Patent Description:
Canned food can be of a loaf type with variations in texture and appearance from a meat loaf to an aerated mousse. These are typically prepared by comminuting raw meat material and mixing it with water, salt, spices, curing agents, gelling agents and, if necessary, fats to form a batter. The batter is then heated. The heated batter is then filled into cans to form, after retorting and cooling, a meat loaf. Variations in loaf texture and appearance are achieved by extent of particle size reduction in the batter; as well as type and level of binders in the formula.

Another common form of canned food is meat or meat analog chunks (as described in <CIT><CIT>and <CIT>) or slices (as described in European Patent Publication No. <CIT>) in gravy or sauce. Other variations include the meat or meat analog chunks in loaf (as described in <CIT>), aspic or gel form. Further variations in canned food image include distinct bi-layering of chunks and loaf forms (as described in <CIT>) or multi-layering of these (as described in <CIT>). Other variations are made by introducing a center filling where the center filling layer is a loaf batter of a different color or texture or both, or where the center filling is chunks in gravy (as described in European Patent No. <CIT>). For this product, the center filling was visible on removal of the lid (top) and on emptying (bottom).

These canned food products are adequate for their purpose. However, consumers of canned food products, including pet owners and caregivers, are continually seeking novel yet appealing canned food forms or varieties. There is, therefore, a need for new canned food products that bring variety and appeal to consumers, including meat-filled type products that are highly desirable by the consumer.

<CIT> Aldescribes a canned pet food product made up of two phases. The product has an outer, tubular phase which extends from the lower end to the upper end of the product and an inner phase which extends from the lower end to the upper end of the product within the bore of the tubular outer phase. Both phases are made up of an edible source of carbohydrate and protein. However, the inner phase has an appearance different from that of the outer phase.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide canned food products comprising a can containing a second emulsion encasing a first emulsion.

It is another object of the present invention to provide food products comprising a second emulsion encasing a first emulsion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide methods for making food products containing a second emulsion encasing a first emulsion that has a different appearance and texture when compared to the second emulsion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide multi-pack packages of the canned food products of the invention.

One or more of these or other objects are achieved by providing food products comprising a second emulsion encasing a first emulsion. The first emulsion has a first phase, the second emulsion has a second phase, and the first phase and the second phase are different. Generally, the first emulsion is a meat emulsion and the second emulsion is a non-meat protein emulsion. Due to the low miscibility or non miscibility of the first and second emulsions, the food products of the invention are food products having two separate phases.

Other and further obj ects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

The term "encased" means that a meat emulsion is completely or substantially enclosed by a non-meat protein emulsion, where the meat emulsion is substantially enclosed if less than <NUM>% of the meat emulsion is visible on the surface for the food product.

The term "can" means a rigid retortable container, e.g., a metal container such as a metal or metal alloy can, a plastic container, a glass container, and combinations thereof.

The term "canned" means that a food product is contained in a can.

The term "companion animal" means domesticated animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, mice, gerbils, horses, cows, goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, and the like.

All percentages expressed herein are by weight of the total weight of the food composition unless expressed otherwise. For example, an ingredient in an amount of <NUM>% by weight means that the amount of the ingredient is <NUM>% of the total weight of the food composition. Thus, if the total weight of the food composition is <NUM> grams, the actual amount of the ingredient corresponding to <NUM>% by weight would be <NUM> grams.

In one aspect, the invention provides a canned food product comprising a can, the can comprising a first emulsion in the interior of the can, wherein first emulsion is a meat emulsion, which is a gel and comprises muscle meat and collagen and a second emulsion encasing the first emulsion, wherein the second emulsion is non-meat emulsion comprising at least one globular protein or at least one micellar protein, wherein the non-meat protein emulsion comprises a protein selected from the group consisting of eggs, milk, blood and vegetables. Generally, the second emulsion forms an outer matrix encasing the first emulsion and the first and second emulsions have a different appearance, texture, or other distinguishing property. In one embodiment shown by <FIG>, the invention provides a food product <NUM> including a firmly set second emulsion <NUM> forming an outer matrix encasing a first emulsion <NUM>.

The first emulsion <NUM> and the second emulsion <NUM> comprise any suitable amount of the food product <NUM>. In various embodiments, the first emulsion comprises from about <NUM> to about <NUM>% of the food product, preferably from about <NUM> to about <NUM>%. In certain embodiments, the first emulsion comprises from about <NUM> to about <NUM>% of the food product and the second emulsion comprises the remaining <NUM> to <NUM>% of the food product.

Generally, the first emulsion <NUM> is a meat emulsion and the second emulsion <NUM> is a non-meat protein emulsion.

The non-meat protein emulsion comprises any suitable ingredients, namely globular proteins and/or micellar proteins. The proteins in the non-meat protein emulsion is derived from any suitable non-meat protein source, namely vegetables, eggs, milk, or blood. Suitable vegetable sources include, for example, soy, pea, potato, alfalfa, and peanuts.

