877solution gradually approach a level above which little adsorption occurs even if the concentration increases. The adsorption of phosphate cannot be attributed to any single mechanism.

The protein efficiency 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 and minerals, have been studied using weanling albino rats. The PER of the foods were 2 . 2 5 and 1.92 respectively as compared with 3.09 for skim milk powder. Fortification of the foods with DL-methionine (1.6 g. per 100 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. IntroductionThe diets consumed by weaned infants and young children of the low-income groups of the population in the riceeating regions consist mostly of cooked rice, rice gruel and small quantities of pulses and vegetables.2> Such diets are deficient in proteins and certain vitamins and minerals and do not promote optimum growth in children.19 2, Consequently, protein malnutrition and other deficiency diseases of varying degrees are widely prevalent among weaned infants and young children in theseThe need for providing low-cost protein foods of high nutritive value and based on locally available protein-rich foods has been stressed by several workers and international agencies. In the preceding paper, studies on the preparation, chemical composition and shelf-life of precooked roller-dried protein foods based on full-fat soya flour and low-fat groundnut flour were reported. The results of studies on the protein efficiency ratio and on the supplementary value to a poor rice diet of the above foods are now presented.

A process for the preparation of a spray-dried food (267; protein, IS:& 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 a t 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 a t 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 growthpromoting value of the product, with or without added methionine as also that of 3 : I 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.. IntroductionIn view of the acute shortage and high cost of milk in several developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, a considerable amount of work has been carried out by many workers on the development of fortified milk substitutes based on soya-bean and groundnut and suitable for use as supplements to the diets of infants and Milk substitutes in dried form have the advantages of compactness, good shelf life, low cost and ease of transportation. In Indonesia, a spray-dried milk substitute known as Saridele is being manufactured from a blend of soya-bean and groundnut or sesame with UNICEF aid.3 Spray-dried milk substitutes like Mull-soy, Soya-lac, Sobee etc. are being manufactured in America for feeding infants and children allergic to cow's milk.4-5 Dean6 described a process for the preparation of a spray-dried malt food based on barley malt and soya-bean. The present paper describes the results of studies on the preparation, chemical composition and nutritive value of a spray-dried food based on full-fat soya flour, dextrin-maltose mixture and hydrogenated groundnut oil fortified with DL-methionine and certain essential vitamins and minerals.