Patent ID: 8124156

Claim:
A process for manufacturing a multi-layer pet treat comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one moveable mold portion and a plurality of stationary mold portions, wherein the mating of the moveable mold portion to each of the plurality of stationary mold portions produces cavity spaces there-between of succeedingly greater volume; (b) providing a plurality of injection molding machines aligned in fluid connection with each of the stationary mold portions; (c) providing a plurality of edible compositions which are processible through said injection molding machines including at least one of a textured vegetable protein; (d) moving said moveable mold portion to align with a first of said plurality of stationary mold portions and injecting a first edible composition from a first injection molding machine into the cavity space formed between the aligned mold portions to form a first layer having a surface temperature (ST 1 ); (e) moving said moveable mold portion and said first layer to align with a second of said plurality of stationary mold portions thus providing a cavity space between said second stationary mold portion and said first layer; (f) injecting a second edible composition from a second injection molding machine into the cavity space formed in (e) above to form a second layer, wherein said second edible composition is at a temperature T 2 , wherein said second edible composition differs in nutritional and compositional properties from said first layer; (g) allowing said second layer to form in disposed relationship at least partially overlying a portion of said first layer and forming a layered pet treat wherein ST 1 <T 2 wherein said temperature control is regulated so that said first edible composition and said second edible composition remain layered during said injection molding and said second edible composition does not freeze upon contact with said first edible composition, and wherein said first edible composition is selected to have a solubility parameter δ 1 that is within +/−5 units (cal./cm 3 ) of the solubility parameter δ 2 of said second edible composition.