Pork industry sees Prop 12 enforcement hurting pig farmers, consumers and animal health

May 22, 2023

The pork industry says the U.S. Supreme Court’s split decision to uphold California’s Proposition 12 law that regulates space given to breeding pigs and their offspring will create hardships for both pork producers and consumers, as well as possibly having a negative impact on animal health.

Proposition 12 is a voter-enacted law that considers confinement of pigs "cruel" if it prevents a pig from "lying down, standing up, fully extending (its) limbs or turning around freely." California voters approved an initiated measure proposing the law in 2018 with 63% of the vote.

While supporters of the law promoted it as a move to improve animal health, pork producers say that doesn’t hold up. One major issue with the law is that it seeks to stop the use of gestation stalls.

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Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

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 / 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.