Nutritional Value of Protein from a Soybean Milk Powder

SUMMARY— Soybean milk powder was prepared from de‐hulled soybeans by standard milk plant equipment. The product was tested biologically in young growing rats. When soymilk or skim milk combined with different amounts of corn starch to give a range of dietary protein levels was fed to rats, the nutritive value of the vegetable milk compared favorably with that of animal milk at the highest level of protein intake. The growth response was generally less with soymilk at low protein levels and this could be corrected by supplementation with methionine. Mixing cow's milk and soymilk in different proportions did not improve significantly the nutritional value of the protein, although such mixtures might have advantages for palatability, industrial feasibility, or consumer acceptability.