EVALUATION OF PROTEIN IN FOODS: 1. A METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PROTEIN EFFICIENCY RATIOS

A bioassay procedure for the evaluation of the nutritional quality of the protein in foods is described. This method involves measurement of the protein efficiency ratio (grams gain per gram protein consumed) under standardized conditions. Male rats of the Wistar strain 20–23 days of age are fed ad libitum an otherwise adequate reference diet containing 10% protein supplied by a standard sample of casein. Foods to be assayed are added to the diet as the sole source of protein at the expense of the casein and corn starch to maintain a protein level of 10%. Protein efficiency ratios (P.E.R.'s) are calculated after 4 weeks and are adjusted to a constant value of 2.5 for casein. Although influenced by the age of rat and subject to certain inherent criticisms, determination of P.E.R. values was found to be a simpler method for evaluating protein quality than determination of net protein retention or net protein utilization and equally sensitive.