Studies on a Spray-Dried Infant Food Based on Peanut Protein Isolate and Full-Fat Soy Flour and Fortified with DL-methionine and Certain Vitamins and Minerals: II. Protein Efficiency Ratio and Over-all Nutritive Value

The protein efficiency ratio (PER)
and over-all nutritive value of a spraydried
infant food, based on peanut
protein isolate, full-fat soy flour, dextrimaltose,
and hydrogenated peanut
oil and fortified with DL-methionine
and certain vitamins and minerals
were studied with weanling albino rats.
The PER of the infant food was 2.34,
and that of the same fortified with
DL-methionine was 2.86, compared with
3.19 for milk proteins. The over-all
growth-promoting value of the food,
with and without added methionine,
ranged from 20.1 to 20.3 g/week and
was significantly higher than that obtained
for a milk food of similar
composition (13.9 g/week). Similar
trends were observed in the feed efficiency
ratios of the two foods. 3 :1
blend of infant food and cane sugar
promoted nearly the same growth
(20.1-22.2 g/week) as did the infant
food, which was significantly higher
than that (16.1 g/week) obtained for
a 3:1 blend of milk food and sugar.
No significant differences were observed
in the mellin liver fat content
and the mean nitrogen and calcium
contents of the carcasses of rats receiving
infant food or milk food.