Grower-Finisher Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Pigs Fed Genetically Modified Bt Corn

Purdue University 2000 Swine Research Report. The USDA estimated that 30% of the US corn planted in 1999 was of the Bt variety (USDA, 2000), which leads to a high probability that transgenic Bt corn is finding its way into swine diets. Limited research has been conducted as to the effects of using Bt corn and other transgenic-derived feed ingredients on livestock growth performance and carcass quality. Research in poultry has shown that feeding diets containing transgenic Bt corn had no deleterious effects on performance or carcass yield of broilers (Brake and Vlachos, 1998). This is the first trial in which Bt corn has been evaluated as an ingredient in grower-finisher swine diets.