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Tyson Foods CEO Comments on Pig Virus Impact

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The pig-killing virus known as Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) that has been spreading across U.S. hog farms since last spring, could cut pork production by about 4 per cent in 2014, Tyson Foods CEO Donnie Smith warns.

According to Smith, PED has forced Tyson to shift its production operations to deal with tighter hog supplies. Despite smaller pork supplies, Smith expects the pork segment of its business to “perform well,” in 2014.

Smith made these comments following the release of Tyson’s second-quarter profit earnings report. The company reported a profit of $213 million, or 60 cents a share, which is up from $95 million, or 26 cents a share, from a year ago.

Highlights:

• Pork sales – were up 13% to $1.49 billion
• Chicken sales – were up 4% to $2.84 billion
• Beef sales – were up 11% to $3.83 billion (beef volume was down, but higher prices lifted the segment)
 


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Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

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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.