Sodium formate is used as a feed additive for various animal species, including pigs, poultry, and other livestock. It acts as a preservative, hygiene enhancer, and dietary electrolyte balancer. It helps control bacteria in feed, improves gut health, and enhances nutrient absorption. 

Here's a more detailed look at its uses and benefits:

Preservative and Hygiene Enhancer:

Sodium formate helps reduce the growth of harmful bacteria in animal feed, thus improving hygiene and potentially reducing the risk of infections. 

Dietary Electrolyte Balance (dEB):

It can be used to optimize the dEB in feed, which can improve growth and feed efficiency in animals. 

Gut Health:

By lowering the pH in the gut, sodium formate creates an environment that is less favorable for the growth of pathogenic bacteria, leading to improved gut health and nutrient absorption. 

Safety:

When used at recommended levels, sodium formate is generally considered safe for all animal species. 

Specific Applications:

Swine: Sodium formate is approved as a feed acidifying agent in swine feed. 

Poultry: It can help reduce pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry feed. 

Other Livestock: It's used in various other livestock feeds for its preservative and dEB properties.