Boycott of Cow Burp Blocking Bovaer Compound Dairy Products Launched in Britain

Boycotts against a bovine burp blocking feed additive intended to mitigate supposed impacts of methane emissions on the climate have been launched in Britain over safety concerns, which proponents of the treatment have branded as “misinformation”.

Great Yarmouth Member of Parliament for Reform UK Rupert Lowe, a staunch supporter of British agriculture who owns a farm in Withington, has joined a social media campaign to boycott diary and beef products produced with the feed additive Bovaer, The Times of London reports.

It comes as Danish-Swedish dairy giant Arla Foods has launched a trial use of Bovaer in the UK involving 30 farms, supplying milk products to major supermarket chains such as Aldi, Morrisons, and Tesco.

The food additive was developed by Dutch-Swiss chemical firm DSM-Firmenich as a means of reducing methane emissions from cattle, which has been raised as a concern by climate alarmist groups internationally.

Bovaer is a chemical compound comprised of propylene glycol, silicon dioxide, and 3-nitrooxypropanol also known as 3-NOP. Concerns have been raised online about the safety of consuming animal products produced with the compound, with some pointing to studies in rats suggesting a link to cancer.

Others have pointed to a warning from the Federal Drug Administration in the US (FDA), which has warned about potential damage to male fertility in handling 3-nitrooxypropanol, the Daily Mail reports.

The product’s supporters argue that the compound is broken down by cow digestion before entering into milk or meat and, therefore, is not a threat to people, with regulators in the United States, UK, and European Union all approving its use in cows to cut methane emissions.

However, the use of the compound has led to a large social media backlash, with many filming themselves ditching Bovaer-linked dairy products such as Lurpak butter and Cravendale milk. Meanwhile some dairy producers have begun to advertise their products as being free from Bovaer.

Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe has also joined the boycott, saying: “I won’t be consuming anything containing Bovaer. I’ve requested that Defra [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] undertakes an urgent review of its use in our food system.”

The boycott has prompted a wave of articles debunking “misinformation” on social media, with the BBC’s fact-checking Verify service noting that the warnings of male infertility surround handling the 3-NOP compound in its “pure form – rather than when it is added to animal feed.”

The BBC fact checker also asserted that Microsoft founder Bill Gates is not involved with DSM-Firmenich’s development or production of Bovaer. The American billionaire has, however, invested in Australian start up Rumin8, a rival firm which has developed a similar compound to reduce methane in cow rearing.

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