by the subject invention , a soft chewable nutrition product is provided that can be used to provide a controlled dose of beneficial microorganisms . the product can be cut , formed , or extruded into any shape , such as in a tablet form , a cylindrical form , a nugget form , or even fanciful shapes such as fish or stars , and may contain one or more active ingredients . the active ingredients are incorporated into the matrix which is described in further detail below and which includes a starch component , a sugar component , a humectant component , water , and optionally , a fat or oil component . the product may also have other ingredients such as extenders , bulking agents , preservatives , emulsifiers , flavorings , and other food additives known to those of ordinary skill in the art such as , but not limited to , acidulants , antioxidants , dietary fiber , firming agents , flavor enhancers and lubricants . a probiotic active ingredient can also then be incorporated into the matrix . after mixing these ingredients , the product may then be formed into an appropriate shape . the relative proportions of a probiotic component , not listing an optional oil component , of the present invention are listed in table 1 generally speaking , the starch component of the matrix comprises 10 to 50 percent by weight of the matrix . more particularly , the starch component of the matrix comprises 15 to 40 percent by weight of the matrix , with 25 - 35 % being a most particular embodiment . while starch for use in the matrix can be of any suitable type , it is most preferred that at least part of the starch in the matrix be a highly derivatized or pregelatinized starch . where components are to be used in a product that will not withstand heating , it is preferred that all of the starch be pregelatinized . if a highly derivatized starch is present in the matrix , it should be present in an amount of about 50 percent by weight of the total starch and the balance of the starch being non - derivatized . more preferably , about 20 - 40 percent by weight of the total matrix and about 45 % of the total starch should be the derivatized starch . an example of preferred pregelatinized starches are those provided by a . e . staley . as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art , the selection of starches or the use of mixtures of starches may be used to achieve desired hardness properties . hardness can be measured using a chatillon digital force gauge ( dfis - 50 ) using an inverse wedge tip ( appearing as if a wedge has been removed from the center of the tip , leaving two edges at the sides , and a wedge - shaped gap in the center ). the chatillon digital force gauge ( dfis - 50 ) is turned on , and typically measurements are averaged over a number of samples , typically 6 . the units button on the front of the chatillon is pressed until lbs . is displayed , and the peak button on the front of the chatillon is pressed until “ peak ” and “ c ” for compression is displayed . a solid cylindrical product piece is placed on the round flat metal disk under the chatillon tip facing lengthwise perpendicular to the front of the chatillon device . then an arm is moved slowly backwards so that the tip lowers and is forced through the sample piece . the motion should take approximately 1 second . going too fast or too slow will can give inaccurate readings . the force in lbs . is then recorded from the face of the chatillon and logged . after each measurement , the zero button is pressed to reset the peak value back to zero . specifically , hardnesses of between 2 and 50 pounds measured on given the equipment and technique above are desirable to provide nutrition of potentially uncooperative subjects , such as animals so as to minimize resistance to intake of the nutrition . more specifically , the hardness can be between about 6 and 33 pounds . other amylaceous ingredients may be used in combination with the derivatized starch or alone , provided the starch limits are not exceeded . the amylaceous ingredients can be gelatinized or cooked before or during the forming step to achieve the desired matrix characteristics . if pregelatinized starch is used , it may be possible to prepare the product of the subject invention or perform the method of the subject invention without heating or cooking of any sort . however , if ungelatinized ( ungelled ) or uncooked starch is used , the matrix must be cooked sufficiently to gel or cook the starch to reach the desired content . starches that can serve as a base starch for derivatization include regular corn , waxy corn , potato , tapioca , rice , etc . such types of derivatizing agents for the starch include but are not limited to ethylene oxide , propylene