U.S. patent application number 10/004506 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-27 for novel flake feed, especially for aquatic animals.
This patent application is currently assigned to Warner-Lamber Company. Invention is credited to Heine, Rudiger, Kuhlmann, Dietmar, Kurzinger, Hubert, Schmidt, Hartmut.
Application Number | 20020081353 10/004506 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7814401 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020081353 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kurzinger, Hubert ; et
al. |
June 27, 2002 |
Novel flake feed, especially for aquatic animals
Abstract
Novel flake feeds are described, especially for aquatic animals,
such as fish, shrimps and invertebrates, characterised in that the
flakes have a uniform form, a variable thickness and a water
content of from 1 to 30%, as well as a process for the production
thereof.
Inventors: |
Kurzinger, Hubert; (Melle,
DE) ; Schmidt, Hartmut; (Georgsmarienhutte, DE)
; Kuhlmann, Dietmar; (Stadthagen, DE) ; Heine,
Rudiger; (Lengerich, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles W. Almer, III
Warner Lambert Company
201 Tabor Road
Morris Plains
NJ
07950
US
|
Assignee: |
Warner-Lamber Company
Morris Plains
NJ
|
Family ID: |
7814401 |
Appl. No.: |
10/004506 |
Filed: |
November 2, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10004506 |
Nov 2, 2001 |
|
|
|
09297843 |
Aug 20, 1999 |
|
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
426/2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02A 40/818 20180101;
A23K 50/80 20160501; Y10S 426/805 20130101; A23K 40/20 20160501;
A23K 40/25 20160501 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/2 |
International
Class: |
A01K 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 11, 1996 |
DE |
19651561.0 |
Dec 3, 1997 |
EP |
PCT/EP97/06753 |
Claims
1. Flake feed, characterised in that the flakes have a uniform
form, a variable thickness and a water content of from 1 to 30% and
preferably of from 4 to 25%.
2. Flake feed according to claim 1, characterised in that it
contains individual flakes with a variable thickness of from 10
.mu.m to 5 mm.
3. Flake feed according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it
contains individual flakes with a variable thickness of from 80 to
140 .mu.m.
4. Flake feed according to claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it
contains individual flakes with a diameter of from 1 to 100 mm.
5. Flake feed according to claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the
flakes contain temperature-sensitive substances.
6. Flake feed according to claim 5, characterised in that the
temperature-sensitive substances are selected from odoriferous and
flavouring materials, colouring materials, enzymes, promotors,
probiotics, vitamins and colour strengtheners.
7. Flake feed according to claim 6, characterised in that the
probiotics are living bacteria or yeasts.
8. Flake feed according to claim 6 or 7, characterised in that the
promoters are growth promoters or fertility promoters.
9. Flake feed according to claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the
flakes have a round, oval, corrugated, heart- or fish-shaped form
or some other uniform geometrical shape.
10. Process for the production of a flake feed from appropriate
feed components which comprises the following steps: a) production
of formed bodies of appropriate dimensions and b) rolling out of
the formed bodies to give individual flakes.
11. Process according to claim 10, characterised in that the formed
bodies obtained in step a) have a water content of 40% or less.
12. Process according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the
production of the formed bodies in step a) takes place with the
help of an extruder or expander.
13. Process according to any of claims 10 to 12, characterised in
that the production in step a) is carried out at a temperature of
from 60 to 150.degree. C.
14. Process according to any of claims 10 to 12, characterised in
that the production in step a) is carried out at a temperature of
70.degree. C. or below.
15. Process according to any of claims 10 to 14, characterised in
that the production in step b) takes place with the help of a
cylinder mill.
16. Process according to any of claims 10 to 15, characterised in
that the individual flakes are subjected after step b) to a drying
and/or cooling to the desired end water content.
17. Process according to any of claims 10 to 16, characterised in
that the end water content is 1 to 30% and preferably 4 to 25%.
18. Use of a flake feed according to any of claims 1 to 9 for
aquatic animals.
15. Use according to claim 18, characterised in that the aquatic
animals are fish, shrimps or invertebrates in fresh or sea water.
Description
[0001] The present invention is concerned with novel flake feeds
for aquatic animals, especially fish, shrimps and invertebrates, in
fresh and sea water and is also concerned with a process for the
production thereof.
[0002] The production of cereal flakes, for example of rolled oats,
for human nutrition with the help of a flaking process is known.
Cereal flakes are products of hulling which are preponderantly
produced from oats, wheat, rye, barley, millet and rice. For the
production of rolled oats, whole grains, as well as groats, are
converted into a formable, elastic structure by hydrothermal
treatment. The damped material is applied uniformly to a flaking
cylinder mill, the pressure of which can be regulated
hydraulically. A differentiation is made between large leaf flakes
(flakes from the whole grain) with about 0.5 mm rolling-out
thickness and small leaf flakes (flakes from groats) with 0.3 mm
rolling-out thickness.
[0003] Flake feeds are also known for the nutrition of warm and
cold water ornamental fish in fresh and sea water. At present,
flake feeds for fish are characterised in that they are produced
with drum driers. Drum drying is a process for the drying of raw
material mixtures which are made liquid to pasty by the addition of
water. At the moment, it represents the state of the art and is
generally available, Therefore, flake feed for ornamental fish from
different manufacturers scarcely differ superficially.
[0004] In the case of the production of flake feeds for ornamental
fish, an internally heated roller is impinged against uniformly by
means of an application device over. the whole length of the roller
with a previously pasted, viscous raw material mixture (moisture
content of the paste about 75%) which, in the case of rotation, the
roller takes with it as a thin film on the surface of the roller.
During the rotary movement, the water evaporates, which requires a
high supply of energy. The dried product is removed with a moisture
content of about 2 to 5% by means of knives as a flake strip from
the surface of the roller. The final moisture content, which plays
an important part for the techanical properties, especially the
brittleness of the feed flakes, as well as for the acceptance
thereof, can only be adjusted within narrow limits in the case of
this process. The thickness of the flake strip produced according
to the above-mentioned process is about 0,15 mm, depending upon the
raw materials used, and cannot be varied very much. The steam
temperature for beating the roller is 120 to 165.degree. C.
Therefore, heat-labile raw materials, for example enzymes and
probiotics, cannot be used. After the production process, a
comminution of the cohering flake strip takes place to give a
saleable flake feed which consists of individual flakes of
differing sizes which are characterised by an uneven form and which
find use for the nutrition of aguatic animals, especially of
ornamental fish.
[0005] The object of the present invention is the development of
novel flake feeds, especially for aquatic animals, for example
fish, shrimps and invertebrates, which can be used in fresh and sea
water and especially for warm and cold water ornamental fish in
aguaria and garden ponds which, for the user, differ comprehensibly
from the products previously on the market with regard to
thickness, brittleness, consistency and/or external form or by the
use of hitherto not usable, heat-labile raw materials.
[0006] Surprisingly, it has now been found that, by means of a
special production process, the rolling out of individually formed
bodies, preferably produced with an extruder, for example a
double-screw extruder or expander, such feed flakes can be
produced. Without additional working steps, this process provides
uniformly shaped flakes with a veriable thickness of from 10 .mu.m
to 5 mm and preferably of from 80 to 140 .mu.m. Due to the
possibility of a variation of the flake form, of the flake
thickness and of the flake moisture content, as well as due to the
possibility of using heat-labile raw materials, the flakes so
produced possess substantially better properties than the flake
feeds at present known.
[0007] Therefore, the subject of the present invention are novel
flake feeds for aquatic animals, for example fish, shrimps and
invertebrates, in fresh and sea water which are characterised in
that the flakes have an uniform shape, a variable thickness and a
water content of from 1to 30% and preferably of from 4 to 25%.
