Sustainable pig farm with tomato plants.

Tomato Power: How Tomato Waste Can Boost Pig Health and Growth

Lena Voss in Science & Nature December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlocking the potential of tomato pomace: A sustainable feed alternative for improved swine nutrition and reduced agricultural waste."

In the quest for sustainable and cost-effective animal feed, agricultural byproducts are gaining increasing attention. Among these, tomato pomace (TP), the residual matter from tomato processing, presents a promising yet often overlooked resource. This article delves into the potential of tomato pomace as a valuable feed ingredient for pigs, exploring its nutritional benefits, effects on growth performance, and impact on overall health.

Tomato pomace, comprising peels, seeds, and pulp, constitutes a significant portion of tomato processing waste. Traditionally discarded, this byproduct is rich in nutrients and fiber, making it a potential candidate for animal feed. However, the high fiber content in TP poses a challenge, limiting its energy value and digestibility. This article will explore the digestible and metabolizable energy content and total tract nutrient digestibility of TP.

Recent research has focused on optimizing the use of TP in swine diets to mitigate these challenges and maximize its benefits. By understanding the energy content, nutrient digestibility, and effects on growth performance, we can unlock the full potential of tomato pomace as a sustainable and nutritious feed alternative for pigs.

Tomato Pomace: The Science Behind Sustainable Pig Nutrition

Sustainable pig farm with tomato plants.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Research investigated the nutritional properties of tomato pomace and its impact on growing pigs. The study aimed to evaluate the digestible and metabolizable energy content, total tract nutrient digestibility, and effects on growth performance and serum parameters when TP is included in pig diets. The scientists conducted two experiments to reach these goals.

In the first experiment, researchers determined the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) content of TP, along with the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of its nutrients. Twelve barrows were fed either a basal diet or a diet containing 194.6 g/kg of TP. The researchers found that:

The DE content of TP was 7.01 MJ/kg, and the ME content was 6.59 MJ/kg.
The ATTD of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE), organic matter (OM), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were 0.45, 0.54, 0.35, 0.46, and 0.39, respectively.

The second experiment evaluated the impact of TP on the growth performance and health of growing pigs. 180 pigs were divided into five groups: a control group receiving a basal diet (T1); two groups receiving diets with 50 g/kg TP (T2) or 100 g/kg TP (T3); and two groups receiving the T2 or T3 diets, but with soybean oil (SBO) added to match the energy content of the basal diet (T4 and T5). Researchers discovered several key points:

The Future of Sustainable Swine Feeding

This study provides valuable insights into the potential of tomato pomace as a sustainable feed ingredient for pigs. While TP presents some challenges due to its high fiber content, strategic supplementation with energy-rich additives like soybean oil can mitigate these effects and enhance nutrient digestibility.

The findings suggest that incorporating TP at a level of 50 g/kg in the diet of growing pigs can improve feed efficiency without compromising growth performance. Furthermore, the positive impacts on serum parameters indicate potential benefits for overall health and well-being.

By embracing innovative feed solutions like tomato pomace, the agricultural industry can move towards more sustainable practices, reduce waste, and improve the nutritional profile of livestock diets. This approach offers economic benefits for farmers and contributes to a more environmentally responsible food production system.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1080/09712119.2018.1546181, Alternate LINK

Title: Energy Content, Nutrient Digestibility Coefficient, Growth Performance And Serum Parameters Of Pigs Fed Diets Containing Tomato Pomace

Subject: General Veterinary

Journal: Journal of Applied Animal Research

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Authors: Pan Yang, Yuanfang Fan, Min Zhu, Yuyuan Yang, Yongxi Ma

Published: 2018-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is tomato pomace, and why is it being considered as a feed ingredient for pigs?

Tomato pomace (TP) is the leftover material from processing tomatoes, including the peels, seeds, and pulp. It's being looked at as a potential feed ingredient for pigs because it contains nutrients and fiber. However, it also has a high fiber content, which can make it harder to digest and limit its energy value. Because of this challenge, research focuses on optimizing TP's use in swine diets to maximize its benefits.

What did the study in the Journal of Applied Animal Research discover about the digestible and metabolizable energy content of tomato pomace?

The Journal of Applied Animal Research published a study where researchers investigated the effects of feeding tomato pomace (TP) to growing pigs. In the first experiment, they determined the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) content of TP. They found that the DE content was 7.01 MJ/kg, and the ME content was 6.59 MJ/kg. Additionally, they measured the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients in TP. The ATTD for dry matter (DM) was 0.45, for crude protein (CP) was 0.54, for gross energy (GE) was 0.35, for organic matter (OM) was 0.46, and for neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was 0.39.

Can you explain the specific experiments that were conducted to evaluate the use of tomato pomace in pig diets?

The study involved two experiments. The first experiment focused on understanding the energy content and digestibility of tomato pomace (TP). The second experiment looked at how different amounts of TP in pig diets affected their growth and overall health. These experiments helped researchers understand how TP can be used to improve pig nutrition.

How did the researchers structure the experiment to determine the impact of tomato pomace on the growth performance and health of growing pigs?

Researchers divided 180 pigs into five groups. The control group (T1) received a standard diet. Two groups received diets with 50 g/kg TP (T2) or 100 g/kg TP (T3). The other two groups (T4 and T5) received the same TP diets as T2 and T3, but with soybean oil added to make sure the energy content matched the control diet. This setup allowed them to see how different amounts of TP affected the pigs and whether adding soybean oil could make up for the lower energy value of TP.

What are the implications of this study for the future of sustainable swine feeding, and what further research could be done?

This research shows that tomato pomace (TP) can be a sustainable feed ingredient for pigs. The challenge is its high fiber content, but adding energy-rich supplements like soybean oil can help. This makes the nutrients in TP easier to digest. Future research could explore other ways to improve the digestibility of TP, such as using different processing methods or adding specific enzymes to the feed. This could further enhance the value of TP as a sustainable feed alternative, reducing agricultural waste and improving pig nutrition.