Protein utilization of mechanically deboned meat by growing rats.

The protein quality of mechanically deboned red meat was investigated using amino acid analysis, protein efficiency ratio and the slope ratio technique. Nine different meat products were studied utilizing Sprague-Dawley weanling albino rats. Protein quality of the mechanically deboned meat varied greatly with the amount of lean left on the bones prior to mechanical deboning. Deboned meat which contained more lean, and less collagen, was superior in protein quality to the deboned meat obtained from bones which contained less lean and more collagen. Total sulfur amino acids (cystine and methionine) and isoleucine were the most limiting amino acids in all nine of the meat products when compared with lactalbumin. The contents of total sulfur amino acids and isoleucine, as well as the ratio of essential amino acids to total amino acids, reflected the protein quality of the meat.