In response to some recent social media comments about Bovaer®, the methane-reducing feed supplement for cows, dsm-firmenich has the following statement:
Bovaer® has been in commercial use for several years without any safety or quality concerns, and no traces have been found in milk.
Regulatory authorities and food safety authorities across the globe have approved Bovaer®. Authorities including the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), consider the supplement safe for cows to eat, for farmers to use, and for people to handle in processing plants. The cows fully metabolize the product, and it does not appear in milk or meat.
According to the UK Food Standards Agency, “Milk from cows given Bovaer®, a feed additive used to reduce methane emissions, is safe to drink. Bovaer® has undergone rigorous safety assessments and is approved for use in Great Britain.”
This feed supplement was developed over 15 years in response to the pressing need to reduce methane emissions from cows. These emissions are a significant contributor to global warming and Bovaer® is an important development in the fight against climate change.
As with any supplement, Bovaer® has been tested over many years in many countries. It has been the subject of over 150 studies and has been approved for use by regulators in the UK, the EU, and many other countries.
The current misinformation around Bovaer® is just another example of how scare stories can proliferate online. ‘Fake news’ is now incredibly common, but we should stick to the facts: this is an important scientific innovation in the fight against climate change, and it has been confirmed as totally safe, both for the cow and for consumers of milk and dairy products.
A more comprehensive statement is available on the company website.