World Protein Resources PDF
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World Protein Resources World Protein Resources Allen Jones MTP Medical and Technical Publishing Co Ltd ISBN-13: 978-94-011-7163-2 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-011-7161-8 DOl: 10.1007/978-94-011-7161-8 Published by MTP Medical and Technical Publishing Co. Ltd., St. Leonard's House, St. Leonardgate, Lancaster, England. Copyright © 1974 by Allen Jones Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1974 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form except for the quotation of brief passages for the purposes of review. Printed by The Garden City Press Limited, Letchworth, Hertfordshire SG6 US. Contents page PREFACE vii PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO PROTEINS 1 General Comment 3 2 Protein chemistry 5 3 Proteins in diet 17 4 Vitamins 31 5 Minerals 35 6 Allergy, addiction, preference and prejudice 43 7 Mixtures and compounds 47 8 Preservation 50 9 Canning 55 PART 2 ANIMAL PROTEINS 10 Meat 63 11 Birds and poultry 97 12 Dairy protein 107 13 Fish 119 PART 3 VEGETABLE PROTEINS 14 Cereals 155 15 Fresh vegetables 161 16 Oilseeds 167 vi Contents 17 Pulses 183 18 Dehydrated vegetables in feed 186 19 Vegetable genetics 197 20 Monoculture 200 21 Infestation 203 22 Green leaf protein 209 PART 4 MICROBIAL PROTEINS 23 Algae 219 24 Fungi 223 25 Yeasts 228 26 Bacteria 248 27 Oil 257 PART 5 PROTEIN ECONOMICS 28 Variations in production, distribution and consumption 265 29 Agricultural outputs 275 30 Industrial protein 280 31 World protein supply and demand 289 32 Speculation 309 33 Natural situations (selected countries) 319 34 Future proteins 362 INDEX 375 Preface Protein is the origin. foundation and essential component of life and of human activity. It is an emotive subject and any claim. statement or opinion is sensitive to attack from experts and others who have a restricted experience or are subjects of commercial or political pressure. Many of the facts. opinions and forecasts are disputed and may be disproved in due course. As presented. they are true as far as is known but may represent little more than majority impression at the time of writing. Changes in the seventies are rapid. drastic and mainly unantici pated. At any time there could be a comprehensively influential discovery or incident which could alter the entire pattern of protein supply and demand. Scientific and academic statements in this book may be criticised by purists but it is to be appreciated that the book is intended for universal appreciation. Statements are written to be understood within the context. If the author offends by slightly bending the rules of scientific presen tation. or by making a claim which might not prove absolutely accurate if all factors are analysed. he makes no apology. When everybody in the world has a full belly and a contented mind there will be time to argue about details. At present. we need an extra 20 million tons of protein per year. If this book helps to find it the author will be happy. The author is grateful to many workers for the information. Many of the tables are without identification. being collations. Where a source of information is identified the author accepts no responsibility for its accuracy. Part I Introduction to Proteins Chapter 1 General Comment Protein is an essential component in diet. The greatest single problem in the world today is inefficient distribution of protein foods, without which human beings are reduced in health including mental health. Some of the inefficiency in distribution is deliberate and intended to inflate prices, but it must be accepted that most of the failure to benefit from available protein foods arises from ignorance and incompetence at all levels from the consumer to the administrative organisations. Political interference with the potential pattern of protein production and distribution is notably inhibitive. Consumers are, in general, ignorant of protein technology and there is a background of preference and prejudice which limits patterns of consumption. Notable perhaps is the emphasis on flesh protein with the invalid impression that only fish and meat provide 'good' protein. The eating of flesh is primeval, dating from the hunting and scavenging period of man's development. It is directly related to the killer instinct and has therefore become subject to regional and sectarian habits, prefer ences, traditions, ceremonies and convictions. Throughout the develop ment of man these social controls have influenced technological progress and have caused unnecessary famines. Many of the present restricting factors in diet can be related to social problems which no longer exist in the society concerned. Likewise, many of the handling techniques for flesh protein today were common in prehistoric times. There is a need to educate all concerned with protein and to eradicate attitudes and activities which prevent effective utilisation of available protein, which 4 Introduction to Proteins will be shown to be much more than is needed to feed the world population. It is necessary to differentiate between protein needed for survival and that needed for health, and to accept that the details of demand may be dictated more by social considerations than by basic body needs. The human body needs a comprehensive balance of amino acids and, since we are still discovering facts about diet, it is better to over-estimate requirements rather than work to calculated statistics. The function of consumed protein is to manufacture body tissue and to take part in body chemical reactions. It is obviously desirable that the consumed protein has a similar composition to the protein pattern of the consumer, so that the probability of deficiency is reduced. On the other hand, possible amino-acid deficiencies in one protein source can be compensated by mixing with another protein source of different amino acid deficiency, giving a complete pattern of amino acids which is as good as and can be better than a single protein source with a full pattern. Satisfaction of personal demands in terms of type and condition of food is a factor in mental health. Full benefit will not be gained if eating is with revulsion and there is some evidence that bodies become attuned to diets so that unfamiliar food groups may take time to be accepted (in the chemical sense) by the digestion chemistry. On the other hand, bodies have sufficient flexibility of chemical performance to adapt to new conditions. New conditions have arisen in the world by urbanisation, which divorced man from his fresh-food supply, and by overpopulation associated with national boundaries, which prevented hungry man from moving to pastures anew. When man now meets unsatisfactory diet it is more difficult for him to change it. With the current system of distribution and production, world agricul ture can not be relied upon to feed the world. In fact, there could now be sufficient disruption of ecological and social balances for agriculture to be incapable of meeting requirements even if production was maxi mised and distribution was efficiently organised. There is now an urgent need to find protein sources which do not rely on climates and which can, in effect, introduce protein foods which escape the confused pattern of social and religious prejudice. Most potential is seen in microbial protein, which can be manufactured by industrial techniques and which is too new in its recent form to be condemned on religious grounds. Chapter 2 Protein Chemistry As the 'primeval soup' cooled it allowed the formation of water and similar simple chemicals. Most of these clouded the atmosphere to reduce levels of ultraviolet radiation. As temperatures dropped and destructive radiation declined there were more chemicals manufactured and retained in the 'soup' or in the space above. Further improvement in the conditions allowed reaction between very large molecules, includ ing those using the peculiar ability of carbon to link with more carbon in a chain or network. A range of large molecules developed around formaldehyde, water and ammonia, with additions as dictated by accidental contact under conditions which encouraged the sharing of energy patterns. Some energy structures had the ability to link together as polymers without significant damage to the structures of the small molecules which acted as mononers. An infinite number of such very large molecules resulted from the various patterns in which monomers combined. Variation was by type of monomers, number of monomers and by the layout of the monomers in the final structure. Having a complicated energy structure the large molecules were (to a greater or lesser degree according to the individual energy patterns) able to re organise or change with the uptake or release of energy. They could also, to a greater or lesser degree. disintegrate to component members and reform as new materials. Hence there developed a variety of intricate reactions with energy transfer and reformation as operating systems. leading to accidents of availability and conditions which allowed self generation. Such self-generation required exceedingly varied and complex
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