PDCAAS CALCULATOR RUTF
Document Location: Requirements and Specifications - Formulation Guidance
Alternate Name: PDCAAS Calculator
Date Document Last Updated: 2024
Publisher: UNICEF
Date Uploaded to Website: June 3, 2024
Overview
This worksheet is intended to calculate and track the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) within various RUTF products. Understanding a RUTF-product’s PDCAAS is important as it is a measurement of protein value within the product intended for human nutrition.
The major protein ingredients can be selected from the drop down menu in the calculator and one can develop their formula. There is an option to add additional amino acids that are included in this calculator include lysine, SAA, methionine, cysteine, threonine and tryptophan. Other ingredients that are added include sugar, vitamin premix, mineral premix, nonhydrogenated vegetable oil blend, soy oil, stabilizers, additives, maltodextrin, antioxidants, lactose and other ingredients which will not affect on PDCAAS score but helps in developing formulation. This calculator helps product developers to check which amino acid is limiting and improve its formulation to the required level of PDCAAS.
Overall, this worksheet is important as a tool for calculating the PDCAAS for RUTF.