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Simple Summary: Mineral oil hydrocarbons are a group of lipid pollutants for which concern has been raised because of different contamination scandals in products intended for human consumption, such as Ukrainian sunflower oil (2007/2008) and chocolate (2018). These contaminants may pose different toxicological risks for humans depending on their structure (e.g., saturated or aromatic) and, therefore, their assessment in food represents a relevant scientific target. This study evaluated mineral oil contamination in different lipid sources used to supplement pig feeds, the final levels of those feeds, and the ability of pigs to accumulate mineral oils in two different tissues that might affect human exposure (i.e., back fat and loin). The results showed that pigs accumulated saturated mineral oils but not aromatic ones and that the deposition was higher in back fat than in loin. The levels of saturated mineral oils in back fat reflected the levels of these contaminants in the corresponding feed, which mainly came from two unknown contamination sources other than the lipid source added. Therefore, identifying and controlling these sources may help prevent high concentrations of saturated mineral oils in pig back fat. This study assessed saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) levels in grower–finisher feeds for pigs supplemented with 5% crude palm oil (CP), crude olive pomace oil (COP), olive pomace acid oil (OPA), or a blend of CP and OPA (50:50, w/w); the contribution of the lipid source to that contamination; and the ability of pigs to accumulate MOH in back fat and loin tissues after 60 days of trial. MOSH and MOAH were analyzed with liquid chromatography (LC)–gas chromatography (GC)–flame ionization detection (FID) after sample preparation. Among the lipid sources, CP had the lowest MOH levels, but CP feeds showed the highest contamination. This, along with the different MOSH profiles, indicated the presence of more significant contamination sources in the feeds than the lipid source. The higher MOH contamination in CP feeds was reflected in the highest MOSH levels in pig back fat, whereas MOAH were not detected in animal tissues. Also, MOSH bioaccumulation in pig tissues was influenced by the carbon chain length. In conclusion, feed manufacturing processes can determine the MOSH contamination present in animal adipose tissues that can be included in human diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH) and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) levels in grower–finisher feeds for pigs supplemented with 5% crude palm oil (CP), crude olive pomace oil (COP), olive pomace acid oil (OPA), or a blend of CP and OPA (50:50, w/w); the contribution of the lipid source to that contamination; and the ability of pigs to accumulate MOH in back fat and loin tissues after 60 days of trial. MOSH and MOAH were analyzed with liquid chromatography (LC)–gas chromatography (GC)–flame ionization detection (FID) after sample preparation. Among the lipid sources, CP had the lowest MOH levels, but CP feeds showed the highest contamination. This, along with the different MOSH profiles, indicated the presence of more significant contamination sources in the feeds than the lipid source. The higher MOH contamination in CP feeds was reflected in the highest MOSH levels in pig back fat, whereas MOAH were not detected in animal tissues. Also, MOSH bioaccumulation in pig tissues was influenced by the carbon chain length. In conclusion, feed manufacturing processes can determine the MOSH contamination present in animal adipose tissues that can be included in human diets.

The on-farm attempt to cut down feed costs through bulk fortification of standard animal feed with available cheap conventional feed ingredients or wastes had been a normal practice without a known empirical impact on livestock health and wellbeing. Therefore, this study determined the haematological parameters and serum biochemistry of pigs fed cocoa (Theobroma cacao) seed testa at varying inclusion levels in the formulated standard grower pig feed; T1:0% CST, T2:25% CST, T3:50% CST, T4:75% CST and T5:100% CST. Thirty (30) 8-week-old pigs were randomly assigned to the five treatments of six pigs each and replicated thrice, with two pigs per replicate in a completely randomised design (CRD). The experiment lasted for 10 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, blood samples were collected randomly from three pigs per treatment through the jugular vein using hypodermic needle and syringe for haematological analysis and serum biochemistry. This study recorded significant differences (P

Alternative feed sources are required to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of current pig production systems and to reduce the competition for cropland between the feed and food sectors. The objective of this study was to assess the environmental and economic impacts of utilizing existing and new co-products in the diets of pigs in Brazil. Three diet scenarios were designed: a reference scenario with a standard corn-soybean meal based finishing diet, a macaúba kernel cake based scenario and a co-product based scenario. The diets were equal in nutritional density. Inclusion of co-products in the diet of pigs has the potential to reduce the environmental impacts of pork production, particularly land use and the global warming potential when land use change is included. Compared with the reference scenario, land