Open AccessPerformance, carcass quality, and gastric alterations in fattening pigs fed additives containing formic acid either coated with sorbate or mixed with lactic acid
Author(s) -
Kirsi Partanen,
Maija Karhapää,
Hilkka Siljander-Rasi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
agricultural and food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.347
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1795-1895
pISSN - 1459-6067
DOI - 10.2137/145960606779216308
Subject(s) - formic acid , chemistry , feed conversion ratio , lactic acid , weight gain , food science , nuclear chemistry , zoology , body weight , biochemistry , bacteria , biology , genetics , endocrinology
The growth-promoting effects of two dietary acidifiers based on formic acid were studied with 320 fattening pigs from ca 21 kg to ca 105 kg of body weight. The sorbate-coated formic acid contained formic acid and ammonium formate which were absorbed in diatomaceous earth and coated with potassium sorbate. The investigated liquid blend contained formic and lactic acids as the major components. These acidifiers were added to grower and finisher diets at levels of 3, 6, and 12 g kg-1 of feed. The grower and finisher diets in the negative control treatment contained no growth promoters, but the grower diet in the positive control treatment was supplemented with avilamycin (40 mg kg-1). The investigated acidifiers did not influence the performance of growing pigs (P > 0.05). In finishing pigs, all additions of the sorbate-coated formic acid improved daily weight gain compared to the negative control (P 0.05). The frequency of severe gastric alterations tended to be smaller when the diets contained 12 g kg-of the sorbate-coated formic acid (P = 0.07), but the results of the other acidifier treatments did not differ significantly from those in the negative control. In conclusion, both the sorbate-coated formic acid and the blend of formic and lactic acids have a growth-promoting effect in fattening pigs already in small dosages, but they do not influence carcass quality or cause gastric alterations.;