding a mixture to form a core pellet, wherein the mixture comprises a starch source, a protein source, and a fat source, and wherein extruding results in the starch source being gelatinized, the mixture and core pellet being substantially free one or more vitamins;
providing a coating, wherein the coating comprises a vitamin;
applying the coating to the core pellet to form a coated kibble comprising less than 12% moisture;
storing the coated kibble;
wherein vitamin retention after storage is improved by applying the coating comprising the vitamin when compared to extruding a core with a vitamin.
15 . The process of claim 14 and wherein the applying the coating comprises:
feeding the core pellet to a fluidizing mixer
feeding the coating into the fluidizing mixer;
mixing the core pellet and the coating to form a coated kibble.
16 . The process of claim 14 and wherein vitamin retention after storage is at least 50%.
17 . The process of claim 14 and wherein vitamin retention after storage is at least 55%.
18 . The process of claim 14 and wherein vitamin retention after storage is at least 60%.
19 . The process of claim 14 and wherein the vitamin comprises vitamin A.
20 . The process of claim 19 and wherein the vitamin loss of vitamin A during coating is less than 9%.