Studies on the preparation, chemical composition and nutritive value of a spray‐dried soya food suitable for feeding weaned infants

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Abstract
A process for the preparation of a spray‐dried food (26% protein, 18% fat) based on full‐fat soya flour, dextrin‐maltose mixture and hydrogenated groundnut oil and fortified with DL‐methionine and certain vitamins and minerals has been described. When packed in air in sealed tin containers, the food was organoleptically acceptable at the end of 6 months' storage at 37°. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) of the food was 2·47; fortification of the food with DL‐methionine at a level of 4 g. per kg. markedly increased its PER to almost the same level as that of a control milk food of similar composition. The overall growth‐promoting value of the product, with or without added methionine as also that of 3 : 1 blend of the above foods with cane sugar was significantly higher than that of the milk food or milk food‐sugar blend. However, no significant differences were observed in the feed efficiency ratios obtained for soya food (with or without added methionine) and milk food. It may be concluded that in many developing regions where milk is in short supply and soya‐bean is readily available, the spray‐dried food costing only about 4s. per kg. and possessing an overall nutritive value comparable to that of a milk food of similar composition can be manufactured on large scale and used for supplementary feeding of weaned infants.