Cattle supplement maker labels anti-methane product concerns ‘fake news’

Australia’s peak livestock body has assured consumers a supplement fed to cows to reduce methane emissions is safe, after the product became the centre of a social media storm.

The supplement Bovaer found to reduce emissions from cattle burps and flatulence by up to 90 per cent, is used by Australian cattle farmers who produce Coles’s “carbon-neutral” beef.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, which, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.

Coles launched the carbon-neutral beef range last year, but is now facing backlash on social media.

The controversy began overseas following an announcement last month that the UK’s largest dairy co-operative, Arla, had partnered with supermarkets to trial Bovaer.

Posts about the product’s safety, and even some conspiracy theories about Bill Gates, began to spike in the days following the announcement with their influence now being felt in Australia.

Product tested widely, company says

Bovaer has been authorised and is available for sale in more than 65 countries, including Australia.

Its owner, the Swiss-based DSM-Firmenich (DSM), said the claims on social media about its products safety on were “fake news”.

Bovaer senior vice president Mark Van Nieuwland told the ABC the product had been tested widely.

“For example, the European Food Standards authorities or the UK Food Standards look at the evidence collected over the years [and] assess that independently,” he said.

“There’s even a public comments period to this, and then [they] come to a conclusion, and they all concluded the product was safe.” 

Produced by combining nitrate and alcohol, Bovaer is included in feed at a ratio of 1 gram to 20kg.

DSM advises that if used as recommended, Bovaer is not present in the food chain.

“The nitrate and alcohol, which we combine, are already part of the digestive system of the cows, so therefore that’s the reason why you don’t find the active ingredient back in milk or meat,” Mr Van Nieuwland said.

He said the product had been reviewed in 150 scientific studies around the world and has been used commercially with no reports of any impact on cows or humans.

“It has been in the market for two-and-a-half years, across geographies, and probably 200,000 to 300,000 cows globally, both dairy as well as beef,” Mr Van Nieuwland said.

He said the social media campaign against Bovaer started last week in the UK.

“This kind of misinformation is really, really annoying,” Mr Van Nieuwland said.

Michael Crowley, the managing director of industry body Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), defended the product in a statement to the ABC.

“MLA has spent more than $1 million studying Bovaer over three projects in partnership with industry and universities,” the statement read.

Mr Crowley said MLA had consulted with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on all required approvals for its research.

Feedlot trial in Australia

The CSIRO, University of New England, University of Queensland, and South Australia Research have all conducted research on Bovaer in Australia, with some studies finding it can reduce a cow’s methane output by up to 90 per cent.

One of Australia’s largest privately owned feedlot and cattle management companies, Mort & Co, trialled Bovaer in 2022 and found the additive was safe and no traces remained in its cattle’s meat, fat or kidneys.

Mort & Co sustainability manager Brad Robinson said the company chose not to continue to use Bovaer because there was no commercial gain, due to limited demand for low-carbon beef.

But with national and industry deadlines for emissions reductions targets looming in 2030, Mr Robinson said cattle producers would eventually turn to methane-busting feed additives.

“Methane is a large global greenhouse gas that we need to be able to control,” he said.

Farmers ‘flooded’ with questions

Hunter Valley dairy farmer Jason Chesworth said he had been “flooded with inquiries” as to whether he used Bovaer.

“Our cows aren’t fed Bovaer, and we don’t plan to use it,” he said.

“We prioritise the health and happiness of our herd, which naturally results in lower methane levels without additives.”

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Bovaer and said it was “expected to pose low risk to humans or animals under the conditions of its intended use”.

The UK Food Standards Agency assessed the cancer risk and noted that the chemical was associated with some benign tumours in rats in some studies.

DSM said that study involved much higher doses than they recommended for animals and the agency found no evidence it affected humans or cows, and Bovaer was considered safe.

Mr Chesworth remains sceptical about the research and is worried about possible side effects on his cows.

Beef and dairy producers across the country are posting messages on social media to distance themselves from the product.

Scientific response

University of Melbourne professor of carbon farming Richard Eckard, who leads the Carbon Research Centre for Net Zero Agriculture, said it was doubtful that “consequential levels” of Bovaer would enter the human food chain.

“The likelihood of the active ingredient reflecting in the milk is highly unlikely given its rapid breakdown in the rumen,” he said.

In a statement, Coles livestock sustainability and innovation manager Maria Crawford pointed to the 150 studies in Australia and overseas and said Bovaer was considered safe and effective. 

“Bovaer has been extensively researched over the past 15 years and approved by leading food safety organisations, including Food Standards Agency (UK) and the European Food Safety Authority (EU),” she said.

“We were very encouraged by the results of our Bovaer trials and have used the findings to introduce the supplement to some of our beef suppliers to help them lower emissions on farm and help to reduce our scope 3 emissions.”