Evaluation of Novel Protein Products [antikvár]

preface The lack of high-quality food proteins in large areas of the world is one of the great challenges of our generation. Apart from being the main cause of the high mortality rate amongst children in developing countries, protein deficiency is known to retard the growth of the child and may impair mental development as well. The precarious and complex protein problem requires determined international action and calls for the co-operation of a large number of scientific disciplines. A report to the Economic and Social Council of the UN Advisory Committee on the Application of Science and Technology to Development defines the problem and indicates diff"erent means for increasing the production and use of edible proteins. The production and conservation of protein from conventional plant, animal and fishery sources receive primary emphasis, followed by the direct use of oil-seeds as food and the development of new sources such as single-cell protein and synthetic nutrients. The International Biological Programme (IBP) has devoted a special subsection to the development of novel proteins and the National IBP Committee in Sweden has paid special attention to this problem. In the autumn of 1966, the convener of the section for Use and Management, R. Nilsson, gathered together representatives from Swedish industry and research institutions working in the food protein field. A special working group was constituted, chaired by Dr. N. Berg-ling and supported by the Swedish Board for Technical Development. The primary goal of this Protein Committee was to survey Swedish research and development projects concerned with protein production as a basis for a coordinated national programme. Part of the data collected was used in the Swedish reply in 1968 to the UN questionnaire "Increasing the production and use of edible protein". Recently a more detailed programme (in Swedish) has been worked out and several new research projects have been initiated. In all work on the development and production of conventional as well as novel foods there is a need for reliable and standardized analytical methods. One of the first objectives of the Swedish Protein Committee was therefore to compile a guide for laboratories performing chemical and biological protein analysis in Scandinavia. Further, on the initiative of the chairman of the Swedish IBP-Committee Prof. C.-G. Heden, an international meeting was projected to be held in Stockholm in September 1968 on the application of various evaluation methods. The variety of ideas and valuable information presented at this Symposium have now been collected and it is our hope that the present volume will be of value to all who are dealing with urgent food problems. The Organizing Committee