The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs. 

Click here to read the full research article!

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(01:11) Introduction
(01:49) Research focus
(02:37) Sweetener overview
(03:51) Trial design
(05:39) Mechanisms explained
(07:25) Diarrhea reduction
(10:03) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin
* Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions
- DietForge

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Urbano Ruiz, Professor at the University of São Paulo, explains how amino acid and phosphorus digestibility change as pigs grow. He shares research showing major differences across production phases and highlights the impact of fiber and physiology on nutrient use. Learn how age specific nutrient matrices can improve performance and sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Adopting different nutrient matrices for pigs according to age can be very important for swine production efficiency.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Urbano Ruiz is a Professor at Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Brazil. For over 15 years, his research has focused on swine nutrition, including nutrient digestibility, alternative ingredients, feed additives, and sustainable pig production. His work evaluates amino acids, phosphorus, fiber, and energy utilization across growth stages. 

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(00:58) Introduction
(02:14) Age digestibility changes
(03:09) Research trial design
(04:31) Amino acids results
(06:12) Fiber effects explained
(09:51) Practical implications
(12:48) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva
* Kemin

- DietForge
- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Young Dal Jang, Assistant Professor of Non Ruminant Animal Nutrition at the University of Georgia, explains how early life nutrition and creep feeding influence weaning transition and lifetime performance. He discusses milk yield limits, diet complexity, soybean meal risks, and the role of probiotics in gut development and inflammation control. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Increasing weaning weight and supporting gut microbiota development at weaning helps piglets recover faster from stress and return to normal growth patterns.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Young Dal Jang is an Assistant Professor of Non Ruminant Animal Nutrition at the University of Georgia. He earned his PhD in Animal Nutrition and Biochemistry from Seoul National University and has extensive research experience in young pig and sow nutrition. His work focuses on early life nutrition, creep feeding, and post weaning performance. 

Click here to read the full research article!

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(01:12) Introduction
(02:23) Early nutrition impact
(04:21) Creep feeding basics
(06:53) When creep works
(09:38) Diet complexity effects
(11:46) Soybean meal risks
(13:12) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin
* Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions
- DietForge

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ilaria Minussi, postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M University, explains how low protein diets influence pig behavior and performance. She discusses amino acid deficiencies, tail biting risk, and how pigs adjust feed intake when nutritional needs are unmet. Dr. Minussi highlights welfare, environmental impact, and practical formulation challenges for modern swine systems. Discover actionable insight for nutrition professionals. Listen now on all major platforms!

“When low crude protein diets are also deficient in amino acids, pigs reduce feed intake and increase foraging behavior to compensate for missing nutrients.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Ilaria Minussi is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Texas A&M University, working within the Center for Translational Research in Aging and Longevity. She earned her PhD at Wageningen University and Research, focusing on animal nutrition and adaptation physiology. Her work explores how amino acid supply influences pig behavior, welfare, and performance in commercial systems. 

Click here to read the full research articles:
Amino acid supplementation counteracts negative effects of low protein diets on tail biting in pigs more than extra environmental enrichment

Pigs Can Detect Multiple Amino Acid Deficiencies in a Choice Feeding Setting

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(01:18) Introduction
(02:31) Low protein diets
(04:21) Feeding behavior
(06:34) Choice feeding
(07:44) Functional needs
(08:48) Sanitary effects
(10:46) Final Questions

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva
* Kemin

- DietForge

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this special re-run episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, we bring back our conversation with Casey Neill from Carthage Veterinary Services, who explores the critical aspects of sow and piglet feeding. He breaks down strategies for improving lactation diets, ensuring smooth transitions for nursery pigs, and optimizing feed forms like crumbles and meals for better performance. Tune in on your preferred platform today!

"The lactation diet is an area we need to focus on, considering how much pigs and milk these sows are producing."

Meet the guest: Casey Neill earned his M.S. in swine nutrition from Kansas State University and has built a strong career supporting commercial swine systems. He has served as a swine nutritionist with Christensen Farms, Genus PLC, Pipestone, and currently with Carthage Veterinary Service, where he consults with independent producers on diet formulation and feed mill management.

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(01:15) Introduction
(03:13) Sow nutrition
(04:07) Optimizing lactation diets
(05:15) Younger parity sows
(08:35) Strategies for nursery diets
(11:41) Feed forms for nursery pigs
(13:32) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Kemin
* Fortiva

- DietForge

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast