Development of a Food Mixture for Infants and Young Children in Brazil

SUMMARY-The development of food mixtures containing vegetable protein concentrates, minerals, and vitamins represents an important approach to the problem of protein-calorie malnutrition of preschool children in many parts of the world. In Brazil, soy flour is the most readily available good-quality protein for this purpose. Protein efficiency-ratio studies in rats demonstrated that soy flour with a PER value of 1.99 was available in large quantities. Accordingly, a formula containing 19.50% soy flour, 4.50% nonfat milk powder, 32.28% corn starch, 39.00% sucrose, and 4.72% vitamins and minerals was thoroughly tested as an infant food. The PER value of the protein in rats was 2.31. Amino acid assay demonstrated that the protein compared favorably with the essential amino acid pattern of the FAO/WHO reference protein (FAO/WHO, 196.5) except for methionine-cystine, The formula was well accepted and tolerated by children and adults. Average nitrogen absorption and retention of the formula as the sole food of malnourished children were 72.68 and 23.82%; values for milk protein were 80.17 and 30.13%. Average nitrogen absorption and retention were 63.4 and 22.0% when the formula provided one-half (15 g) of the daily protein for normal children consuming a typical diet of the region, comparing favorably with values of 69.3 and 21.3% for milk protein.