Makers of Lurpak respond to claims that methane-reducing cow feed additive ‘Bovaer’ could ‘contaminate’ milk and cause cancer

Arla Foods has hit back at claims on social media that its new methane-reducing additive for cow feed could ‘contaminate’ milk and cause cancer.

Shoppers threatened to boycott dairy products the Danish company sold in Tesco, Morrisons and Lidl, including Lurpak butter, after the company announced a trial of giving its cows a feed additive called Bovaer.

The chemical, which would be introduced into livestock’s food, is designed to reduce the amount of methane they produce when digesting, a gas that contributes to climate change.

It has been declared a safe additive by both European and British regulators because it does not enter the milk.

An Arla spokesperson said: ‘The health and safety of both consumers and animals is always our first priority.

‘Bovaer is already widely and safely used across Europe and at no point during the trial will there be any impact on the milk we produce as it does not pass from the cow into the milk.

‘Regulatory authorities, 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 animals or adversely affect their health, productivity or the quality of food milk.’

However, social media is flooded with claims that the additive can cause fertility problems and cancer.

Dozens of Brits have taken to TikTok to share clips of themselves pouring the dairy down the toilet and throwing it in the bin.

Reform MP for Great Yarmouth and multi-millionaire businessman Rupert Lowe also jumped on the bandwagon this afternoon, tweeting that he ‘will not consume anything containing Bovaer’.

So, what is the truth?

Speaking to MailOnline, experts assured customers that they probably have nothing to worry about.

‘Additives used in agriculture must undergo rigorous testing by food safety authorities, both in Britain and Europe, before they can be used,’ says Professor Gunter Kuhnle, a nutritionist at the University of Reading.

“If something is used by a major brand, you can usually trust that it is completely safe for consumption.”

Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist, said that if Bovaer is approved by British and European regulators, it is “safe to assume” that milk from cattle fed the product will be fine to consume.

“They won’t allow something to be used if it doesn’t meet safety standards,” he said.

Bovaer is a compound made from silicon dioxide, propylene glycol and the organic compound 3-nitrooxypropanol, known as 3-nitrooxypropanol or abbreviated to 3-NOP.

The concerns spread online about the additive mainly refer to documents from regulators about handling the substance on an industrial scale.

A notice from the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) states that the product is not for human use.

It adds: ‘Caution should be exercised when handling this product. 3-nitrooxypropanol can damage male fertility and reproductive organs, is potentially harmful by inhalation and is an irritant to the skin and eyes.’

It is advised that those handling it should wear protective clothing such as clothing that covers the eyes, mouth and gloves.

Claiming it causes cancer, the center relies on safety studies carried out on rats and assessed by the UK regulator, the Food Standards Agency.

It details the results of studies where the rodents were given a high dose of the product, which suggested it increased the risk of cancer in women.

However, a follow-up analysis showed that disease rates were not statistically higher than in the control group.

In conclusion, the FSA ruled: ‘Due to the absence of malignant tumors and genotoxicity, it was concluded that the additive is not carcinogenic at the recommended absorption rate.’

Claims that the product is linked to Bill Gates appear to be a mix-up because the Microsoft co-founder invested millions in Rumin 8, a separate company that developed similar methane-reducing supplements in early 2023.

Conspiracy theorists have falsely linked the two companies without evidence.

This appears to have led to widespread distrust in the ingredient, with social media users cherry-picking information that appears to link Bovaer to health problems.

Arla has fired back at what it branded as “completely false” “misinformation” surrounding the additive on social media – particularly the confusion between Bovaer and the company Rumin 8 which had benefited from Gates’ investment.

Responding to the social media storm, an Arla spokesperson said: ‘the information being spread online about our link to Bill Gates is completely false and claims regarding his involvement with our products are inaccurate’.

Bovaer manufacturer Dsm-firmenich also warned that the trials had led to ‘falsehoods and misinformation’ about the feed.

In a statement, they assured the public that ‘provided it is used as recommended’, Bovaer ‘never ends up in milk and therefore does not reach consumers’.

The supplement is also “specifically designed to break down in the cow’s digestive system and quickly dissociate into naturally occurring compounds already present in a cow’s rumen,” the Dutch-Swiss multinational added.

Bovaer’s product safety sheet advises people to wear masks and gloves when handling the additive to avoid risks ‘from small dust particles’.

But this is a “standard sheet” designed for workers in processing facilities, Dsm-firmenich also noted.

This only guarantees ‘safe use’ and ‘such procedures are very common for animal feed’.

In a TikTok video that has been viewed more than 207,000 times, a man points to his bottle of semi-skimmed milk from Asda, which is labeled ‘sourced from Arla farms’.

He adds: ‘This is going straight down the drain and I won’t be buying Asda milk again.’

Another sees a woman empty her bottle of Arla into the toilet before flushing it.

“That’s as close as it gets,” she says. ‘Local milk for us from now on.’

In another TikTok video, a user with more than 4,000 followers pours her bottle down the sink and adds “adios Arla.”