The EU has introduced legislative changes to animal feed additives, as outlined in Regulation (EU) 2024/1727.
Published on June 20, 2024, the new rules came into force on July 11, 2024, banning the use of sodium saccharin in animal feed due to environmental concerns.
This marks the end of an era for one of the most widely used high-intensity sweeteners in animal nutrition.
Sodium saccharin, known for its palatability-enhancing properties, had been authorized for use in piglets up to four months old at a maximum concentration of 150 ppm. However, concerns about its long-term accumulation in groundwater prompted the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to recommend its withdrawal.
High-intensity sweeteners in animal nutrition
Sweeteners play a vital role in encouraging piglets to transition to solid feed during the weaning phase. This early dietary adaptation is critical for achieving target weights and optimizing overall growth performance, according to ADM.
Pigs have around 15,000 taste buds compared to 9,000 in humans or around 1,700 in dogs, reported the company.
High-intensity sweeteners (HISs) have long been a cornerstone of feed palatability strategies. Capable of masking unpleasant tastes and making feed more appealing to animals, HISs are said to have a sweetening effect hundreds to thousands of times greater than sucrose. These attributes allow their use at extremely low dosages, making them both effective and economical.
Transition period
The EU has provided clear timelines for the industry to transition away from saccharin:
- July 11, 2025: Current stocks of sodium saccharin can be included in premixtures or compound feed.
- October 11, 2025: Premixtures containing sodium saccharin can be marketed and used.
- July 11, 2026: Deadline for the use of saccharin-containing compound feed.
ADM led innovation
ADM Animal Nutrition has responded to the ban with a range of saccharin-free sweeteners tailored to swine-specific needs. It highlighted its new range at EuroTier 2024 in Hanover.
Mario Román, global product specialist for palatants and yeasts at ADM, told us: “Our saccharin-free sweeteners are optimized for swine-specific taste mechanisms.”
He said the products are equally or more effective than saccharin.
Their development, he explained, involved studying the genetic diversity of swine sweet taste receptors, leveraging technology from a collaboration with the University of Liverpool.
Genetic diversity plays a significant role in the activation of sweet taste receptors:
“We utilized a heterologous expression system to evaluate the activation of pig sweet taste receptors. By determining both in vitro and in vivo relevance, we evaluated 46 individual molecules and 41 combinations. Through the strategic combination of synergistic compounds, we successfully developed the PIG SWEET NUCLEUS (IP)," said Román
ADM’s saccharin-free sweeteners
SUCRAM SPECIFEEK
Based on PIG SWEET NUCLEUS (IP) technology.
Dose: 230 g/t for piglets and fattening pigs.
SUCRAM M’I SWEET
Combines PIG SWEET NUCLEUS with monk fruit-derived mogrosides, 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Dose: 100 g/t for piglets and fattening pigs.
SUCRAM M’I SWEET is the first animal nutrition product to use monk fruit juice.
“The result is a sweetener that has been tailored uniquely for swine in weaning and fattening stages to deliver better performance and support better outcomes.”
Proven benefits
Trials with ADM’s sweeteners revealed improvements in growth and feed efficiency, according to Román.
In one study, 120 weaned piglets supplemented with Sucram M’I Sweet gained 0.55 kg more body weight than those on saccharin-based diets and 0.95 kg more than non-supplemented piglets over 28 days.
Another study involving 208 piglets demonstrated a 23g daily feed intake increase and 0.67 kg body weight improvement over 28 days with Sucram M’I Sweet.
“These results are linked to the activation of sweet taste receptors in the gut, which stimulate the expression of SGLT1 glucose transporters, enhancing glucose absorption and energy efficiency,” said Román.
Regulation triggered shift
Looking at the industry adoption of these new sweeteners, Sarah Cooper, business development manager at ADM Animal Nutrition, explained that this product development was driven by a regulatory trigger:
“At ADM, we aim to support our customers as part of our next generation thinking strategy,” she said. “We want to ensure we have products that are not only effective today but also help our customers remain compliant and successful in the future. Naturally, there is interest in this product because it’s new, but there’s also a regulatory push behind it, meaning customers in the EU will eventually need to make the switch.”
When asked whether other regions might follow Europe’s lead, Cooper added:
“There are many regions globally that look to Europe as a benchmark. Even in areas where sustainability isn’t yet a high priority, we have key customers aiming to stay ahead of the curve and align themselves more closely with Europe’s sustainability standards. So, while Europe is leading this shift, we’re seeing interest from our global key accounts as well. These aren’t just ADM’s key accounts; they’re key accounts for our competitors too, which shows that these products are sparking significant attention across the industry.”
However, she acknowledged that the transition might not be universal:
“Saccharin has always been a highly efficient sweetener, so there will likely be markets less interested in the move if they aren’t required to make it.”
She also emphasized the importance of sweeteners in swine nutrition, particularly during the critical weaning phase:
“For swine, sweeteners have always been essential to encourage piglets to transition to solid feed. This transition is critical for their growth and development. The regulatory push from the saccharin ban, combined with the advanced technology behind our monk fruit-based sweetener, makes this a gamechanger. This species-specific sweetener was designed to interact with swine’s sweet taste receptors, offering a unique and targeted solution. With this combination of regulation and innovation, we’re seeing increased interest and market potential for these products.”
Additional market developments
Norel has been focused on saccharin free technology as well.
The Spanish company stepped up with DULCOAPETENTE NT-75, a saccharin-free sweetener featuring components like stevia and thaumatin. In collaboration with the Autonomous University of Barcelona and SNBA, Norel conducted trials comparing DULCOAPETENTE NT-75 to sodium saccharin.
A study involving 198 weaned piglets found:
- T1 (control diet): 63.2 g/day average daily gain (ADG).
- T2 (control + sodium saccharin): 60.9 g/day ADG.
- T3 (control + DULCOAPETENTE NT-75): 77.1 g/day ADG, outperforming both the control and saccharin treatments.
The feed conversion ratio and final body weight were also higher for piglets on DULCOAPETENTE NT-75, according to Norel.