use per finished pig is 10% lower for the alternative scenarios. Global warming potential per kg live weight is 3.4–7% lower for the alternative scenarios when direct land use change is included whereas it is about 6–7% lower when indirect land use change is included. The land use ratio results (4.84 for the reference scenario and 4.35 for the alternative scenarios) imply that the production of pork using co-products can make available cropland for food crops production for direct human consumption. Compared with the reference finishing diet, the cost prices are 14% lower for the macaúba kernel cake and 5% lower for the co-product based finishing diets. The inclusion of co-products in the diets of pigs is, therefore, an important strategy to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of pig production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental taxes are a form of incentive regulation available to governments to drive reductions in environmental impact. The aims of this study were to: 1) develop a framework that enabled quantification of the potential effect of environmental taxes on pig diet composition and 2) examine the relationship between tax level and its effectiveness in reducing environmental impacts from pig systems. Three taxes were investigated: a carbon tax on the feed ingredients as purchased, and two financial penalties on the field spreading of N and P in manure respectively. Each tax was integrated into a diet-formulation model for pig diets in Eastern and Western Canada and tested at a range of tax levels. The two regions use different feed ingredients and constitute a test for spatial variation in the consequences of tax measures on diet-formulation. In each case diets were formulated to minimise feed cost per kg of live weight gain and the effect of the tax on feed cost as well as on predicted N and P excretion by the pigs were calculated. The results were then tested in a Life Cycle Assessment model representative of pig farming systems in the two regions, which calculated the potential effect of the diets on the aggregated environmental impacts of each farming system. The environmental impact implications of each environmental tax were quantified using four impact categories: Global Warming Potential, Acidification Potential, Eutrophication Potential and non-renewable resource use. As environmental tax levels increased, trigger points in the tax range caused dietary change which reduced levels of the targeted emission type. In almost all the tax scenarios the largest reductions in the target emission per Canadian Dollar (C$) increase in cost were achieved at the lower end of the tax range tested, as diminishing marginal returns were evident. The taxes on spreading N and P in manure did not significantly reduce levels of any environmental impact category tested in most cases. In many of the scenarios the environmental taxes altered the diet in a way which significantly increased levels of at least one of the environmental impact categories considered. These results showed the potential for taxes which target specific emissions, to increase system-level environmental impacts in livestock production. The study demonstrated how system-level environmental impact models can be used to quantify the potential of environmental taxes set at different rates to reduce overall environmental impact levels in livestock systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrated polysaccharides and their assemblies are known to modulate gastric emptying rate due to their capacity to change the structural and rheological properties of gastric contents (digesta). In the present study, we investigated the rheological and microstructural properties of gastric digesta from pigs fed with diets incorporating mango powder or pectin, and compared results with those from hydrated diets of the same water content, in order to investigate the origins for rheological changes in the pig stomach. All of the hydrated diets and gastric digesta were particle-dominated suspensions, generally showing weak gel or more solid-like behavior with the storage modulus (G’) always greater than loss modulus (G”) under small deformation oscillatory measurements, and with small deformation viscosity greater than steady shear viscosity (i.e. non-Cox-Merz superposition). Although significant rheological differences were observed between the hydrated diets, rheological parameters for gastric digesta were similar for all diets, indicative of a rheological homeostasis in the pig stomach. Whilst the addition of gastric mucin (20 mg/mL) to control and mango diets altered the rheology to match the gastric digesta rheology, the effect of mucin on the pectin-containing diet was negligible. The viscous effect of pectin also hindered the action of alpha amylase as observed from relatively less damaged starch granules in pectin digesta compared to mango and control digesta. Based on the experimental findings that the rheology of gastric digesta differs from hydrated diets of the same water content, the current study revealed composition-dependent complex behavior of gastric digesta in vivo , suggesting that the rheology of food products or ingredients may not necessarily reflect the rheological effect when ingested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implications of using co-products from the supply chains of human food and biofuels in pig diets for the environmental impacts of Canadian pig systems were examined using Life Cycle Assessment. The functional