INTERVIEW FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2022 35 ide, AGPs or antibiotics. Two interesting research studies conducted in Canada in 2018, demonstrate that water acidification is an effective alternative to including high levels of ZnO in piglet feed. What purpose has ZnO traditionally played in the piglets’ diet? High levels of ZnO – about – 1,500 to 3,000 mg/ kg feed – have long been added to piglets’ diets to help stabilize the intestinal microflora during the critical weeks post-weaning when piglets lose the protection supplied by sow’s milk and are exposed to new environmental threats. Adding ZnO to feed also aims to inhibit the growth of some pathogenic bacteria and create conditions in the animal’s GI tract for beneficial microflora to grow, but research is showing other strategies can effectively replace ZnO when it comes to managing gut health and animal performance. What are alternative strategies to support piglets’ gut health and digestion? Much research has focused on the role of acidification to support gut health. Scientists continue to study how carefully selected blends of organic acids can optimize digestive processes in piglets. Selko®- pH is a water additive that has been evaluated in several studies for its efficacy in supporting digestion. Containing a blend of free and buffered organic acids, Selko®-pH was developed by Selko to provide the gut enhancing effects long associated with feeding high levels of ZnO, without the corresponding environmental concerns. Understanding mode of action is essential. Researchers formulated Selko®-pH as an organic acid blend that lowers the pH of piglets’ water and works inside the animal’s gastrointestinal tract to lower the stomach pH and support digestion. Lowering the pH of water and of the stomach has a bacteriostatic effect on some pathogenic species, while organic acids are also known for their antimicrobial effect. What research has been conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Selko®-pH in piglets? Researchers conducted two studies with Selko®- pH to evaluate its efficacy in improving piglet performance in reduced ZnO feeding programs. The studies were carried out at the Burford Research Centre and the Magiporc commercial validation farm in 2018. A total of 1,200 piglets were included in the comparison trials and randomly allocated to one of four treatment group diets over a three-week post-weaning period. The four diets included a high-zinc diet containing 2,500mg/kg with no acidifier in the water, a
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