Evaluation of protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score method for assessing protein quality of foods

The current concepts of protein quality evaluation were reviewed. A detailed examination of existing animal assays and more promising amino acid scoring methods has been carried out by an Ad Hoc Working Group on Protein Quality Measurement for the Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins during the last 5 years. Several factors such as inadequacies of protein efficiency ratio (PER, the poorest test) and other animal assays, advancements made in standardizing methods for amino acid analysis and protein digestibility, availability of data on digestibility of protein and individual amino acids in a variety of foods, and reliability of human amino acid requirements and scoring patterns were evaluated. On the basis of this evaluation, amino acid score, corrected for true digestibility of protein, was recommended to be the most suitable routine method for predicting protein quality of foods for humans. Amino acid scores corrected for true digestibility of protein (as determined by rat balance method) were termed "protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores." A detailed method for the determination of the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score was proposed, and information about the range of scores to be expected in foods or food products was provided in the present investigation. The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score method is a simple and scientifically sound approach for routine evaluation of protein quality of foods. Accuracy of the method would, however, be confirmed after validation with growth or metabolic balance studies in humans.