oxide , acetic anhydride , and succinic anhydride , and other food approved esters or ethers , introducing such chemicals alone or in combination with one another . prior crosslinking of the starch may or may not be necessary based on the ph of the system and the temperature used to form the product . by “ amylaceous ingredients ” is also meant those food - stuffs sometimes termed extenders or bulking agents containing a substantial amount of starch and / or starch - like material . examples of amylaceous ingredients are cereal grains and meals or flours obtained upon grinding cereal grains such as corn , oats , wheat , milo , barley , rice , and the various milling by - products of these cereal grains such as wheat feed flour , wheat middlings , mixed feed , wheat shorts , wheat red dog , oat groats , hominy feed , rice bran , and other such material . also included as sources of amylaceous ingredients are the tuberous food stuffs such as potatoes , tapioca , and the like . generally speaking , the sugar component of the matrix comprises 25 to 50 percent by weight of the matrix . more particularly , the sugar component of the matrix comprises 25 to 40 percent by weight of the matrix , with 23 - 37 % being a most particular embodiment . the sugar component can be employed in a dry or crystalline condition or can be an aqueous syrup having a sugar concentration of from 50 to about 95 , preferably from 70 to about 80 , weight percent . the sugar used can be lactose , sucrose , fructose , glucose , or maltose , depending on the particular application and price or availability of a particular sugar . examples of various well established sources of these sugars are , corn syrup solids , malt syrup , hydrolyzed corn starch , hydrol ( syrup from glucose manufacturing operations ), raw and refined cane and beet sugars , etc . the humectant can be a polyhydric alcohol component of the matrix can be selected from glycerol , sorbitol , propylene glycol , 1 , 3 - butanediol , and mixtures thereof with each other or other humectant known to those of ordinary skill in the art . generally the humectant comprises about 0 to about 20 percent by weight of the matrix . more specifically , the humectant comprises about 5 to about 15 percent by weight of the matrix , or most specifically 9 - 11 % of the matrix . water is added to the other ingredients to form the matrix in the amount of at least 5 percent by weight of the ingredients of the matrix . more specifically , water is generally added in the matrix about 5 percent to about 20 percent by weight of the ingredients of the matrix . while water must initially be added in the amount of at least 5 percent by weight of the ingredients of the matrix , when the matrix is used in a food product , the moisture of the food product must be adjusted in accordance with all the ingredients . the desired moisture content may be achieved in any suitable fashion . normal processing may produce the moisture content desired . a standard drying step is optional and may be used if necessary . generally speaking , the probiotic component of the final product comprises from about 0 . 1 to about 30 % percent by weight of the matrix . more particularly , the probiotic component of the matrix comprises from about 1 to about 7 percent by weight of the matrix , with about 2 percent to about 6 percent being a most particular embodiment . the beneficial microbial , or probiotic ingredient is preferably a non - refrigerated type of live bacterial culture . one example is a lactobacillus / streptococcus bacterial culture . a suitable culture is sold under the identification of primalac 454 f / g by star labs / forage research of clarksdale , mo ., which contains lactobacillus acidophilus , lactobacillus casei , bifidobacterium thermophilum , and enterococcus faecium dehydrated fermentation products . suitable cultures may contain not only dehydrated fermentation products , but other additives present to give the culture appropriate handling characteristics . for example , beyond the culture fermentation products themselves , the recited primalac product also contains rice hulls , calcium carbonate , and vegetable oil . however , suitable probiotic materials will activate and grow under the influence of moisture . preferably , such the probiotic component ingredients are of a dried variety , though fluid culture components may also be used . optionally , the probiotic ingredient may be present with other additional active ingredients , such as ivermectin and pyrantel . ivermectin and pyrantel provide the additional health benefits of heartworm or pinworm protection . specifically , ivermectin can be provided in an amount of about 6 micrograms of ivermectin per kilogram of body weight and pyrantel can be provided in an amount of 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight to prevent heartworm disease . in an exemplary form , intended for a patient having a body weight of about 25 kilograms , a 2 . 