The value of ‘Pekilo protein’ for growing pigs

Abstract

‘Pekilo protein’ — a fungal protein (Oy Tampella Ab, Tampere, Finland) — was tested as a replacement for white-fish meal as the sole protein supplement in cereal-based diets for growing pigs from 20 to 90 kg live-weight. The tests were carried out using a ‘standard’ and a ‘low’ level of protein supplementation, the latter being known to be significantly below the protein requirements of the growing pig for optimum performance. There were no significant differences in performance or carcass composition between pigs receiving diets providing the same amounts of total N × 6.25 with either white-fish meal or ‘Pekilo protein’ as the protein supplement. The performance and carcass composition of the pigs receiving the ‘standard’ level of protein were significantly better than for the pigs given the ‘low’ level, irrespective of whether the protein supplement was white-fish meal or ‘Pekilo protein’. The only significant difference arising from the extensive evaluation studies of meat quality carried out was in tenderness, meat from pigs given ‘Pekilo protein’ being marginally more tender than meat from animals given white-fish meal.