unit was 1 kg expected carcass weight (ECW) and environmental impacts were calculated as: Acidification Potential (AP), Eutrophication Potential (EP), Global Warming Potential (GWP), Nonrenewable Energy Use (NRE) and Nonrenewable Resource Use (NRRU). Maximum inclusion limits which would not negatively affect animal performance were defined for: meat meal (55), bakery meal (87), corn DDGS (261) and wheat shorts (291) (numbers in brackets represent average across all feeding phases in g/kg as fed). Nutritionally equivalent grower/finisher (G/F) diets containing maximum inclusions of these co-products were formulated individually. These diets were compared to a simple control diet based on corn and soya meal using 1000 parallel Monte-Carlo simulations. The maximum inclusion of meat meal reduced NRRU and NRE per kg ECW by 9% and 8% compared to the control (P < 0.001), EP and AP increased by 10% and 7% (P < 0.001), with no significant change in GWP. Maximum inclusion of bakery meal was found to reduce all environmental impacts for all categories modelled by <5% (P < 0.001). Maximum inclusion of corn DDGS in the G/F diets resulted in relatively large increases in NRRU (56%), NRE (48%) and GWP (16%) (all P < 0.001). The maximum corn DDGS diet caused a mean reduction of <1% in AP (P = 0.01) and did not significantly alter EP. Maximum inclusion of wheat shorts reduced GWP, NRE and NRRE by >10% (P < 0.001) but did not significantly alter EP or AP. The environmental impact implications for pig farming systems of high inclusion levels of co-products in G/F diets formulated for economic goals (i.e. least cost per kg live weight gain), were also modelled for the first time. Four further G/F diets were formulated on a least cost basis at 100%, 97.5%, 95% and 92.5% of the energy density required for maximum feed efficiency. Minimum nutrient to net energy ratios were defined in the formulation rules to ensure the first limiting resource of all diets for growth was energy. The least energy dense diet contained the highest level of co-products (294 g/kg as fed) and the most energy dense diet contained the least (108 g/kg as fed). The least energy dense diet reduced NRE and NRRU by 9% (P < 0.001) and GWP by 4% (P = 0.018) when compared to the diet designed for maximum feed efficiency, but increased AP and EP by <1% (P < 0.001). The other two intermediate levels of energy density followed the same pattern but the effects were not linear. The increased inclusion of co-products in G/F diets formulated for economic goals can produce environmental impact reductions for some environmental impact categories in pig farming systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To study the haematological and carcass parameters of pigs fed with Azolla based rations. Materials and Methods: An experiment was done for 120 days using 18 crossbred Large White Yorkshire pigs fed with diets containing Azolla as protein replacement at 0, 10 and 20 percent, respectively. The mean haematological parameters of the three experimental groups were studied before start of an experiment, and during the grower phase and finisher phase. Two pigs from each group were slaughtered after 120 days of experimental feeding to study the carcass parameters. Results: Haematological parameters like PCV, Hb, RBC, WBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC were studied and found that there were no significant (P > 0.05) differences between means of the three groups except for MCV and MCH during growing phase. There was no significant difference among the pigs fed different rations for the various carcass characteristics. A higher dressing percentage was observed in T3 pigs (83.45 percent) followed by T2 pigs (81.37 percent) and T1 pigs (81.18 percent). It was noticed that there was a significant difference (P< 0.05) between the means of fat percentage and it was observed that fat percentage was higher in T1 (2.11) followed by T2 (2.04) and T3 (1.27). Conclusion: Sun dried Azolla inclusion upto 20 percent in the diets did not appear to affect the haematological and carcass parameters of pigs. Further it was observed that, inclusion of Azolla in the diets of swine helped to obtain higher dressing percentage and pork with less fat percentage when compared to that of pigs fed with conventional concentrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a plant extracts mixture including carvacrol (oregano), cinnamaldehyde (cinnamom), and capsicum oleoresin (Mexican pepper) on the meat quality of pigs. The study was carried out on 60 pigs, divided into two groups (control and experimental), 30 pigs each. The control group was given a basal diet and the experimental group (XT group) received the basal diet supplemented with 80 mg/kg (XT). The fattening of pigs was carried out from a body weight of 30 to 100 kg. The pigs XT group had a lower M. longissimus dorsi (LD) electrical conductivity at 24 hour post-mortem, lower drip loss and cooking loss from the LD muscle, however, had a higher water holding capacity and a* values (redness) in the fresh meat. The plant extracts significantly increased the sensory quality of the fresh meat and the cooked meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of fermented putak (prepared from the stalk of the palm tree; Corypha elata robx) as a substitute for maize meal in pig-fattening diets was evaluated in two experiments in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Boiled putak was fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisae for 