Bovaer producer working with Danish authorities over animal health concerns

Following reports of concern regarding cattle health an investigation is currently ongoing In Denmark into the feed supplement proven to reduce methane, Bovaer.

Feed additive Bovaer is authorised and available in 70 countries, including the EU, UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and the US.

An investigation is underway in Denmark regarding reports of health concerns in cattle following the inclusion of Bovaer in their diet.

Since January of this year, Danish dairy farmers with a herd of 50 or more cows are required to either feed extra fat in their animals’ diets or to add Bovaer in efforts to reduce methane emissions. This rule does not currently apply to organic dairy cows.

Bovaer is a food additive which contains 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), which is proven to reduce methane production in ruminants.

The additive is produced by dsm-firmenich, a Swiss-Dutch company that specialises in nutrients, flavours and fragrances.

A spokesperson for dsm-firmenich said: “Bovaer has been successfully implemented since 2022 and is now part of the daily feed of more than 500,000 cows across over 25 countries, including the US, France, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, and Belgium.

“It has undergone more than 15 years of scientific research and has been approved following rigorous regulatory reviews, including by EFSA and other food safety agencies.”

Bovaer has been used worldwide for more than three years and is authorised and available in 70 countries, including the EU, UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and the US. Bovaer received market approval from EU states in February 2022 and the UK in December 2023.

The additive works by inhibiting enzyme activity conducted by microorganisms in the stomach of the cow, which reduces the production of methane.

It is safe to consume dairy and meat products of animals that consume Bovaer as the additive is metabolised within the animal once the 3-NOP deactivates the targeted enzyme.

The spokesperson re-emphasises that Bovaer has undergone extensive scientific evaluation with over a decade of research and reportedly no evidence of having adverse health effects in cows.

There are no reported issues in any of the countries where Bovaer is used – beyond what is allegedly reported in Denmark. dsm-firmenich notes that Bovaer was used successfully in the first nine months of the year in Denmark by 400 dairy farmers, without ever being identified as a contributor to health issues in cows.”

Specifically addressing the investigation ongoing in Denmark, the spokesperson for the company said: “Since late October, following reports of cow health concerns in Denmark, dsm-firmenich has been working closely with farmers, advisers, feed suppliers, and relevant authorities to analyse the situation and identify potential causes. We fully support the Danish Veterinary & Food Administration and Aarhus University’s investigation and encourage all stakeholders to await official findings before drawing conclusions.”

As reported by Danish media outlet, Avisen Danmark, the country’s minister of agriculture, Jacob Jensen, said: “Some farmers are currently reporting challenges in connection with the use of Bovaer. Of course, I take this very seriously, and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration is following the case closely.”

Mr Jensen was also quoted saying: “For me, it is absolutely crucial that it does not affect the animals when we use new measures in agriculture,” by Norwegian media outlet Dagbladet.

The dsm-firmenich spokesperson concluded by saying: “We agree with the [comments by the Danish agriculture] minister that animal welfare is a top priority. We will work with the ministry, farmers and other stakeholders to get to the bottom of the concerns of these farmers and ensure that we move forward based on the factual evidence.”