Protein quality evaluation of a weaning food based on malted ragi and green gram

The nutritional quality of a malted weaning food developed using malted ragi (Eleusine coracana) and green gram (Phaseolus radiatus) was evaluated by rat feeding trials. The protein score of the weaning food was 70 calculated according to FAO/WHO (1973) pattern. The protein efficiency ratio (PER), net protein utilization (NPU), biological value (BV) and true digestibility (TD) values for the weaning food proteins at 10% level of protein intake were 2.2, 51.6, 73.8 and 82.8, respectively and the relative protein value (RPV), determined at 5, 8 and 11% levels of protein intake was 84. Supplementation of the weaning food with 10% skim milk powder enhanced the PER to 2.7 and NPU to 63.0. The nutritional quality of a roller dried proprietary weaning food was also evaluated along with malted weaning food for comparison and it was observed that the nutritional quality of the two products were comparable.