ISSUE FOCUS 54 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2025 “Red fruit flavours, with their fruity and appealing taste profile, have shown promising effects on improving feed intake in piglets. This article explores the benefits and underlying mechanisms of incorporating a raspberry flavour into piglets’ diets. Based on recent field study results, it explains how this approach can ease the challenges associated with weaning and improve the health and well-being of piglets during this vulnerable critical developmental stage. “ The transition from sow’s milk to solid feed during weaning is a critical period in piglet rearing, essential for optimal growth and development. This phase can be particularly challenging due to the separation from their mothers and littermates, exposure to new environments, and the introduction of unfamiliar feed. These changes can induce stress, reduce feed intake, and increase susceptibility to diseases. To address these challenges and ensure a smoother transition, it is crucial to maintain consistent feed intake. The use of well-formulated flavours and sweeteners can be a beneficial approach to significantly enhance feed palatability and acceptance, thereby reducing stress and promoting stabilized feed intake. Taste plays a crucial role in feed selection during weaning by signaling feed composition and nutritional value. The five primary tastes - sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami - provide important information: sweet indicates carbohydrates (energy), salty signals essential minerals, umami denotes proteins and amino acids, while bitter and sour can indicate potential toxins. This taste-information feedback loop helps animals associate feed flavours with their health and nutritional effects. Positive taste associations encourage feed intake when nutritional needs are met, whereas negative associations lead to avoidance if the feed causes adverse effects. THE KEY TO OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Red fruit flavours, with their fruity and appealing taste profile, have shown promising effects on improving feed intake in piglets. This article explores the benefits and underlying mechanisms of incorporating a raspberry flavour into piglets’ diets. Based on recent field study results, it explains how this approach can ease the challenges associated with weaning and improve the health and well-being of piglets during this vulnerable critical developmental stage. OVERCOMING WEANING CHALLENGES: STRATEGIES FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION In piglet nutrition, flavour profiles such as milky, creamy, and vanillary are commonly used because Raspberry Flavour Benefits: A FRUITY SOLUTION FOR PIGLET WEANING SUCCESS Dr. Anne Winkler Global Product Manager Flavours & Sweeteners Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH
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