Annual Report 1961 - BEEP

BY-PRODUCTS1. THE COMPOSITION OF SCUMS AND HEAT COAGULATES FROM CANE JUICEIN RELATION TO THEIR NUTRITIVE VALUE TO ANIMALSD. H. PARISHSEED proteins form the basic food proteinsource of the Mauritian population, andeven these low biological value proteinsare consumed at such low levels that dietaryprotein deficiency is extremely common. Theproteins of high biological value. meat,milk, fish and eggs are expensive and moreovera large part of them are imported.It is essential. therefore. that any localsource of protein shall be exploited to the full.particularly as a rapid increase in population istaking place without concurrent increase innational wealth.This problem of protein shortage is notpeculiar to Mauritius, however. the carbohydrates,starch and sugar, are in plentiful supply asextremely high yielding crops producing thesematerials are widely grown, whilst fats, thealternative source of metabolic energy can befed without any ill effect over a wide range oflevels depending on their availability. Dietspoor in vitamins can be supplemented withsmall quantities of high vitamin food or withthe now cheap artificially produced materials.and mineral supplementation of any diet ischeap and simple. Protein. however. remains thecentre of dietary requirements; it must be fedat fairly high levels, its chemical constitutionmust be adequate for body needs and it cannotbe replaced by any other material.The elimination of protein as a limitingfactor can be made in two ways: increasedproduction of high quality protein and increasedefficiency in its utilization.Increased production is a slow and highlycapitalized procedure. particularly where malnutritionis already a problem. but increasedefficiency of utilization can be cheaply and simplyobtained.As has been pointed out, the normalvegetable sources of human dietary protein aregrains and pulses both of which contain lowvalue proteins. Tile next dietary sources are theanimal proteins synthesized basically from theproteins of plants. Leafy materials althoughthey contain protein of high biological valuecannot be used directly by human beings becauseof the high levels of fibre.The indirect utilization of plant proteinsthrough stock rearing is inefficient as shownby the data (Table 46) from LEITCH andGODDEN (1952).Table 46.Efficiency of domestic animals in the conversion of vegetable protein to animal's protein.Efficiency %Milk - whole life 18.1Beef - Baby (to 7 cwt) 15.3Fat bullock (12-15 cwt) 8.7Lamb 13.2Pork 19.0Poultry - table 21.0 - 26.0Medium light bird(1 egg daily) 39.7(200 eggs a year) 26.4