Net Protein Utilisation refers to a method of evaluating Protein quality by comparing the amount animals retained to the amount they ingested. It is the ratio of amino acid converted to proteins to the ratio of amino acids supplied. Evaluation parameters are essential amino acid content and digestibility.
Net Protein Utilization values can range from 1 to 0, with a value of 1 indicating 100 % utilisation of dietary nitrogen as protein and a value of 0 an indication that none of the nitrogen supplied was converted to protein. Some foodstuffs, such as milk or eggs, rate as 1 on an NPU chart.
It is also known as NPU