5 gram tablet can contain 0 . 006 % ivermectin , or 0 . 15 milligrams per tablet of ivermectin , and 4 . 6 % pyrantel , or 115 milligrams of pyrantel per tablet . other formulations can be made for patients with higher or lower body weights . a relatively dry product as exemplified in table 1 can also have preservatives , optionally present at a level of about 0 . 0 to about 0 . 5 %, an emulsifier to aid processing , optionally present at a level of about 0 . 0 to 0 . 2 %, and flavoring , optionally present at a level of about 0 . 0 to about 4 . 0 %. the high oil content product of the present invention , which may or may not contain the probiotic component , ivermectin , or pyrantel discussed earlier , can have proportions that are listed in table 2 . if the optional probiotic component is present , it can be added in the same percentages as present in the dry , non - oily product detailed above . the types of ingredients that are suitable for practice of the high oil content embodiment are the same as for the probiotic product . as indicated in table 2 , a product of the present invention can have a oil or fat component . the fat component of the matrix can be about 4 to about 25 % by weight of the matrix . more specifically , the fat component of the matrix is about 8 to about 22 percent by weight of the matrix , with the most specific product having about 10 - 20 % oil . the selection of the oil or oils to comprise the oil component can either be done to complement other elements of an intended diet , or provide a balanced source of nutrition in a single product , or provide non - nutritive benefits , such as hairball management in cats , that can have important health and well - being impacts . the fat or oil component of the matrix can be fat or oil of animal , vegetable or mineral origin , and may be either solid or liquid at room temperature . typical animal fats or oils are fish oil , chicken fat , tallow , choice white grease , prime steam lard and mixtures thereof . other animal fats are also suitable for use in the matrix . vegetable fats or oils are derived from corn , soy , cottonseed , peanut , flax , rapeseed , sunflower , other oil bearing vegetable seeds , and mixtures thereof . mineral oils may be obtained from petroleum processed petroleum . additionally , a mixture of animal or vegetable oils or fats is suitable for use in the matrix . while not wishing to be bound by theory , it is believed that an oil component provides encapsulation for probiotics present , aiding in isolating the probiotic ingredients from water that could lead to undesirable growth of the microorganisms . to form the matrix , the appropriate elements to the formula , including , but not limited to the starch system , humectant , sugar component and water , are mixed with equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the art . examples of such equipment can include , but are not limited to , a hobart mixer , a day mixer , or even an extruder , such as a screw extruder for permitting addition of ingredients at different points along the barrel . the preferred probiotic ingredients recited above should be handled at temperatures not to exceed about 190 ° f ., and desirably at room temperature ( e . g . between 68 ° f . or 20 ° c . and 77 ° f . or 25 ° c .). one approach to achieving low temperatures is to introduce the water to be mixed with the other ingredients in the form of ice . in general , the matrix formed has a water activity of 0 . 60 to 0 . 75 after a period of about 3 days , and will not foment the growth of the probiotic ingredient in storage , or sustain invasion by adventitious organisms such as molds or fungi that may be encountered during storage . the method can begin by combining the dry ingredients , including at least a starch component , sugar component and humectant . water can then be added to the dry ingredients to form a wet mix , or first wet intermediate . separately , emulsifier can be combined with the oil or fat to form a pre - emulsion . the pre - emulsion can then be mixed with the wet mix . if a non - greasy product is desired , the oil component and emulsifier should form a homogenous pre - emulsion prior to incorporating it into a wet mix to produce a dough . a non - greasy product will not have a shiny appearance , and will not shed noticeable amounts of oil onto bare hands when handled . other mixing apparatus , such as a sigma mixer , swept wall heat exchanger or the like may be used . if a natural coloration