DS
Because the energy content of the main components of supplementary foods (cereals, pulses, defatted oilseed flours) is relatively low, the energy density of the product will also be low, resulting in bulky voluminous food. Such food is unsuitable for older infants and young children, whose stomach capacity is limited. With no extra fat (or sugar) added, the vegetable-based supplementary food has only 350-400 kcal per 100 g dry weight. The energy density may be increased by adding fat (or sugar) to reduce bulkiness and by special processing of the main ingredients . This processing may include toasting (roasting) of pulses and oilseeds, which improves flavour, taste, and digestibility (through dextrinization of starch) and reduces bulkiness.
Processing may also include sprouting and malting of cereals and pulses. This induces germination and predigestion of the starchy components, resulting in reduced bulk and increased nutrient density. Extrusion cooking and enzymatic predigestion are examples of more advanced processing technology to achieve basically the same results. For nutritional reasons, supplementary foods prepared from raw materials that have been specially processed as above do not require boiling during reconstitution with water. For hygienic reasons, however, boiling is usually required.
If processing alterations to reduce bulkiness are not feasible and packaging and storage conditions preclude pre-addition of fat, instructions should be given to add fats (and/or sugar) when preparing the supplementary food for consumption. This is particularly important if the supplement is to be used as the only food. If the protein content in the dry matter is 20 g per 100 9, about 20 g fat should be added (or an appropriate mixture of fat and sugar); about 10 g fat should be added if the protein content is 15 g per 100 g. This retains the protein calorie percentage at about 12-15, which is the range in mixed diets.
Although it would be desirable to incorporate adequate quantities of fat at the time of processing, this is technologically or economically seldom feasible because of stability and storage problems, as was noted earlier. In these cases, the instructions on the label should recommend adding specified quantities of fat at the time of preparation for feeding.
The Codex Alimentarius guidelines  are based on protein quality of at least 65, which corresponds to a protein-energy ratio (PER) of not less than 2.1. These values apply also to the products considered here.
PAG guideline no. 8 and the 1985 Codex Alimentarius Proposed model composition for supplementary foods [see 2, table 1 ] suggest that there should be 20 g protein per 100 g product and that 100 g product should provide about 400 kcal. Assuming that no extra fat (or sugar) is added when the food is prepared, the protein-energy percent age will be about or more than 20 kcal per cent, compared to about 12-15 kcal per cent in ordinary mixed foods. At this protein-energy level, (expensive) protein may be used physiologically for energy needs. If the protein content is lowered 15 g per 100 9, the corresponding ratio would provide about or more than 15 kcal per cent.
Recently an expert committee carefully considered energy and protein requirements, including the "safe level of protein intake" . In the age range of 4-6 months to 3 years, the safe intake level of protein ranged between 14 and 15.5 g (protein quality equivalent to that in milk or eggs). Assuming a digestibility and quality in vegetable-based supplementary foods of about two-thirds that in milk or eggs (amino acid score of 65), the total daily safe level of protein intake would be 21 to 23 g. Therefore, to contribute two-thirds to three fourths of the recommended protein intake, the supplementary food should contribute 14-17 g protein.
It is therefore suggested that the protein content of 20 g per 100 g in the Codex proposed model composition for supplementary food should be lowered to 15 g (14-17 9) per 100 g and that the instructions for use should take the above considerations into account.
B