2 weeks and incorporated into pig-fattening rations at zero (control), 100 g raw putak in place of maize meal (UFP), 100 g fermented putak in place of maize meal (LFP) and 200 g fermented putak in place of maize meal (HFP) kg−1. In the first experiment, digestibility of the feeds was evaluated in a Latin Square design using four weaner pigs. In the second experiment, four groups of eight weaner pigs each were randomly allocated to the four diets in a complete randomised design and fed individually for 84 days. In the digestibility trial there were no significant (P>0.05) differences in feed intakes which were in g per day: 450 (control), 460 (UFP), 448 (LFP) and 453 (HFP). However, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in intake in the growth study. The intakes were in g per day: 752 (control), 581 (UFP), 828 (LFP) and 694 (HFP). There were significant (P<0.05) depressions in nutrient digestibility on the UFP diet, whereas, the LFP ranked higher than the control except in organic matter digestibility. Apparent digestibility of crude protein was 0.697, 0.639, 0.705 and 0.694 while for crude fibre it was 0.672, 0.546, 0.680 and 0.657 on the control, UFP, LFP and HFP diets, respectively. Gains in body weight during the growth study were 247, 145, 263 and 211 g per day. Results from the study show that 100 g fermented putak kg−1 can be included in pig-fattening diets in place of maize meal with no deleterious effects on the animal, thus releasing the maize meal much needed for human consumption in the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Availability of amino acids include digestibility, chemical integrity (i.e., absorbed in an utilizable form) and freedom from interference in metabolism (i.e., presence of specific dietary anti-nutritional factor limiting protein synthesis). The greatest source of variation in amino acid availability is usually digestibility. The most susceptible amino acid to heat damage is Lys which is involved via its ε-amino group in the Maillard reaction. Lysine can also react with other amino acid side chains such as the reaction with cysteine to form lysinoalanine. Analysis of reactive lysine allows accurate estimation of the available Lys content of heat-damaged ingredients although recent research has identified some inaccuracies in the reactive Lys assay. Met and Cys can be oxidised via their side chain sulphur atom upon heat treatments with some of the oxidised forms being poorly available. Heating of proteins can convert the L- to the D-enantiomer of an amino acid (racemization), the latter which is poorly available. Free asparagine, present in relatively large amounts in certain plant-based feedstuffs, can form acrylamide during heat processing. Before any feed processing occurs, various feed ingredients used in animal nutrition have already been processed to a smaller or larger extent which often affects the bioavailability of amino acids. Examples include soybean meal, DDGS, rapeseed meal but also commonly used grains (e.g. corn and wheat). Further processing (pelleting, extrusion, storage) of compound feeds can further affect the availability of amino acids via various reactions with the matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock production is one of the major causes of the world's environmental problems, such as climate change impact. Researchers are looking for sustainable pig diet formulations within the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Agriculture (CCMAA) program. The single-objective diets including least cost, least climate change impact, least water, and least land use were modeled using Windows-based User Friendly Feed Formulation (WUFFDA) linear models. Baseline U.S. pig diets for 1 nursery, 2 sow, and 5 grow phases formulated by the University of Arkansas' pig nutritionist included corn, soybean and fish meal, fat, lactose, dry whey, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and additives. We added the U.S. pig industry top 80 most used feed ingredients to the WUFFDA models. Nutrient characteristics, inclusion limits, cradle-to-farm gate life-cycle assessment (LCA) environmental impacts, and cost data for feed ingredients were obtained from the U.S. Animal Feed Database available in the Pig Production Environmental Calculator (PPEC). Preliminary results show potential to lower cost and environmental footprint in pig producers' feeding systems (Table 113). The linear models input data are changeable including feed costs and availability, pig production practices, environmental footprints, and maximum inclusion rates. Thus, so far we can only conclude that the solution to increase sustainability of pig production for different criteria in the United States is to diversify feed ingredients, in particular for the least water and least land use diets. The formulated diets are currently being validated by swine nutritionists to check models and diets and propose recommendations to improve their economic and environmental feasibility. Nutritionists have an important role because they create connection between the scientific research, validation, and pig producers. Also, we will perform the multi-objective analysis and evaluate the potential to simultaneously reduce cost and environmental impacts. The proposed diets will be available in the PPEC for pig producers, which will allow pig producers to make informed decisions that can help reduce costs and environmental impacts throughout pig life-cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]