Methods for evaluating Feed protein quality for Swine applicable to Human Food Ingredients

Research aimed at improving the evaluation of feed ingredients for swine also has implications for the food industry

Researchers with the University of Guelph, working in partnership with Swine Innovation Porc and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, are evaluating various methods for determining the protein quality of novel pulses for use in grower finisher pig diets.

Dr. Kate Shoveller, an Associate Professor with the University of Guelph and Champion Petfoods Chair in Nutrition, Physiology and Metabolism says the main goal is to develop reliable methods for evaluating these crops for use in pig diets but these methods will also be available for use by the human food industry.

“The pig is used as a model for the human quite widely“

“The vast majority of the information regarding the pulses will be used by the pulse industry to discuss ingredient utilization by the swine industry.

“However, the pig is also used as a model for the human quite widely and these data on these unique legumes and pulses can also be used to calculate protein quality if these are ever considered for use in the human industry and of course we do have one pulse in there that is quite well utilized by the human industry, which is the lentils.

“So, we suspect that the data on the methodologies will be used by the human food industry but also the generation of the digestibility of these different pulses may also be used by the human industry to calculate protein quality for human based ingredients.

“So, we see that we are affecting what the swine industry will use, what the human food industry will use and what methodologies they all use to determine protein quality of different ingredients.”

Dr. Shoveller says our ability to switch out ingredients will become more important as global climate change compromises our ability to provide ingredients for the nutrition industry.

Farmscape is a presentation of Wonderworks Canada Inc.