Some UK consumers boycott dairy produce over Bovaer use in cows
A disagreement is escalating in the UK following the announcement by one of the region’s biggest dairy processors that it was using a feed additive to suppress methane production in cows.
The controversy started when Arla Foods, a Danish-Swedish company which owns the UK’s biggest dairy cooperative, announced it was trialing the feed additive Bovaer on 30 of its farms across the UK.
The move, which the company saw as being proactive in reducing methane production across farms, has not gone down well with consumers who took to social media en masse voicing deep concern over the project.
Their fears, as claimed by thousands of consumers, were that the compounds that are used to manufacture Bovaer are extremely harmful to human and animal health.
Even though the company that manufactures Bovaer, and several other food and agricultural entities confirmed it is safe to use, consumers have joined forces to condemn its use.
Taking to social media outlets such as TikTok, X and Facebook, they feared the additive was harmful to the animals, to the farmer, and consumers drinking the milk.
Almost overnight, an alliance of consumers had grown objecting to the additive, and many threats made to boycott Arla products, especially Lurpak butter, in three of the UK’s main supermarkets that stocked it.
In fact, many consumers recorded videos of themselves pouring Arla milk down sinks and toilets, posting them on social media and gained a lot of traction for their movement.
However, in a bid to quash the rumors, a number of entities have posted statements to contradict the claims, including Arla, Bovaer’s manufacturer and the UK Food Standards Agency.
Firstly, in a long statement, DSM Firmenich who make the additive addressed what it called “a lot of misinformation on social media.”
The company said: “The recent announcement of the Bovaer trials in the UK has caused mistruths and misinformation about its safety. We would like to bring you the facts and dispel any misconceptions.
“Bovaer is a superior feed supplement approved and considered safe by UK and EU Food Safety Authorities, as well as multiple other authorities. It consistently reduces methane, one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, in cows. It is included in cow feed at a ratio of 1 gram per 20kg of feed.
“Provided it is used as recommended, Bovaer is fully metabolised by the cow and is not present in milk or meat, so there is no consumer exposure. It never enters into milk or meat and therefore does not reach consumers.
“Regulatory and scientific trials show that it poses no risk to health for consumers nor animals and it has no impact on milk production or reproduction.”
The company added that a cow fed with Bovaer, which is currently sold in 68 countries, can reduce CO2e emissions by one ton per year.
And it also quashed rumors that Bill Gates was involved stating: “Bill Gates is not involved in the development of Bovaer.”
Then came a statement from Arla insisting the additive was safe. Arla said: “Unfortunately, since we made the announcement, a significant amount of misinformation has been circulating online, and we feel compelled to address this by clearly and openly stating the facts.
“Our commitment to reducing our climate impact is unwavering but we would never do so in a way that jeopardises the health of our consumers or the welfare of our animals.”
Arla also repeated the manufacturer’s assurances that Bovaer does not filter through to humans when they consume dairy products.
And it emphasized regulatory bodies, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the UK Food Standards Agency have approved its use based on evidence that it does not harm the animals or negatively impact their health, productivity, or the quality of milk.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency gave its own assurances and said: “Milk from cows given Bovaer is safe to drink. The additive is metabolised by the cows so does not pass into the milk.
“Bovaer, a brand name for the additive 3-Nitrooxypropanol or 3-NOP, has undergone rigorous safety assessments as part of the FSA’s market authorisation process, and is approved for use in Great Britain. It has also been approved for use in other countries including in the EU, Australia, Canada and the US.”
As a result of the thousands of posts on social media objecting to the use of Bovaer many dairy farmers have also posted comments and videos stating that their farms “do not, and never will, use Bovaer.”
Amazon boss funds research into reducing methane in cattle via vaccines
The owner of the Amazon company, Jeff Bezos, has pledged millions of dollars into research to significantly cut methane emissions from cattle using a number of intervention methods including vaccines.
The multi-billionaire is providing a $9.4 million grant, via his Bezos Earth Fund, to a collaboration between the Pirbright Institute and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the UK.
The ambitious research project will use state-of the-art biotechnology to figure out the mechanism by which a vaccine could cut livestock methane emissions by more than 30%.
Livestock are responsible for producing around one third of all global methane emissions, which continue to warm up the atmosphere at an alarming rate.
According to the Global Methane Hub, reducing methane emissions by 45 percent this decade could deliver a cooling effect of approximately 0.3°C by 2040.
The Bezos Earth Fund, together with the Global Methane Hub, have a portfolio of grants looking to reduce these emissions through low-methane genetics, feed, and ranch management practices.
Dr Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, said: “This groundbreaking research explores whether a moonshot to cut livestock methane emissions is achievable.
“Vaccines have proven to be incredibly effective in global health, and if we can apply this approach to cattle, the potential for reducing emissions is immense. The Bezos Earth Fund is committed to high-risk, high-reward projects like this, which have the power to transform our efforts against climate change,” he said.
Project goals
The project comprises two key components, each tackling different aspects of the challenge. The first is the early development of immune response.
Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College, in collaboration with Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), will study how and when methane-producing microbes (methanogens) colonise the digestive tract of calves and how the immune system responds. Advanced techniques such as multi-omics, histology, and immunology will be used to gain insights into these early interactions. They will also develop methanogens with fluorescent markers to track microbial interactions.
The second main phase is antibody response and vaccine development. Scientists from the Pirbright Institute and AgResearch will identify and characterise specific antibodies needed to target methanogens effectively.
This involves isolating antibodies from immunised cattle and testing their effectiveness in lab conditions. By driving cross-reactive antibody responses and generating panels of antibodies, researchers aim to establish a proof of concept for a methane vaccine.
Professor John Hammond, immunogenetics group leader at Pirbright Institute, said: “We’re not developing a methane vaccine per se, but rather defining what a successful vaccine needs to achieve.
“By understanding the precise antibody responses required, we can provide a clear path forward for vaccine development. This approach reduces the trial-and-error aspect and focuses on targeted, high-resolution immunology.”
Current knowledge gaps include understanding how antibodies inhibit methanogen growth, identifying effective vaccine-induced antibodies, and determining specific methanogen surface antigens. By addressing these gaps, the project aims to guide the development of an effective methane vaccine.
Dr Dirk Werling, Professor of Molecular Immunology at RVC, added: “Understanding the early colonisation of methanogens and the immune response is crucial.
“Our work aims to provide the foundational knowledge needed to develop effective interventions. By combining our efforts with Pirbright and CSIC, we’re making strides toward a sustainable solution.”
Developed in collaboration with the Global Methane Hub’s Enteric Fermentation R+D Accelerator, this project brings together international experts to accelerate the translation of research findings into practical solutions.
The collaboration between Pirbright, RVC, CSIC, and AgResearch in New Zealand exemplifies a coordinated effort to tackle a major environmental challenge.
The Bezos Earth Fund said by supporting this pioneering research, it is taking a bold step toward innovative solutions for climate change. This project, described as a ‘moonshot’ by the researchers, represents a high-risk, high-reward venture that could lead to planetary-level impacts if successful.
There have been some concerns voiced regarding whether the vaccine will affect the cows’ nutrition or health in any way, however experts say this is not the case.
Dr Peter Zieger, global vet health expert, Innovationsteam Milch Hessen, said: “I am in favour of the vaccine, but we have to be also very careful as we are intervening into an ecological system that has been developed over thousands of years.
“I am therefore very excited to see the impact in the microbiome itself, not only in the rumen but also on all mucosal sites.
“The vaccine will not depress milk yield and will not work as the one and only solution. There will be a allied force approach of nutrition, supplements, and others to reduce greenhouse gases,” he said.
