The swine feed industry is very familiar with the practice of feeding sweeteners to enhance feed intakes in creep and weaner diets for piglets especially. However, there is much more to sweeteners than just enhancing feed intakes. Herewith a few facts to take note of:

1. Compared to humans, pigs have 3-4 times more taste buds (19904 in pigs vs 6974 in humans) (Miller and Bartoshuk, 1991; Chamorro et al., 1993). Pigs are therefore extremely sensitive to taste.
2. Bitterness is identified by a large number of bitter taste receptors from the T2R family (15 known in pigs). Bitterness is the most sensitive and complex of the tastes and is innately associated with an unpleasant and aversive sensation.
3. Some feed ingredients, ANF’s, medications, etc. have a bitter taste and cannot be avoided.
4. The sensing mechanisms of the gut and the effector systems with which they communicate, are in intimate anatomical and functional relationships (Furness JB et al., 2013).
5. The lining of the gastrointestinal tract has a comprehensive range of sensory receptors (Furness JB et al., 2013).
6. The expression of Na⁺/glucose co-transponder 1 (SGLT1) is enhanced by supplementation of the diet of weaning piglets with artificial sweeteners (Moran et al. 2010. British J of Nutrition).
7. GLP-1, Serotonin and GLP-2 are co-expressed by Sucram stimulation. Serotonin secretion stimulates the pancreas to increase insulin secretion. Insulin stimulates the cells to absorb glucose (Ponce et al., 2014. JAS).
8. Sweeteners have a significant effect on intestinal development with regards to villi height in the duodenum, therefore absorption of nutrients can be improved (Da Silva et al., 2001).
9. Dietary supplementation with saccharin, an artificial sweetener, can alter the gastrointestinal microbiota by positively influencing the population abundance of lactobacilli, commensal bacteria that are able to exert a beneficial effect on gut health, immunity and maturation (Daly et al., 2012).
10. Increase in the uptake of glucose, sodium and water, together with an increase in DMI can lead to an improvement in ADG and FCR in pigs.
11. Sucram is a high intensity sweetener that is 550 times stronger than sucrose (sugar).
12. Sucram is manufactured through the patented IFT (Iso-Fusion Technology), ensuring homogeneity, guaranteed dosing accuracy and 100% solubility in water.

Sucram masks unpalatable tastes of some medications, minerals and feed ingredients, and also allows for flexibility in terms of feed formulation changes, ensuring uniform feed intake from batch to batch.

For more information, please visit the following link on our website: https://alliednutrition.com/sweeteners/ or contact Magda Reynders at 063 1099 780 or magda@alliednutrition.com OR Hanaa Solomon at 083 960 0580 or hanaa@alliednutrition.com.