Processed Protein Foods Characterized by In Vitro Digestion Rates

In vitro tryptic digestion assays and determination of relative digestion rates of food proteins described previously were used to evaluate changes in the rate of digestion following processing technologies. If pH drop measurements are used, a simple mode for the determination of relative digestion rates is suggested based on the comparison with a single reference of the same protein source. The effect of processing technologies could be tested in vitro. Significant increase in the velocity of digestion was found on microwave treatment of lentil and raw soy bean as well as on acid treatment of commercial defatted soy meals. Increase in the in vitro digestion rates was reflected in decreased feed consumption per weight gain in pig feeding experiments.