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Technological additives · pigs, piglets, sows
Formi LHS
Brand Formi · Manufacturer ADDCON GmbH
↗ public sourceswww.addcon.com/index.php/de/feed/fuetterung· 5 studies, 2 independent/mixed
Evidence · strong
The active substance is backed by 5 studies including meta-analyses; the verdict per claim below reflects what the literature actually shows, not the brochure. Strength reflects the active substance, not the brand.
What the manufacturer claims
Free
Captured from the product page, typed and attributed — the producer’s own statements, checked against the literature below.
Performance
Improves growth performance and feed efficiency in pigs at all stages (the natural, antibiotic-free way)
Physiological
Improves nutrient digestibility and gut health (lower GI pH, better intestinal morphology) and reduces pathogenic bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella)
Economic
A non-antibiotic alternative supporting the reduction of antimicrobial use (AMR action)
Manufacturer’s own words — not independently verified. The ledger below gives the evidence verdict for each.
Claim ↔ evidence ledger
Verdict free · receipts in Power
Each claim against the studies on the active substance, with the funding split. Open a row for the studies behind the verdict.
Claim
Verdict
Evidence & funding
PerformanceImproves growth performance and feed efficiency in pigs at all stages (the natural, …
Supported
2 studies · 0% indep
›
Read The large performance evidence (holo-analysis, EFSA efficacy) is industry/applicant-sourced; independent trials corroborate FCR benefit.
2011
Holo-analysis of potassium diformate (FORMI) effects on pig performance (n=59 trials, temperate conditions)Feed intake +3.52%, weight gain +8.67%, FCR -4.20% vs negative controls
Potassium diformate (Formi LHS) for weaned piglets and pigs for fattening — EFSA FEEDAP opinionEfficacious as acidity regulator at minimum 6,000 mg/kg; safe at 6,000 mg/kg with no margin of safety
PhysiologicalImproves nutrient digestibility and gut health (lower GI pH, better intestinal morph…
Mixed
2 studies · 100% indep
›
Read Gut acidification, digestibility and pathogen reduction are supported independently; magnitude is diet- and hygiene-dependent.
2025
Effects of dietary potassium diformate on growth, digestibility, gastrointestinal pH and jejunal morphology in weaned piglets0.6-1.8% KDF reduced FCR (P<0.05); 1.8% increased ATTD of DM, crude protein, Ca and P and lowered foregut pH
A review of the effect of formic acid and its salts on the gastrointestinal microbiota and performance of pigsFormic acid and its salts lower gastric pH, shift microbiota and improve performance, with variable magnitude across studies
EconomicA non-antibiotic alternative supporting the reduction of antimicrobial use (AMR acti…
Supported
1 study · 0% indep
›
Read Antibiotic-replacement benefit shown, but the strongest such trial is ADDCON-linked.
2013
Effects of potassium diformate on growth performance and diarrhoea rate in piglets compared with antibiotics (Vietnam)0.4% KDF raised final weight >11% vs control (better than colistin/cotrimoxazole); diarrhoea-days cut from 49 to 22
Bottom line. Potassium diformate is one of the best-documented organic-acid salts in pig nutrition and was the first EU-registered non-antibiotic growth promoter for pigs.
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Evidence — on the active substance
Table free · full-text in Power
Why these studies The evidence for a proprietary product is the evidence for its active substance. These are the studies (meta-analyses first) behind the verdicts above, with funding labelled.
Year
Study & effect size
Funding
Type
Access
2011
Holo-analysis of potassium diformate (FORMI) effects on pig performance (n=59 trials, temperate conditions)Feed intake +3.52%, weight gain +8.67%, FCR -4.20% vs negative controls
Effects of dietary potassium diformate on growth, digestibility, gastrointestinal pH and jejunal morphology in weaned piglets0.6-1.8% KDF reduced FCR (P<0.05); 1.8% increased ATTD of DM, crude protein, Ca and P and lowered foregut pH
Effects of potassium diformate on growth performance and diarrhoea rate in piglets compared with antibiotics (Vietnam)0.4% KDF raised final weight >11% vs control (better than colistin/cotrimoxazole); diarrhoea-days cut from 49 to 22
A review of the effect of formic acid and its salts on the gastrointestinal microbiota and performance of pigsFormic acid and its salts lower gastric pH, shift microbiota and improve performance, with variable magnitude across studies
Potassium diformate (Formi LHS) for weaned piglets and pigs for fattening — EFSA FEEDAP opinionEfficacious as acidity regulator at minimum 6,000 mg/kg; safe at 6,000 mg/kg with no margin of safety
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Analysis & tools
◆ Power
The working map a maker won’t give you — built only from the evidence on this page. Nothing here is marketing.
◆ Power view
Open the analyst workbench
Dose benchmark, the independent-vs-sponsored split, the pooled meta-analysis effects, the contradictions and the gaps — all derived from the studies above.
Dose: label vs effective trial range vs EU max
Independence-of-evidence breakdown
Pooled meta-analysis effect sizes
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Dose benchmark
Label / recommended~0.6-1.2% of feed
Effective in trials0.4-1.8% in pig trials
EU maximum6,000 mg/kg complete feed (acidity regulator; no margin of safety)
Higher inclusions improve effect but a tolerance trial showed dose-dependent reductions in feed intake and haematology.
EFSA assessed this product’s protected form. Opinion ↗
Meta-analysis effects (pooled)
pig growth and feed efficiency Industryweight gain +8.67%, FCR -4.20%, intake +3.52% · n=59
Pooled estimates from the systematic reviews/meta-analyses above — the closest thing to a settled answer.
Discussion — grounded in the evidence
Potassium diformate is one of the best-documented organic-acid salts in pig nutrition and was the first EU-registered non-antibiotic growth promoter for pigs.
Independent trials confirm the core mechanism and a real FCR/digestibility benefit in weaned piglets, with the size depending on dose, diet and hygiene.
The headline performance figures (≈+8.7% gain, −4.2% FCR) come from ADDCON's own holo-analyses, so the independent effect is solid but more modest.
EU status is nuanced: now authorised mainly as an acidity regulator (and preservative); the separate sow (zootechnical) authorisation had unresolved safety questions at renewal.
The effective dose (≈0.6-1.2%) sits near the maximum safe level (0.6%, no safety margin), so over-dosing should be avoided.
Where studies disagree: The headline performance numbers come from ADDCON's own holo-analyses; independent trials confirm the direction (lower FCR) but report smaller, diet-dependent effects, and at least one study found no effect at 0.8%.
Gaps: The largest efficacy evidence is industry-authored. The sow authorisation's safety could not be confirmed by EFSA in 2020. Manufacturer's process patent not cited (no resolvable number located).
Manufacturer’s stated mechanism (their words): Potassium diformate combines an acid and a salt in one molecule, releasing formic acid along the gut to lower gastrointestinal pH, suppress Gram-negative pathogens (E. coli, Salmonella) and improve nutrient (protein) digestibility, supporting growth and feed efficiency in pigs.
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