The proteins in the non-meat protein emulsion are derived from eggs, milk, or blood and vegetables.

The globular proteins can be solubilized or suspended in water. Suitable globular proteins include globulins, albumins, or mixtures thereof. The micellar suspended proteins can include, e.g., casein.

The meat emulsion comprises any suitable ingredients, e.g., fibrillar protein and polysaccharides. Suitable fibrillar proteins include myosin, actin, actomyosin, collagen, and mixtures thereof, e.g., protein from bovine, equine, ovine, avian, porcine, caprine, ovine, and piscine. Examples of suitable polysaccharides include starches, gums or mixtures thereof. The meat emulsion can be in the form of a gel, a mousse, a sauce-like filling, a juicy filling, or a creamy filling.

In another embodiment, the meat emulsion is in the form of a gel and comprises muscle meat and collagen. The non-meat protein emulsion comprises globular and micellar proteins. The resulting food product <NUM> is a firmly set protein matrix <NUM> encasing a gelled meat emulsion <NUM>. The meat emulsion <NUM> comprises <NUM> to <NUM>% of the food product <NUM> and the second non-meat protein emulsion <NUM> correspondingly comprises the remaining <NUM> to <NUM>% of the food product <NUM>.

The meat emulsion may optionally comprise a non-gelling thickener. The non-gelling thickener creates a creamy meat-like sauce filling encased by the firmly set outer non-meat protein matrix upon retorting.

The first emulsion <NUM> and the second emulsion <NUM> are not miscible or have low miscibility and thus form two different phases that do not mix when the food product is formed. The food product <NUM> is therefore composed of two separate phases - an inner phase corresponding to the first emulsion <NUM> and an outer phase corresponding to the second emulsion <NUM>. The phase separation is obtained due to: (<NUM>) the non-miscibility or poor miscibility of globular and fibrillar proteins; and (<NUM>) the non-miscibility or poor miscibility of meat emulsion, e.g., polysaccharides mixed with meat emulsion have a poor miscibility with globular and micellar proteins.

At least one of the first emulsion <NUM> and the second emulsion <NUM> can optionally include additional ingredients. For example, the first emulsion <NUM> and/or the second emulsion <NUM> comprise visible pieces of real or simulated ingredients for aesthetic appeal or nutritional function. In some embodiments, at least one of the first emulsion <NUM> or the second emulsion <NUM> comprise solubilized or dispersed nutritional ingredients, flavor or aroma compounds, or encapsulated flavors or nutrients for release during retorting, in the mouth or in the alimentary tract.

In another aspect, the invention provides methods for making products. The methods comprise forming a first emulsion, forming a second emulsion, filling the first emulsion and the second emulsion into a can such that the second emulsion encases the first emulsion. In an embodiment, a method for making the food product <NUM> includes forming the first emulsion <NUM>, separately forming the second emulsion <NUM>, pumping the first emulsion <NUM> into a can, and pumping the second emulsion <NUM> into the can such that the second emulsion encases the first emulsion. Generally, the method further includes the steps of placing a lid on the can after the first emulsion <NUM> and the second emulsion <NUM> have been filled into the can, sealing the can (hermetically sealing the can), and retorting the can. Generally, the can is subsequently cooled or allowed to equilibrate to room temperature. The resulting food product <NUM> is a firmly set second emulsion <NUM> forming an outer matrix completely or substantially encasing the first emulsion <NUM>.

The can may be retorted at any suitable temperature for a suitable amount of time. For example, the can may be retorted at <NUM> for <NUM> to <NUM> minutes.

The can may also be cooled to any suitable temperature. For example, the can may be cooled to a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>. In an embodiment, the can is cooled to <NUM> to <NUM>.

The filled can may optionally be inverted before retorting.

The food product is useful as a food product for any animal that consumes such food products. In a preferred embodiment, the food product is a companion animal food product, e.g., a pet food for dogs or cats.

In an alternative embodiment, a method for making the food product <NUM> includes filling the can by pumping half of the second emulsion <NUM> into the can, followed by pumping the first emulsion <NUM> onto the second emulsion <NUM>, and pumping the remaining half of the second emulsion <NUM> onto the first emulsion <NUM> so that it covers the first emulsion <NUM>. The method further includes the steps of placing a lid on the filled can, hermetically sealing the filled can, retorting the filled can, and may further include cooling the retorted can.

An alternative method for making the food product <NUM> includes delivering the second emulsion <NUM> to a can and injecting the first emulsion <NUM> into the second emulsion <NUM>. The food product <NUM> may also be produced by co-extruding the first emulsion <NUM> at a first rate and the second emulsion <NUM> at a second rate and adjusting the first rate and the second rate to allow the second emulsion <NUM> to encase the first emulsion <NUM>.

Meat and non-meat emulsions and methods for making such emulsions are known to skilled artisans.

