Nutritive evaluation of olive cake and tomato pomace for small ruminant feeding

Abstract

accumulation, but it is necessary to assess their nutritive value. Tomato pomace (TP) is a by-product of the tomato industry that could be used in ruminant feeding, but data on its nutritive value are limited. The aim of this work was to analyze the chemical composition, in vitro rumen fermentation, and intestinal digestibility of 12 TP samples obtained from two processing plants at different times during the tomato campaign and to assess the in vitro fermentation of diets including increased TP amounts. The chemical composition of TP showed little variability. Samples of TP had high fiber, protein, and fat content and were rapidly fermented in the rumen, but the in vitro intestinal digestibility of the protein was low. The in vitro results provide useful information for including TP in ruminant diets, indicating that amounts of TP up to 180 g/kg could be included in a diet for fattening ruminants without negatively affecting rumen fermentation, but these results should be confirmed in vivo.