Mars, Incorporated

Louise Richardson

Jason Hodge

Keith Stoodley, Legal Representative

Stella Collins

Catriona Julie Gifford

This invention is concerned with packaged food products which contain specific combinations of functional additives aimed at addressing specific health indicators, in particular flatulence, gastro-intestinal health, stress and immune system responsiveness, in pet animals. There is provided a commercially packaged mammal pet food product that includes a manufactured, shelf-life stable food substrate and a combination of functional additives. The functional additives include at least one non-palatable plant-based remedy and/or dietary fiber source that are present to strengthen and/or maintain a specified health indicator of a mammal pet animal. The food product is portioned and packaged with the functional additives being present in predetermined concentrations and amounts sufficient to be effective in achieving said indications on regular feeding of the pet animal with said food product. The food substrate is present in a proportion sufficient to mask the flavor and/or odor of the non-palatable additive and is made-up of a unique combination of materials that are able to be processed at lower temperatures to preserve the natural botanical functional additive's activity. Functional additives intended to address dietary flatulence problems include a combination of Yucca extract, charcoal and salts of zinc, such as zinc acetate. Functional additives to promote or maintain gastro-intestinal health include a combination of L-glutamine, D-glucosamine sulphate, sugar beet pulp, slippery elm. Functional additives to strengthen or maintain a pet animal's natural body defenses include a combination of vitamin E, vitamin B complex, primrose oil vitamin C and Marigold meal. Functional additives to promote or maintain reduction of stress and/or improved behavior of a pet animal include a combination of Valerian root extract, Kava root extract, vitamin B complex and magnesium salt.

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Wodonga, Australia

Louise Richardson