Comparative utilization of fish protein concentrate and casein-lactalbumin by college women1’2

Because protein deficiency is currently, and will continue to be one of the major nu-tritional problems in the world, it is impera-tive that new sources of protein be developed. In order to meet this need and to feed an in-creasing population, many scientists have turned to the oceans as a large untapped source of protein. As a result, a number of different processes for the production of fish protein concentrate (FPC) have been de-veloped (1-4). Although quality can vary with the process and treatment, FPC has generally been reported to contain good quality protein (5-8). Studies with rats yielded a protein efficiency ratio (PER) of 2.97 (9), and there was no evidence of tox-icity when the concentrate was fed as the sole source of protein through four genera-tions (10). In children, FPC promoted weight gain and nitrogen retention similar to that of milk (11-13). There have been confficting reports on the acceptability of FPC in the diets of children (13-17). Of the few studies reported on the utilization of FPC in normal, healthy adults, one reported by Spencer et al. (18) compared the availability of protein from FPC in adult men (39 to 52 years) with that derived from a calorically adequate, well-balanced diet. This study indicated the ready availability of protein from FPC. The present study is a part of a Unite