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About TTXA comprehensive enterprise specializing in the R&D, production, and sales of feed additives.
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ProductsWe specialize in providing high-quality feed additive solutions for farmed animals, including livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and ruminants.
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Technology CenterWe consistently adhere to technological innovation as the core driving force and are committed to promoting technological advancement in the industry.
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Contact UsWe look forward to collaborating with more partners to jointly promote the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry and contribute to global food security.
Feed Flavoring Agents: The “Invisible Chef” That Awakens Animals’ Appetite
Release time:
2025-10-31
In modern animal husbandry and aquaculture, we often strive for the highest feed conversion rates and the fastest growth speeds. Yet, one of the most fundamental—and most easily overlooked—factors is precisely the animals’ “appetite.” When confronted with formulated feeds that are nutritionally balanced but lack flavor diversity, do animals, much like us when faced with a bland, tasteless nutritional meal, lose interest and eat less enthusiastically? That’s precisely when an “invisible chef”—the feed flavoring agent—steps in quietly, using its magical “magic” to awaken the animals’ innate feeding instincts and boost farming efficiency.
In modern animal husbandry and aquaculture, we often strive for the highest feed conversion rates and the fastest growth speeds. Yet, one of the most fundamental—and most easily overlooked—factors is precisely the animals’ “appetite.” When confronted with formulated feeds that are nutritionally balanced but lack flavor diversity, will animals show the same lack of enthusiasm that we might feel when faced with a bland, tasteless nutritional meal? That’s precisely when an “invisible chef”—feed flavoring agents—steps in quietly, using their magical “magic” to awaken animals’ innate feeding instincts and boost farming efficiency.
I. Why Are Feed Flavoring Agents Needed?—The “Catalyst” for Appetite
Feed flavoring agent It’s not simply “deceiving” animals; rather, it’s a scientifically grounded product based on animal physiology and ethology. Its primary effects are manifested in:
1. Masking unpleasant odors and enhancing palatability: Vitamins, minerals, and pharmaceutical additives often used in compound feeds frequently have bitter or metallic tastes that animals dislike. Flavoring agents can effectively mask these undesirable odors, making the feed more “appetizing.”
2. Attracting feed intake and stimulating digestive juice secretion: Pleasant aromas can stimulate the central nervous system of animals via the sense of smell, triggering appetite and eliciting conditioned reflexes that promote the secretion of digestive juices such as saliva, gastric juice, and pancreatic juice, thereby making “preparatory arrangements” for efficient nutrient digestion and absorption and ultimately improving feed conversion rates.
3. Respond to stress and maintain feed intake: Under stressful conditions such as weaning, group transfer, vaccination, and high temperatures, animals are prone to reduced feed intake. Adding flavoring agents can help animals become more quickly familiar with and accept new feeds, stabilize their mood, and maintain adequate nutrient intake.
4. Guiding Specific Preferences and Cultivating Feeding Habits: Different animals have innate preferences for certain scents—for example, pigs are drawn to sweet milky aromas, while fish and shrimp prefer fishy and savory smells. By using flavor additives, we can encourage these animals to develop stable feeding habits, thereby reducing picky eating and minimizing feed waste.
II. Where Does the “Magic” of Flavoring Agents Come From? — Unveiling the Mechanism of Action
The function of flavoring agents is a complex physiological process that is primarily mediated by two major systems:
Olfactory pathway: Volatile aroma molecules enter the nasal cavity with the air and bind to receptor cells in the olfactory epithelium, generating neural signals that are directly transmitted to the olfactory center and limbic system of the brain. The limbic system is closely associated with emotions, memory, and appetite, thereby directly triggering the desire to eat.
Taste and the Trigeminal Nerve Pathway: After dissolving in saliva, certain aroma molecules stimulate taste buds (sweet and umami receptors) or directly activate the trigeminal nerve (eliciting sensations such as coolness, spiciness, and numbness). Together, these stimuli create a complex “flavor” experience that enhances the pleasure of eating.
Depending on the animal, fragrances have also developed into distinct “cuisine” styles:
For pigs: Primarily featuring milky and sweet aromas (such as strawberry and vanilla), these scents are especially suitable for creep feed and nursery diets. They mimic the scent of mother’s milk, helping piglets transition smoothly to solid feed.
For poultry: They prefer the aroma of fresh grass and grains (such as corn and butter flavor), catering to their natural dietary preferences.
For aquaculture: primarily includes fishy-fragrant, cod liver oil-like, and garlic-like aromas, which strongly attract fish and shrimp to feed.
Ruminants: They prefer sweet flavors (molasses, caramel) and sour flavors (fruit acids) and are often used in calf starter feeds and TMR diets.
Precision Nutrition and Personalized Flavors: Developing customized flavor solutions tailored to animals of different breeds, growth stages, and even varying health conditions.
Functional flavoring agents: These combine aroma compounds with prebiotics, plant essential oils, and other ingredients that promote health. While enhancing feed palatability, they also improve gut health and reduce the need for antibiotics.
Enhancing animal welfare: Providing a pleasurable feeding experience and satisfying animals’ behavioral needs are crucial components for improving animal welfare in future intensive farming systems.
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Piglet Fruit Milk Flavor Experiment
Twenty 28-day-old weaned piglets of the Duroc × Landrace × Large White crossbreed, with similar body weights and in good health, were selected for the trial. They were randomly divided into two treatment groups: a control group and a test group. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the test group was fed a basal diet supplemented with 600 g/t of fruit-milk flavoring. Each group consisted of five replicates, with two piglets per replicate. During the trial period, the pigs had free access to feed and water, and the trial lasted for 28 days.
In this trial, 120 healthy, growing pigs of similar body condition, weighing 80 ± 10 kg, were randomly divided into a control group, an antibiotic group, and an essential oil group. The specific feeding design is shown in Table 1. Each group consisted of 4 replicates, with 10 pigs per replicate. The trial duration was 29 days. The experimental diet was formulated according to the nutritional requirements outlined in NRC (2012). During the trial, pigs had free access to feed and water, and were subjected to routine husbandry management and vaccination protocols. Body weights at the beginning and end of the trial, as well as feed intake, were recorded. At the end of the trial, fresh fecal samples were collected from each pig, placed into sterile 10 ml centrifuge tubes, and stored at -80℃.
Tian Yikang replaces chlortetracycline in the ROSS-308 trial.
This experiment employed a single-factor experimental design. A total of 6,000 Ross-308 broiler chickens, aged 1 day and with roughly similar body weights and good health conditions, were randomly selected and divided into three treatment groups, with five replicates per group, each replicate consisting of 400 chickens. The control group was fed a basal diet based on corn and soybean meal. The experimental group 1, the antibiotic group, had 50 g/t of a 15% chlortetracycline premix added to the basal diet. The experimental group 2, the Tianyikang addition group, had 1,500 g/t of Tianyikang added to the basal diet. The entire experiment lasted for 42 days.
Since 1998, focused on animal feed intake and health.
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