Abstract: A food composition, particularly for pets, is prepared by adding and mixing cereal, vegetable protein, animal meal, vegetable by-products and lipid ingredients together and extrusion-cooking the mixture and then passing the extrusion-cooked mixture via a cone member and then a die member to obtain, from the die member, a product wherein a plurality of extrudate band layers form a lamellar structure, after which the lamellar-structure product is cut into pieces to obtain pieces which have a band layer lamellar structure, and then, the pieces are dried. The ingredients are employed and the process is carried out so that the dried product has a protein content of between 14% and 35%, a lipid content of between 2% and 20%, a carbohydrate content of at least 25%, a moisture content of between 2% and 15% and a density of between 0.3 and 0.6 g/cc.

Abstract: A food composition, particularly for pets, is prepared by adding and mixing cereal, vegetable protein extract, animal meal, vegetable by-products and lipid ingredients together and extrusion-cooking the mixture and then discharging the extrusion-cooked mixture via a die to obtain a plurality of extrudate bands and to form the bands into a lamellar structure product having a plurality of band layers, after which the lamellar structure is cut into pieces so that the pieces have a band layer lamellar structure and then, the pieces are dried. The ingredients are employed and the process is carried out so that the dried product has a protein content of between 14% and 35%, a lipid content of between 2% and 20%, a carbohydrate content of at least 25%, a moisture content of between 2% and 15% and a density of between 0.3 and 0.6 g/cc. The die has a die plate and a cone for forming the bands and layered structure.

Abstract: Apparatus for extruding a food product substance and for cutting the extrudate from a die of an extrusion head of the extruder into pieces has a rotary shaft and a knife which is affixed to the shaft and which has two blades, each blade having a cutting edge, wherein the two blades are offset one from another so that one blade extends from the axis of shaft rotation for a distance from the shaft rotation axis for a distance greater than that of the other blade and wherein the shaft and blades and the blade cutting edges are configured and positioned with reference to the extrusion head and wherein each die is positioned so that upon exit of extrudate from each die and upon rotation of the shaft, one blade cutting edge cuts and incises a part of the extrudate substance and the other blade cuts the extrudate substance to obtain a cut piece so that the cutting by the two blades provides a cut piece having an incised part.

Abstract: A die for extrusion of an extrudate from an extruder has a tubular member, a hollowed distributor portion and a hollowed nozzle portion configured and arranged so that extrudate issuing from the die has two visible longitudinal components. The tubular member has three successive and integral portions wherein first and third portions are, in cross-section, continuous and wherein the second portion is, in cross-section, discontinuous. The first tubular member portion has an interior wall surface which, in cross-section, has radial projections and recesses therebetween so that the interior wall surface defines a shape which is an outline of a star-like shape, and the second tubular member portion has longitudinal openings which are in alignment with the first portion projections.