Fewer proteins in ecological raw materials

This was the result of a digestibility research in finishing pigs at Wageningen University’s Animal Sciences Group in the Netherlands. The research was carried out for the Dutch ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.


The research focused on flakes of rape seed, soybean, sunflower seed, sesame seed and whole ground blue lupins.


Lower
In the ecological grown products, protein content, crude fibre content and ash content were lower than in conventional products.


The level of major amino acids as a percentage of crude protein was somewhat higher than in conventional products.


Same composition
Up until now, it was thought that ecological grown raw materials had the same composition and digestibility coefficients as conventional products. The results however seem to point in a different direction.


Researcher Hans van Diepen said, “It’s too early to say that we should use a separate table for ecological raw materials.”


The researchers are also doing research into feeds for ecological kept laying hens.


Related websites:
• Wageningen University and Research Center
• Animal Sciences Group 


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