Bovaer Feed Additive Risks: Why We Must Protect Our Food
This article is based on facts that I can establish today, as I write this article 11th December 2024.
Stop Messing with Our Food!
Have you heard the recent outrage about an animal feed called Bovaer?
On the surface the messaging is all about safety and to get on board with the narrative that cows are a major contributor to “climate change”. Yet methane from cattle remains in the atmosphere for just 12 years unlike CO2 from fossil fuels that hangs around for 1000 years. Source
Let’s be sensible about this and stop messing with our food. China emits 30% of the World’s CO2 (the UK less than 1%) so perhaps we should stop buying Chinese products if we are serious about climate change?
What Is Bovaer?
This feed supplement is being fed to dairy cows on farms that supply Arla UK. Arla is the fifth biggest dairy company in the World (according to Wikipedia) and here in the UK Arla Foods Ltd is a major dairy products manufacturer.
According to Farmers Weekly (2nd December 2024):
“Arla faces backlash over trials with methane-reducing Bovaer. Direct milk sellers have taken to social media to distance themselves from Arla Foods and its trial of the feed additive Bovaer on UK supplier farms after a consumer backlash to the study, including boycotts of products made by the dairy co-operative.”
Not only direct milk sellers, I was also one of many taking to social media with fury that they are feeding cows with – in my view, toxic chemicals – to reduce methane production by 30%.
What’s in Bovaer?
Bovaer consists of:
- Silicon dioxide
- Propylene glycol
- 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP)
Doesn’t sound very natural does it? Not exactly grass!
And it is so toxic to humans that the packaging states:
“Caution should be exercised when handling this product. 3-nitrooxypropanol may
damage male fertility and reproductive organs, is potentially harmful when inhaled
and is a skin and eye irritant.”
It goes on to advise that those handling it should wear protective gear such as that covering the eyes and mouth, and gloves.
Is It Safe?
Results from trials suggested that giving rodents a high dose of the product increased the risk of cancer in female rats. Claims it causes cancer centre on safety studies that were performed on rats and assessed by UK regulator the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
As humans we may not be directly ingesting this product, but what about any long-term safety studies?
Well there are none as it is too new. And what about the long- term health impact to the cattle?
The Impact on the Cow’s Microbiome
Like humans, cows have their own unique microbiome including methane archea that ferment other gases to produce the methane gas.
Just like humans, the cow’s microbiome is critical to its health and the abundance and diversity of a healthy microbiome should not be altered. I am sceptical that a reduction in methane production is not also having an impact on the total gut microbiome too.
I am not impressed or reassured that Bovaer has been approved for use by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Time and time again I have seen supposed food safety on individual products but it is the collective impact on our health when all these chemically derived products are consumed.
For example, artificial sweeteners are considered safe when assessed in small amounts one by one, yet we are starting to see newer research studies highlighting the detrimental effect on the microbiome – and in turn this will impact total health.
Should You Be Concerned?
Which products should we be concerned about if we wish to avoid dairy from cattle fed with Bovaer?
Brands associated with Bovaer-fed dairy include:
- Own-brand milk from major UK supermarkets
- Lurpak
- Cravendale milk
- Skyr yoghurt
- Anchor butter
To make more informed choices, consider:
- Buying directly from local farmers.
- Shopping at organic stores (though still verify their practices).
- Using resources like NoBovaer.com to find local farmers in your area using your postcode..
Take Back Control
The food we eat plays a critical role in our health and well-being. Let’s join the revolution and take back control of our food and our health!
Caroline x
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Caroline
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