protein digestibility corrected amino acid score


pro·tein di·gest·i·bil·i·ty cor·rect·ed a·mi·no ac·id score

(PDCAAS) (prō'tēn di-gest'ă-bil'i-tē kŏr-ek'tĕd ă-mē'nō as'id skōr) A measurement of protein quality found by multiplying the percentage of digestibility of the protein by its amino acid composition.

protein digestibility corrected amino acid score

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PDCASS.

A measure of a food source's amino acid content and its ability to deliver that content to growing children (its digestibility). The PDCASS is used by relief agencies to compare the protein content of foods used to prevent and treat malnutrition in impoverished, undernourished children. It is based on the total nitrogen content of a food source, the percent of essential amino acids in the food, and the ability of a child to absorb those amino acids from the food. Foods that have optimal PDCASS scores include soybeans and egg whites.