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The Enviropig physiology, performance, and contribution to nutrient management advances in a regulated environment: The leading edge of change in the pork industry^1,2

C. W. Forsberg^*,3, J. P. Phillips^*, S. P. Golovan^*, M. Z. Fan^*, R. G. Meidinger^*, A. Ajakaiye^*, D. Hilborn and R. R. Hacker^*

^* University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 and and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Woodstock, Ontario, Canada N4S 7Z5

³ Correspondence: phone: 519-824-4120, ext. 3433; fax: 519-837-1802; E-mail: cforsber{at}uoguelph.ca.

The Enviropig is a transgenic pig that synthesizes phytase in the salivary glands and secretes active enzyme in the saliva. This capability enables pigs to utilize practically all the P in cereal grains and soybean meal and to excrete fecal material usually containing 60% less P than nontransgenic pigs fed the same conventional diet lacking supplemental phosphate. By computer simulation, it was determined that 33% less land would be required to spread manure from transgenic phytase pigs, and if the diet was modified to decrease crude protein, even less land would be required. Introduction of Enviropig genetics may be perceived as leading to an expansion of the pork industry, but perhaps a more realistic view is that introduction of the transgenic phytase pig would enhance sustainability of the industry in a world with increasingly stringent soil nutrient management legislation. The transgenic phytase pig is probably on the leading edge of the production of various types of genetically modified animals that will reduce the environmental footprint of animal agriculture through enhanced metabolic capabilities. These pigs, and other transgenic animals under development elsewhere, will require safety and quality testing in the country of origin and in countries to which the product is exported to ensure that they do not have a deleterious effect on human health and the environment. Consumer surveys suggest that transgenic technology directed to issues involving environmental sustainability and food safety will receive the greatest support.

Key Words: Environment • Phosphorus • Phytase • Pigs • Poultry