Healthy Ingredients
Bovaer – the dairy industry additive you need to know about
With Arla Food recently announcing the trial of a new additive in cow feed to reduce methane emissions, there’s been concern as to whether it can get into dairy products and affect our health.
Arla (which currently makes up the UK’s biggest dairy cooperative), will be using Bovaer in cow feed across British farms, in partnership with major retailers including Morrisons, Aldi, and Tesco. The announcement has sparked concern among the public, as well as leading organisations and experts in the industry.
But what’s the truth? Here, we investigate why British farms are using this additive and what it means for our health.
First off, what is Bovaer?
Bovaer is a brand name for the additive 3-Nitrooxypropanol or “3-NOP”. It’s being added to cow feed to reduce methane emissions amid growing concerns around climate change.
The idea is that the additive stops the bacteria in cows’ stomachs from producing methane. It’s been found to reduce methane emissions by up to 27% (depending on the cow management system of each farm). Reports suggest that cows metabolise Bovaer in their stomachs, meaning the additive doesn’t end up in dairy products.
Is Bovaer safe?
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has approved dairy products from cows that have been fed Bovaer.
According to the GOV.UK website, more than 58 studies on potential risks were evaluated and it was concluded that Bovaer is safe at twice the recommended dose. It has also been deemed safe for cows to consume, and for those working with the cows and handling the feed.
Bovaer has been approved for use in numerous other countries too, including the EU, Australia, Canada, and the US.
Why has it sparked concern?
While the FSA deems Bovaer to be safe, many people have expressed concerns.
“Bovaer development started back in 2010,” says Helena Barham, a nutritional therapist. “We have relatively little long-term evidence to its effects.”
Helena says that a lot of the current research appears to have been funded by the producers of Bovaer, which highlights the need to approach the additive with caution.
“I’m always a little sceptical of research where both governments and business have a lot to gain,” she reveals. “The research available does suggest that Bovaer is safe – at the current recommended dose, and even up to twice the recommended dose.
“In the future, however, if new measures come in to cap the amount of methane a farm is allowed to produce, farmers may feel pressured to use more of the product.”
Will organic farms use Bovaer?
Bovaer won’t be permitted in organic dairy products. In line with Soil Association organic standards, all ingredients of a feed additive must be both safe and nutritionally useful for the animal. The main components that make up Bovaer aren’t included in the list of approved ingredients. As a result, the additive wouldn’t be permitted under organic standards.
David Finlay, a farmer at UK-based organic farm, The Ethical Dairy, explains why organic farms won’t be using Bovaer.
“Feed additives like Bovaer go against the organic principles that our farming system is based upon,” he says. “Bovaer is a feed additive. This means it is fairly easy to add to the diets of intensively reared cattle, such as those who are housed indoors all year. But in a pasture-based organic system, like ours, where cattle forage and graze diverse pastures, the science around this feed additive is unclear.”
A New Zealand-based research paper concluded that Bovaer isn’t suitable for pasture-based systems. As a synthetic additive, its effect on cattle with pasture-based diets is too difficult to determine.
How to avoid this additive
While leading authorities consider it safe, many of us may still wish to avoid dairy products linked to Bovaer. Switching to organic is one way to ensure that cows are eating a diet free of this additive.
Anything labelled as organic must be certified by an organic control body like Soil Association or Organic Farmers & Growers. Look out for organic labels on dairy items in supermarkets – just be aware they make come with a higher price tag.
Words: Katie Sims
