Study supports palm kernel meal use in growing-finishing pigs

Version 2 — Full analysis

A new swine nutrition study in Veterinary Sciences suggests palm kernel meal can be included in diets for growing and finishing pigs without compromising performance, even when feed form and corn processing differ. The paper, by Vetriselvi Sampath and In Ho Kim, evaluated 440 crossbred pigs in two experiments and concluded that palm kernel meal did not undermine growth, nutrient use, or carcass outcomes under the conditions tested. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

That finding lands in a familiar but still important debate in pig nutrition: how far producers can go in replacing conventional ingredients such as corn and soybean meal with less expensive byproducts. Palm kernel meal has long attracted interest because it’s widely available in palm-producing regions and can help lower feed costs, but its high insoluble fiber content, especially β-mannans and other non-starch polysaccharides, has limited enthusiasm. Reviews and earlier feeding studies have generally concluded that palm kernel meal is usable in pig diets, but only with careful formulation around energy and amino acid digestibility. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The broader literature helps explain why this new paper matters. A review from the University of Illinois summarized that palm kernel meal may be included by about 25% in diets for growing and finishing pigs, while also emphasizing its lower energy value versus soybean meal and corn. Another digestibility study found that as dietary palm kernel meal increased, digestible energy and apparent total tract digestibility declined, and pigs needed longer adaptation periods at higher inclusion levels. In other words, palm kernel meal is not a free swap, but it may be workable when nutrition is balanced appropriately. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The new study also fits with other recent work from the same broader research stream. A 2026 paper indexed in PubMed reported that diets using palm kernel meal and DDGS, offered in mash or crumble form, partially replaced soybean meal without harming growth performance or fecal consistency in growing-finishing pigs. That consistency across studies strengthens the case that feed form alone may not be the limiting factor many assume, at least when diets are formulated to meet requirements. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

There is, however, some tension in the evidence base. Not all trials have been neutral. One earlier study reported that increasing palm kernel meal levels, even with β-mannanase, linearly reduced growth performance and nutrient digestibility in growing-finishing pigs. Another line of research has focused on processing palm kernel cake differently to improve pellet quality, digestibility, and gut responses. Taken together, the message is less “palm kernel meal always works” than “its success depends on inclusion level, processing, and the rest of the diet.” (sciencedirect.com)

Why it matters: For veterinarians and swine production advisers, this is less about a single ingredient than about formulation flexibility. If palm kernel meal can be used without hurting performance across different feed forms or corn-processing approaches, nutritionists may have more room to manage ingredient price swings and supply pressure. That could be especially relevant in systems trying to reduce dependence on soybean meal or make better use of regional byproducts. But veterinary professionals should still pay attention to fiber load, adaptation periods, fecal quality, and the possibility that higher inclusion rates may erode digestible energy or feed efficiency. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Industry reaction was limited in publicly indexed sources, and no clear press release or outside expert commentary on this specific paper surfaced in the search results. Still, the surrounding literature points to a practical consensus: palm kernel meal is increasingly viewed as a viable partial substitute ingredient, not a direct one-for-one replacement for conventional energy-protein sources. That distinction matters for veterinary teams advising on herd performance, manure output, gut health, and carcass consistency. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: The next questions are economic and operational: what inclusion range is most cost-effective, whether enzymes or additional processing improve consistency, and how these diets perform under commercial conditions over longer production cycles. More data on carcass quality, manure characteristics, and ingredient variability would make the findings more actionable for field use. (sciencedirect.com)