[0008] A further subject of the present invention is a process for
the production of a flake feed from appropriate feed components
which comprises the following steps:
[0009] a) production of formed bodies of appropriate dimensions;
and
[0010] b) rolling out of the formed bodies to give individual
flakes.
[0011] The special production process comprises the following
process steps. Preferably by means of an extruder, for example a
double-screw extruder, formed bodies (water content about 40% or
less) are produced of such dimensions that, in the case of
subsequent rolling out thereof in an appropriate cylinder mill,
individual flakes are produced with a variable thickness of from 10
.mu.m to 5 mm and a diameter of from 1 to 100 mm, The distance
between the rollers of a flaking device having two rotating rollers
determines the thickness of the flakes. In the case of the
production of the formed bodies, the temperature can be reduced to
<70.degree. C. These flakes can then be subjected to a drying
and/or cooling to the desired end water content.
[0012] The production process according to the present invention
permits the industrial production of feed flakes with improved
functional and physical properties which could not be achieved with
the previously known processes for the production of flake feeds by
the drying of a raw material slurry on drum driers:
[0013] Uniform flake form: there can be produced uniformly shaped,
for example round, oval, corrugated, heart- or fish-shaped flakes
or otherwise uniformly geometrically formed flakes;
[0014] Uniform flake size: by means of the directed production of
formed bodies of definite size with subsequent rolling out, flakes
can be produced in uniform size of from 1 to 100 mm;
[0015] Improved mechanical properties: by means of the specific
adjustment of the water content, the flake stability is increased.
The proportion of small flakes (broken pieces) is thereby reduced,
for example in the case of the production of flake mixtures, which
leads to a reduction of the bulk density or of the package filling
weight. Additional working steps, for example sieving off of the
broken pieces, can be omitted;
[0016] Improved flake consistency, production of soft flakes: by
adjustment of a water content of 8 to 25%, it is possible to
produce extremely soft and elastie flakes which are better taken up
by the fish;
[0017] Specific adjustment of the floating and sinking behaviour:
the adjustment of the roller distance in the case of the
rolling-out process determines the flake thickness. Thinner flakes
than the ones at present known show an improved floating and
sinking behaviour. Thicker flakes possess an increased speed of
sinking. Thus, a mixture of flakes of differing thickness leads to
a product which is equally optimal for all fish, regardless of
whether they preferably feed from the surface, from the middle
water or from the bottom;
[0018] Ability to produce multicoloured individual flakes: by means
of the flaking of multicoloured formed bodies, flakes can be
produced which have two or more colours;
[0019] Introduction or protection of temperature-sensitive
substances: the low process temperatures of the novel process
<70.degree. C.) makes possible the use of raw materials which,
because of their temperature lability, could not previously be
used:
[0020] natural odoriferous and flavouring materials, as well as
natural colouring materials: improve the attractiveness and
acceptance of the flakes;
[0021] active enzymes: improve the bioavailability of the nutrient
materials: such a feed reduces the pollution of the water caused bg
the feed and contributes to an ecological optimisation of the water
quality;
[0022] living bacteria and yeasts: can be used as digestion
regulators (probiotics): in this way, an improved weight
development of the fish can be achieved in the case of the same
feed consumption;
[0023] addition of promoters, for example growth and spawn
promotors for the improvement of growth and for increasing the
spawning readiness;
[0024] the breakdown rates of value-determining raw material
components (vitamins, colour strengtheners) are reduced by the low
process temperatures; the safety additives used for this purpose
can be reduced, which leads to cost savings.
[0025] Furthermore, the energy costs for the drying of the flake
feed to the desired end moisture content are considerably lower
than in the case of production processes according to the prior art
which depend upon the drum drying of a raw material slurry, which
usually has an initial water content of >60%, since, in the case
of the process according to the present invention, the initial
moisture content of the formed bodies is <40% water. Thus, the
novel production process according to the present invention offers
considerable advantages in comparison with the prior art not only
with regard to the properties of the flake feed to be produced
therewith but also with regard to the energy costs necessary for
the production.
* * * * *