In the United Kingdom, the use of rapeseed products in pig diets is limited, primarily because of the adverse effects of glucosinolates, a group of sulphur containing compounds which yield goitrogenic and toxic compounds on hydrolysis. Varieties of winter oilseed rape (B.napus) are now grown in the EC which have a much reduced level of glucosinolate in the meal. Rapeseed meal (RSM) contains other compounds principally sinapine,tannins and phytate which may reduce the nutritive value of diets into which it is incorporated.

The pig trial reported here was designed to determine the effect on growing pig performance of diets containing a range of glucosinolate contents but with a fixed amount of rapemeal. A rat metabolism study was also conducted which was designed to assess the biological value (BV) of the protein in the two rapeseed meals used.