Abstract: Disclosed is a method and a product of a chicory root product for reducing taint in animals, said method comprising feeding to an animal a chicory root product during at least one day prior to slaughtering the animal. By feeding animals with the chicory root product this improves the quality of meat, prevents or reduces female and male animal taint, primarily boar taint caused by skatole and/or androstenone. The invention also relates to methods for improving the health status of animals e.g. by reducing infections by pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract and to methods for reducing animal caused odors in general. The chicory root product comprises inulin/fructan (fructo-oligosaccharides), other low molecular weight sugars and secondary metabolites.