Multiple Australian dairy companies have distanced themselves from using the cattle feed additive Bovaer, which claims to decrease cattle methane emissions by 50 percent or more.
Norco Milk, Maleny Dairies, Gippsland Jersey, and Bass River Dairies have joined a growing chorus of businesses stating their cows are not fed the powder after recent backlash online against supermarket giant Coles for using the product.
Bovaer, developed by Dutch global health and nutrition company DSM-Firmenich, breaks down in the cow’s digestive system before decomposing into naturally occurring compounds in the cow’s stomach. It controls the amount of gas released by the animals by suppressing the enzyme that triggers methane production.
Cows are fed the supplement at one gram per 20 kilograms of feed.
The additive, which was developed over 10 years, is composed of silicon dioxide, propylene glycol, and the organic compound 3-nitrooxypropanol.
In an official statement on Dec. 3, Norco Milk said their farmers did not use the additive.
“At Norco, we pride ourselves on making quality, natural dairy products,” the statement said.
“Product quality and safety is critically important to our 100 percent farmer-owned co-operative.
“We can assure our customers that all Norco products are safe to consume and that they can continue to buy Norco dairy with confidence.”
Maleny Dairies farmer and eastAUSmilk President Joe Bradley said none of their farmers were using Bovaer.
Bass River Dairies took a more humorous approach, labelling their product as “full fart milk.”
Gippsland Jersey said consumers were only starting to become aware of the addition of Bovaer in cattle feed.
Additive Not New
While concerns about adding Bovaer to cattle diets have become a recent talking point, the additive has been used in Australia for years.Bovaer was approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority for use in livestock in September 2021.
Its producers say it can reduce CO2 equivalent emissions by one tonne per year per cow.
In November 2023, Coles issued a statement announcing it was expanding the use of Bovaer following two successful trials that had cut methane emissions in beef cattle.
Coles said its trials found no difference in the meat obtained from cattle fed Bovaer.
Farmer Warns of ‘Chemical Cocktails’ in Non-Organic Meat and Dairy
Farmer Nick Holliday raises beef and pork cattle on his South Burnett property in Queensland.The producer, who farms meat without chemicals, said he did not use Bovaer, but warned consumers against focusing too much on the additive while ignoring the long list of chemicals currently in meat and dairy cattle.
“Feedlot cattle, industrial beef and dairy in Australia, these animals are chemical cocktails already,” he said in a video uploaded to social media.
“So you are going to be very surprised to hear about the five or seven-in-one vaccinations, they all get.
“You are going to be very surprised to hear about hormone growth implants that almost all feedlot cattle get.”
Holliday said nearly all cattle had been tagged with Diazinon—an insecticide used to stop buffalo fly—which was banned in Australia only after it had already been banned overseas.
“You'd be surprised to hear about Ivermectin and Cyfectin, pour-on and injectable insecticides for ticks and stomach parasites,” he said.
“You’re going to be very surprised to hear that they’ve all been grazed on pastures that have been treated with Flupropanate, a forever chemical for giant rats’ tail grass.”
Holliday said most non-organic cattle were also grazing on pastures soaked with herbicides including Round-Up and Paraquat which he said had been shown to cause Parkinson’s Disease in people who sprayed with them.
“Be concerned about Bovaer, but think of the bigger picture as well,” he said.
The Australian Dairy Association was contacted for comment.