It is disclosed that the invention provides multi-pack packages useful for conveniently providing the canned food products of the invention to consumers. The multi-pack packages comprise a plurality of cans containing a canned food product of the invention arranged in an array and one or more devices for retaining the cans in the array. It is disclosed that the multi-pack packages have one or more handles affixed to the packages to facilitate handling and transporting the packages. It is disclosed that the devices are boxes made from paper, plastic, polymers, and combinations thereof. In others, the devices are systems of connected plastic rings affixed to each of the containers. In still others, the devices are wrappings of plastic of similar materials, e.g., twelve cans stacked in an array and wrapped in plastic. It is further disclosed that the multi-pack packages further comprise one or more indicia describing the contents of the containers in the packages, e.g., labels, printing on the packages, stickers, and the like. In other embodiments, the devices further comprise one or more windows that permit the package contents to be viewed without opening the multi-pack package. It is disclosed that the windows are a transparent portion of the devices. In others, the windows are missing portions of the devices that permit the containers to be viewed without opening the multi-pack package.

The invention can be further illustrated by the following examples, although it will be understood that these examples are included merely for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention unless otherwise specifically indicated.

A <NUM> batch of meat emulsion (filling) preparation was made according to the formulation shown in Table <NUM>(a). The fish was crushed into pieces of about <NUM> in size and the pieces were then ground in a meat grinder through <NUM> openings. Separately, carob gum and blood was dispersed in water in a mixing vessel with a high speed blender. The ground fish was then transferred to a mixer-cooker. With the mixer running, the gum/blood dispersion was added to the ground fish and the mixture heated by steam injection to <NUM>.

A <NUM> batch of non-meat protein emulsion was prepared according to formulation shown in Table <NUM>(b).

The dry ingredients, except egg yolk powder, were added to the water in a stainless kettle and whisked for <NUM> minutes until a foam was built. Poultry fat was preheated to <NUM> then added, together with the egg yolk, to the foamed mixture with continued whisking. The mixture was the heated indirectly by steam for <NUM> minutes.

The meat emulsion and non-meat protein emulsions were combined as follows. <NUM> grams of the meat emulsion was delivered to an <NUM> gram can by a filling head. <NUM> grams of the protein emulsion was then added to the can where it encircles the meat emulsion. The can was inverted and retorted at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes and then cooled to room temperature (<NUM> to <NUM>). The can was opened and the contents examined. The food product in the can was a meat emulsion completely encased by a non-meat emulsion.

Products were made as in Example <NUM> using formulations shown for meat emulsion in Table <NUM>(a) and non-meat protein emulsion in Table <NUM>(b). The can was opened and the contents examined. The food product in the can was a meat emulsion completely encased by a non-meat emulsion.

A <NUM> batch of meat emulsion (filling) preparation was made according to the formulation shown in Table <NUM>(a). The meat ingredients were weighed and crushed into pieces of about <NUM> in size. The pieces were then ground in a meat grinder through <NUM> openings and transferred to a stainless mixer. <NUM> potable water was added and mixer then turned on. With continuous mixing, the dry ingredients (starch, gums, vitamins/minerals/red color/flavors blend) were slowly added. Mixing was continued for an additional <NUM> minutes. This meat mixture was then fed through a grid emulsifier which resulted in a homogenous meat emulsion.

A non-meat protein emulsion was prepared as follows according to the proportions shown in Table <NUM>(b). Liquid <NUM> was prepared by dissolving <NUM> grams of sodium chloride in <NUM> water at room temperature (<NUM> to <NUM>) in a stainless steel vessel with a motorized stirrer. <NUM> of egg white powder was then poured in while stirring continuously. The mixture was stirred for about <NUM> minutes when the egg white powder was fully distributed and a foam developed. Liquid <NUM> was prepared in a separate container as for Liquid <NUM> using <NUM> egg yolk powder and <NUM> water. Liquid <NUM> was prepared in a separate container as for Liquid <NUM> using <NUM> milk powder and <NUM> water.

Liquid <NUM> was prepared by heating <NUM> poultry fat in a jacketed vessel with a motorized mixing attachment to <NUM>. While maintaining this temperature, <NUM> wheat flour was poured as a steady stream into the fat while mixing continuously. After the addition of the wheat flour was completed, mixing continued for another <NUM> minutes until a homogenous creamy mixture was obtained. After this was achieved, the non-meat protein emulsion was made by continuously mixing Liquid <NUM> and pouring Liquid <NUM> into Liquid <NUM> followed by Liquid <NUM>. Mixing continued for <NUM> minutes. Liquid <NUM> was then combined with the mixture to from a homogeneous foamy non-meat protein emulsion.

Claim 1:
A canned food product, which is retorted, comprising:
a can, the can comprising:
a first emulsion in the interior of the can, wherein first emulsion is a meat emulsion, which is a gel and comprises muscle meat and collagen; and
a second emulsion encasing the first emulsion, wherein the second emulsion is a non-meat emulsion comprising at least one globular protein or at least one micellar protein, wherein the non-meat protein emulsion comprises a protein selected from the group consisting of eggs, milk, blood and vegetables.