Pig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    • September 2025
    • August 2025
    • 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Buildings supplement
    • February 2025
    • 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Pig Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • 2024 Buildings Supplement
    • March 2024
    • 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • Health Supplement
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
Podcast
Pig WorldPig World
  • News
      • Animal Health
      • Breeding
      • Business
      • Environment
      • EU
      • Food Safety
      • Housing
      • Marketing
      • NPA
      • National Pig Awards
      • New Products
      • Nutrition
      • People
      • Pig Fair
      • Politics
      • Training & Education
      • Welfare
  • Features
    • Animal Health
    • Breeding
    • Environment
    • Farm Visits
    • Herd Recording
    • Housing
    • Marketing
    • Nutrition
    • Products
    • Training
  • Comment
    • AHDB Pork
    • Chris Fogden
    • Dennis Bridgeford
    • Peter Crichton
    • Red Robin
    • Veterinary View
    • Zoe Davies, NPA
  • Numbers
  • Pig Prices
  • Magazines
    1. September 2025
    2. August 2025
    3. 2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement
    4. July 2025
    5. June 2025
    6. 2025 Innovation supplement
    7. May 2025
    8. April 2025
    9. March 2025
    10. 2025 Buildings supplement
    11. February 2025
    12. 2025 Nutrition Supplement
    13. January 2025
    14. December 2024
    15. November 2024
    16. 2025 National Pig Awards supplement
    17. October 2024
    18. September 2024
    19. August 2024
    20. 2024 Pig Health supplement
    21. July 2024
    22. June 2024
    23. 2024 Innovation supplement
    24. 2024 Pig & Poultry Fair Guide
    25. May 2024
    26. April 2024
    27. 2024 Buildings Supplement
    28. March 2024
    29. 2024 Pig Nutrition supplement
    30. February 2024
    31. January 2024
    32. December 2023
    33. November 2023
    34. 2023 National Pig Awards supplement
    35. October 2023
    36. September 2023
    37. Health Supplement
    Featured

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025
    Recent

    September 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    September 1, 2025

    August 2025 issue of Pig World now available

    August 1, 2025

    2025 Maximising Pig Health supplement now available

    August 1, 2025
  • Suppliers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Classified
  • Events
    • Pigs Tomorrow
    • National Pig Awards
LinkedIn X (Twitter)
Pig World
Phil Baynes

September 2014: Information on the label isn’t enough

PW ReportersBy PW ReportersSeptember 5, 20143 Mins Read
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

When it comes deciding between two pig diets, the information on the label isn’t quite enough to make an informed decision. Two diets may look very similar from the label, and it’s tempting to let price be the determining factor, but this may not be best and I would advise getting help from a trusted salesman or nutritionist.

I say this because, by law, only certain characteristics need to be declared. These are based around the “proximate analysis” of the feed; an analysis first developed in Germany in 1860. This gives us an indication of moisture, crude oil, crude protein, crude fibre and ash – otherwise known as MOPFA. Furthermore, the label also tells us total lysine, total methionine, sodium, calcium and phosphorus levels.

Understanding the relationships between these declarations will, in part, indicate the suitability of that diet for a certain class of pig. Higher oil, protein, lysine and lower fibre would tend to suggest that the diet is aimed at a younger and more digestively sensitive animal.

Lower oil, protein and lysine would suggest more a finishing pig or dry sow diet. The key message here is that these components “suggest” the class of animal the diet was designed for, but we have to rely on the advice of the salesman or nutritionist to confirm this, as the reality is considerably more complicated.

The MOPFA levels are from a very basic analysis. The result is reported as a number that is a useful tool for the likes of Trading Standards to audit feed manufacturers. MOPFA still forms the basis of this testing.

But protein and lysine declarations tell us only part of the story of the feed. Nutritionally, what we need to know is how much of this protein or lysine is actually digestible and available for use in all metabolic processes such as growth, immunity and reproduction. This is not something that’s legally declarable on a label, but it’s vital for efficient pig performance.

The same can be said for fibre levels. Crude fibre analysis is derived by taking a sample of the feed, treating it sequentially with ether, acid and then alkali to obtain a “crude fibre” number.

However, the actual fibre and types of fibre in feed is considerably more complicated and have profound impacts on performance and behaviour. We’ve all the plant cell wall components to consider – such as lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose – and these can be found as neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin – none of which needs to be declared on a label.

So, for the time being we’re reliant on the crude analysis information that’s legally required on a label declaration to compare feeds. Until we’ve further detailed information available on the diets, we must complement the label detail with advice from the supplier or nutritionist that the ration suggested will meet the demands of the pig and producer respectively.

> Born in Essex, schooled in Suffolk and a graduate of Reading University, Dr Phil Baynes has spent his career in pig welfare and nutrition. Now based in Cheshire, he runs Baynes Nutrition and is a consultant nutritionist to Provimi

Share. LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Previous ArticleUpdated online meat industry statistics published
Next Article NPA considers key priorities for the next five years
PW Reporters

Read Similar Stories

Minimising the risks – control the controllables

November 3, 2019

Global volatility and incoming legislation pose nutritional challenges for producers in 2019

January 6, 2019

The value of vitamins

January 9, 2018
Latest News

GB pig prices for week ending August 30, 2025 – SPP drops back

September 3, 2025

Straw prices for the week ending September 7, 2025

September 3, 2025

Farm assurance debate: An important change driven by the supply chain

September 3, 2025
Sponsored Content

Enhancing Weaned Pig Health and Performance with Zinc and Iron

August 1, 2025

THE GATEKEEPER OF RESPIRATORY HEALTH – MYCOPLASMA HYOPNEUMONIAE (M.HYO)

April 30, 2024
Current Pig Industry jobs
  • Pig Stockperson – Ref 1773 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1772 Aberdeenshire

    • Aberdeenshire
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
  • Senior Pig Stockperson – Ref 1771 Australia

    • Queensland, Australia
    • Roadhogs Recruitment Ltd.
    • Full Time
GETTING IN TOUCH
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Meet The Editors
  • About Us
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
  • Reuse permissions
OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
PARTNER EVENTS
RELATED SITES
  • Farmers Weekly
  • Agronomist & Arable Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • National Pig Awards
  • Pigs Tomorrow
  • Poultry News
  • Weekly Tribune
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.