is desired in the final product pregelled starches are used to form the matrix . the use of these pregelled starches avoids high cooking temperatures which would destroy the desired natural coloration and / or active ingredient . if natural coloration active temperature sensitivity is not a problem , it is possible to use a cooked or ungelatinized starch to form the matrix and cook or gel the starch as the process is carried out . the incorporation of a derivatized starch in the product more clearly guarantees the softness of the product for a longer period of time . softness is also provided by the fats and oils in addition to the use of softer starches . in this fashion a suitable matrix is provided for use with a wide variety of active ingredients . having fully described the invention , the following examples are presented to illustrate the invention without limitation thereof . in these examples all parts percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified . the above ingredients are mixed at room temperature and formed into coin shapes and cylindrical shapes using a robot 500 continuous automatic vacuum sausage filling machine from vermag machinen und anlagenbau gmbh , obtainable through robert reiser & amp ; co . of canton , mass . the product has a dry non - greasy appearance , with no shine or wetness visible on the surface of the product . the samples had a hardness of about 33 lbs , based on the measurement system above using the digital force gauge . the above ingredients are mixed at room temperature and then vacuum formed using the vermag machine noted above . runs f , i , j were manufactured by creating a pre - emulsion of the mineral oil and the emulsifier . separately , the dry mix was mixed for 2 - 3 minutes , and the water was then added slowly to the dry mix , and mixed into the batch for at least three more minutes to form a first wet intermediate . the pre - emulsion was then blended with the first wet intermediate and mixed for at least three minutes prior to being formed as final product . the final products have a dry , non - greasy appearance . runs g , h , k were not made by adding a pre - emulsion to a wet mix , but rather by adding a stable emulsion of water , oil , and emulsifier to the dry ingredients . the result was a greasy product . by the above examples and tables 1 & amp ; 2 it is apparent that foodstuffs containing beneficial microorganisms and nutritionally important fatty acids may be provided in a chewable , storable form by the subject invention . for active ingredients that are water sensitive such as live microorganisms , then the amount of humectant is increased , to depress the water activity level down to about 0 . 65 while maintaining the stability and texture of the resultant product . the samples had a hardness of about 7 lbs , based on the measurement system above using the digital force gauge . a comparison of probiotic formula with and without added oil was conducted , showing that both formulations are suitable for the administration of probiotic ingredients . ingredient l m oil component 0 . 0 4 . 0 mineral oil 0 . 0 4 . 0 probiotic 6 . 0 6 . 0 component primalec 454 6 . 0 6 . 0 starch 25 . 0 25 . 0 component pregel corn starch 6 . 0 6 . 0 ( staley mira sperse 2000 ) pregel starch 19 . 0 19 . 0 ( staley mir - gel 463 ) sugar 23 . 0 23 . 0 component dextrose 8 . 0 8 . 0 sucrose 9 . 0 9 . 0 corn syrup 6 . 0 6 . 0 humectant 11 . 0 11 . 0 sorbitol 11 . 0 11 . 0 extender / 23 . 6 23 . 6 bulking agent rice bran 23 . 6 23 . 6 preservative 0 . 3 0 . 3 sorbic acid 0 . 2 0 . 2 sodium benzoate 0 . 1 0 . 1 lubricant 0 . 1 0 . 1 lecithin ultralec f 0 . 1 0 . 1 water 9 . 0 5 . 0 flavors 2 . 0 2 . 0 meat flavor 2 . 0 2 . 0 colony forming units per gram initial 4 . 06 × 10 6 3 . 39 × 10 6 after 1 month 4 . 06 × 10 6 3 . 04 × 10 6 after 2 months 1 . 67 × 10 6 1 . 31 × 10 6 the above ingredients are mixed at room temperature and then vacuum formed using the vermag machine noted above . the oil - containing run was manufactured by creating a pre - emulsion of the mineral oil and the emulsifier as in example 2 . the final product had a dry , non - greasy appearance . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments and equivalents falling within the scope of the appended claims .
the present invention relates to a composition for the oral administration of beneficial microorganisms in a discrete dosage form , comprising about 10 % to about 50 % by weight of a starch component , about 25 % to about 50 % by weight of a sugar component , about 0 - 20 % of a humectant component , and about 5 % to about 25 % by weight of water . the composition has a soft and chewy texture and water activity of about 0 . 60 to about 0 . 75 .