Supplementary value of precooked roller dried protein foods based on full fat soy flour and low fat groundnut flour to poor Indian diet.

The protein efficie,ncy ratio (PER) and supplementary value to a poor Indian rice diet
of precooked roller-dried protein foods based on full-fat soya flour and a I : I blend of full-fat
soya flour and low-fat groundnut flour respectively and fortified with DL-methionine and
certain vitamins a.nd minerals, have been studied using weanling albino rats. The PER of the
foods were 2'25 and 1'92 respectively as compared with 3'09 for skim milk powder. Fortification
of the foods with DL-methionine (I'6 g. per IOO g. of protein) improved significantly
the PER to 2'99 and 2'52 respectively. Supplementation of a poor rice diet with the above
foods to provide about 2'5% extra protein in the diet resulted in a highly significant increase
in the growth of rats. No significant differences were observed in the mean protein contents
of the carcasses or livers of rats receiving the protein foods or skim milk powder. The livers
of rats fed on diets containing the protein foods were quite normal, while those of rats fed on
the rice diet showed mild parenchymal damage of protein deficiency type and mild fatty
infiltration. Large-scale production and use of fortified protein foods based on soya and
groundnut flours will help effectively in overcoming the incidence of protein malnutrition
among young children in developing countries.