| abstract |
The present invention relates to an edible thermoplastic made from about 30 to 50 wt.% protein comprising a mixture of plant and animal derived protein, about 20 to 50 wt.% starch, about 10 to 20 wt.% water, about 1 to 10 wt.% edible fiber, and about 0.5 to 3 wt.% metallic salt hydrate. When molded, the thermoplastic has good strength and stiffness and other physical properties. The edible thermoplastic may be molded in a variety of shapes including a segmented nutritional pet chew (16) with a plurality of segments separated by a plurality of scores (14). The scores (14) serve to structurally weaken the pet chew so that it may be broken into smaller pieces. When molded the edible thermoplastic has a density of about 1.2 to 1.5 g/cubic centimeters. |