There is no evidence that the active ingredient in Bovaer, an emissions-reducing additive fed to cows, is present in dairy products that are eventually consumed by humans, contrary to suggestion made by social media users sharing a document that warns against direct contact with the product.
Dairy producer Arla Foods a joint initiative with British supermarkets on Nov. 26 to trial a rollout of Bovaer across some dairy farms.
Produced by the Dutch-Swiss speciality chemicals company DSM-Firmenich, Bovaer is added to cattle feed to reduce methane emissions produced by the animal, which the UN says is a major source of climate change.
Responding to the Arla Foods announcement, an Instagram user, opens new tab shared a partial screenshot of a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that warns against human use of the active ingredient in Bovaer, opens new tab. It cites male fertility issues, and skin and eye irritation as potential side-effects.
The Instagram user added in the caption: “My favourite part is when it says not fit for human consumption … FYI…. @arladairyuk scum.”
THE FDA LETTER
a href=”https://www.fda.gov/media/178913/download” target=”_blank”>But the FDA letter makes no suggestion that humans come into direct contact with the active ingredient, 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), when consuming dairy products from Bovaer-fed cows.
The warning about human use in the Instagram screenshot was taken from an attachment to the letter, which is a set of instructions for diluting, dosing and adding Bovaer to cattle feed. It advises that humans should wear personal protective gear when handling the product and says it is only to be consumed by lactating dairy cows.
Source : Dairynews7x7 Jan 19th 2025 Reuters