Bovaer of no concern for consumer safety – Department

The feed additive Bovaer has been proven to be of no concern for either consumer safety or the environment, a Department of Agriculture spokesperson has said.

Under EU Law, Bovaer would have undergone a rigorous safety assessment before being placed on the market, the Department explained.

“All feed additives intended for use in animal nutrition must also receive a favourable opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before being considered for authorisation by the European Commission for their use.

“[The] EFSA concluded that Bovaer 10 was safe for dairy cows at the maximum recommended level, and that its use in animal nutrition, under the conditions of use proposed, was of no concern for consumer safety and for the environment,” it said.

Misinformation

Bovaer manufacturer DSM has said it is safe for use and effective in reducing emissions, adding that the announcement of the trials in the UK “has caused mistruths and misinformation about its safety”.

“Bovaer has been in commercial use for several years without any safety or quality concerns, and no traces have been found in milk.

"Authorities including the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the EFSA, consider the supplement safe for cows to eat, for farmers to use, and for people to handle in processing plants. The cows fully metabolise the product, and it does not appear in milk or meat,” a DSM spokesperson said.

New Zealand co-op Fonterra this week stated “food safety and quality is our number one priority. Bovaer has not been approved to be used on farm in New Zealand.”

Fonterra had partnered with DSM in 2021 to test the feed additive but this week said the “trials have been completed and have determined that Bovaer is currently better suited to non-pastoral farming systems not used in New Zealand.”

What is Bovaer?

Bovaer is a feed additive containing the active ingredient 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3NOP).

It reduces the production of methane in ruminant animals such as cattle.

It does this by inhibiting a key enzyme in the process of methane production by microbes in the ruminant stomach.

Bovaer is a fine white powder which can be added to concentrate feed or mineral supplements.