The invention relates to a method of feeding a growing-finishing pig, comprising the step of making available to the growing-finishing pig a feed.

Such methods are widely known and practised. The feed as used in these methods is optimised towards achieving a high growth rate of the pig and towards achieving an as high as possible amount of meat of good quality on the pig.

There is, however, always an ongoing need to further optimise feed compositions that are targeted specifically to growing-finishing pigs. It is the objective of the present invention to improve the method of feeding a growing-finishing pig, by making available a feed that results in an increased relative amount of lean meat in the growing-finishing pig. The said objective is met by a method of increasing the relative amount of lean meat in a growing/finishing pig, comprising the step of making available to the growing/finishing pig a feed, whereby the feed contains between 0.01 and 12% of a low-glycemic carbohydrate having a glycemic response of not more than 50% of that of glucose.

It is an advantage of the present invention that the relative amount of lean meat of a pig can be increased.

It is yet a further advantage of the present invention that the overall quality of the meat and/or the overall carcass value of a growing-finishing pig can be improved and increased.

The present invention relates to growing-finishing pigs. These are understood to be pigs that are specifically raised with the aim of meat production. Typically, a piglet can be designated to be a growing-finishing pig after having reached a weight of about 20 kg. Also typically, the growing- finishing phase continues until the growing-finishing pig has reached a live weight lying between 80 and 180 kg, after which the pig is slaughtered. Thus, a growing-finishing pig may be described as being a pig that is raised specifically for its meat and has a live weight lying between 20 kg and 180 kg.

Due to the specific goals set in the feeding of growing-finishing pigs, the demands as set on the composition of a feed are different from the demands as set on the composition of feed that is provided to other pigs such as sows. A feed for a sow, for example, should be optimised such that the sow can produce milk - a totally different objective than that for the growing-finishing pigs.

In the method according to the present invention, a feed is made available to the growing-finishing pig. For the most part, this feed can be a feed of a known composition, comprising for example ingredients like soybean meal, corn, salt, vitamins and minerals. According to the invention, however, the feed should furthermore contain between 0.01 and 12 wt.% of a low-glycemic carbohydrate having a glycemic response of not more than 50% of that of glucose. Such low-glycemic carbohydrates are as such known; examples of low-glycemic carbohydrates include fructose, slowly digestible starch, isomaltulose and trehalulose. Preferred examples are isomaltulose and/or trehalulose. As meant herein, the term low-glycemic carbohydrate encompasses a mixture of two or more low-glycemic carbohydrates. The glycemic response of the low-glycemic carbohydrate should be not more than 50% of that of glucose. The glycemic response of the low- glycemic carbohydrate should preferably be assessed from blood glucose response curves in growing/finishing pigs; this may be achieved by means as such known, for example based on an amount of a low-glycemic carbohydrate in a serving of the feed compared to a serving of feed containing the equivalent amount of glucose. In a preferred embodiment, the low-glycemic carbohydrate is chosen such that its glycemic response is not more than 47, 44, 41 , 38, or even not more than 35% of that of glucose.

In the method according to the invention, the feed may contain carbohydrates other than low-glycemic carbohydrates, as long as the amounts of the low-glycemic carbohydrate are according to the invention. This can result in a glycemic response of the feed that is higher than in the case when only low-glycemic carbohydrates would be used; nevertheless, such feeds are still according to the invention, whereby it is preferred that the glycemic response of the feed as a whole is at most 85% of the response of a feed having the same amount of carbohydrates but whereby these carbohydrates are essentially all high-glycemic carbohydrates, so that the comparative feed contains essentially no low-glycemic carbohydrates. More preferably, the glycemic response of the feed as a whole is according to the invention at most 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, or even at most 45% of the glycemic response of a feed having the same amount of, but essentially all high-glycemic, carbohydrates.

In a main embodiment of the invention, the low-glycemic carbohydrate is chosen such that it is essentially fully digestible. This has the advantage that more calories are available to the growing/finishing pigs as compared to carbohydrates that are to some extent non-digestible, such as for example carbohydrates that are fermented by intestinal bacteria.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the low-glycemic carbohydrate is a monosaccharide, a disaccharide or a mixture of mono- and disaccharides. In another preferred embodiment, the low-glycemic carbohydrate is chosen from the group consisting of: isomaltulose, trehalulose, slowly digestible starch, and mixtures thereof.

