On the other hand, flavor could pass
through the maternal breast barrier and transfer to the
offspring, thus continuing to strengthen offspring
flavor preference (Mennella & Beauchamp 1991;
Mennella et al. 2001). However, previous studies have
primarily focused on the effect of a single flavor source
on the performance or feeding behavior of animals,
while detailed responses to flavor complexes remain
unknown. In particular, anise flavor was well accepted
by pigs, while milk cheese and fruit flavor were more
frequently used in pig diets (Jacela et al. 2010;
Oostindjer et al. 2010). Therefore, the objective of the
present study was to test whether supplementation of
fruit-milk flavor or fruit-milk-anise flavor could
improve both sow and piglet feed intake.