nitrogen conversion factor

views updated

nitrogen conversion factor Factor by which nitrogen content of a foodstuff is multiplied to determine the protein content; it depends on the amino acid composition of the protein. For wheat and most cereals it is 5.8; rice, 5.95; soya, 5.7; most legumes and nuts, 5.3; milk, 6.38; other foods, 6.25. In mixtures of proteins, as in dishes and diets, the factor of 6.25 is used. ‘Crude protein’ is defined as N × 6.25. See also Kjeldahl determination.

More From encyclopedia.com