Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.

Corn-chem International

Viswas Ghorpade

Dale Allen Fritsch

Hungwei Lin

Brent Pope

Charles E Carpenter

Jerry Don Millican

Harry Mead Clark, Iii

Daren Cornforth

Mihir Narendra Vasavada

A process for preparing a food composition by mixing a nutritive base with at least one long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid; cooking the resulting mixture at a temperature not less than about 50&#xb0; C.; adding to the food composition at least one oxidatively protected long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid; and packaging the resulting composition in an oxygen depleted environment within a sealed container to provide the food product that exhibits (1) acceptable palatability to an animal and (2) a shelf-life of at least about 6 months when stored at ambient temperature without opening the container.

Methods for extending the shelf-life of food compositions containing polyunsaturated fatty acids

Improved methods are provided for the treatment of foods to inhibit microbial growth therein, by the applying to or incorporating into the food a quantity of an alkali or alkaline earth metal salt of levulinic acid. The salts may be topically applied by spraying or dipping, or can be incorporated into the foods such as comminuted meat products. Preferred antimicrobial agents are the sodium and potassium salts of levulinic acid, applied or incorporated at a level of from about 0.5-4% by weight. A variety of foods may be treated in accordance with the invention, such as human foods (e.g., meats and cheeses) or animal foods (pet foods).

Alkali and alkaline earth metal levulinates as antimicrobial agents

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Lawrence, KS, United States of America

Viswas Ghorpade