In yet a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the low- glycemic carbohydrate is contained in a molasses or syrup. As is known, such syrups can contain both low-glycemic carbohydrates as well as medium- or high-glycemic carbohydrates. Also, here, however, the amount of low-glycemic carbohydrates in the syrup should be such that an amount according to the invention is ultimately contained in the feed that is provided to the growing/finishing pigs. One preferred example of such a syrup is Palatinose syrup, which is a syrup containing various sugars such as Palatinose (chemical name α-D-Glucopyranosyl-(1 ->6)-D-fructofuranose, also known as isomaltulose) but also trehalulose (chemical name α-D- Glucopyranosyl-(1 ->1 )-D-fructose), fructose, and sucrose. More specifically, Palatinose syrup is understood to be a syrup containing: i. between 1 wt.% and 25 wt.% fructose, preferably between 7 and

17 wt%; ii. between 1 wt.% and 25 wt.% glucose, preferably between 5 and 15 wt.%; iii. between 15 wt.% and 60 wt.% isomaltulose, preferably between 20 and 45 wt.%; and iv. between 10 wt.% and 60 wt.% trehalulose, preferably between 15 wt.% and 40 wt.%, wherein the sum of (L), (ii), (iii) and (iv) is at least 60 wt.%, preferably at least 70 wt.%, and whereby the percentages are expressed as weight percentage of dry matter of the Palatinose syrup as a whole. Palatinose syrup is also known as Palatinose molasses; these two terms are herein considered to be synonyms.

The low-glycemic carbohydrate may be in the form of separately identifiable particles such as granules or pellets, or it may be fully integrated with the rest of the feed composition. If the low-glycemic carbohydrate is in the form of separately identifiable particles, then they may be intermixed with the other components of the feed, or they may be made available to the growing-finishing pig separately; if this is done, however, care should be taken to ensure that the growing-finishing pig does not eat too little or too much of the low-glycemic carbohydrate.

According to the invention, the amount of the low-glycemic carbohydrate relative to the feed as a whole should vary between 0.01 and 12 wt.%. The amount should be at least 0.01%; this has the advantage that the overall advantages of the invention can become noticeable. Preferably, the amount of low-glycemic carbohydrate ingredient is at least 0.1 , 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 wt.% of the feed as a whole. For economy reasons it is preferred that the amount of the mix relative to the feed as a whole is at most 12 or 10%, preferably 9.0, 8.5, 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.5, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, or 2.0 wt.%.

The invention will be illustrated by means of the following Example and Comparative test, without being limited thereto.

Example 1 and Comparative Experiment A

Trial design

A group of 144 piglets (Genotype : Pietrain x Hybrid originating from one breeding stock) was divided into two groups of 72. Each group consisted for 50% barrows and 50% females. The groups were housed separately; also, the barrows were housed separately from the females. At the onset of the trial, the piglets were 9 weeks old and were divided over the pens (6 piglets per pen) in such a way that the average initial weight per pen was the same.

The piglets were given a three-phase feeding program, depending on their weight. The weight ranges per phase are: Phase I: 23 - 40 kg; Phase II: 40 - 80 kg; and Phase III: 80 - 110 kg. The feed compositions per Phase are provided in Table 1 , both for Example 1 as well as for Comparative Experiment A.

The animals were de-wormed at the start of the trial with Narpenol and at intermediate weighing with Ivomec, and were vaccinated against Aujeszki at start of the trial and after 5 weeks.

The animals had ad-lib access to the feed, and were slaughtered when they had reached a weight of 110 kg.

Results

Some key parameters as established are summarized in Table 2. Table 2

Legend to Table 2

- Feed Conversion: the average amount of feed (in kg) needed for a weight gain of 1 kg

- Average Carcass weight: measured 24 hrs. after slaughter and removal of all offals

- Lean meat percentage: predicted by measuring both the meat and back fat thickness by Sydel-CGM reflectometer on the longissimus dorsi muscle on the carcass.

As is clear from the results in Table 2, the feed conversion was significantly better in Example 1. Furthermore, the back fat thickness in Example 1 was reduced as compared to Comparative Experiment A, accompanied with a higher percentage of lean meat in Example 1.