Effect of the drying process on the nutritive value of milk. Part 2. Biological evaluation

Five different brands of dry milk and freeze dried milk were used in rat feeding trials to study their nutritive value and to assess the effect of the drying process on their nutritive value by using growth response, weight gain, food efficiency and relative nutritive value (RNV). Brand I milk gave better growth response, weight gain and food efficiency than any other dry milk studied, while brand V gave the least values. Freeze dried milk gave better growth response, weight gain and food efficiency than brand I milk. Using Slope-ratio assay, freeze dried milk gave the best RNV compared to all dry milks tested on the basis of the two response parameters used, weight gain and moisture gain.