The Soil Association says that the proprietary animal feed additive Bovaer, intended to reduce methane emissions from cows, will not be permitted in organic systems. 

The organic charity says it has made the clarification in response to “a large number” of questions it received this week following an announcement by the dairy cooperative Arla that it is trialling the use of Bovaer in the UK in a partnership with Morisons, Aldi and Tesco. Arla says that Bovaer reduces enteric methane emissions from cows on average by 27% and is part of an “ongoing commitment to reducing the impact of dairy production”.

In a statement, the Soil Association said: “Soil Association organic standards stipulate that all ingredients/components of a feed additive must be actively approved for use and be deemed safe and nutritionally useful for the animal. The main components that make up Bovaer are not included in the list of approved products/compounds and as a result, Bovaer would not be permitted under organic standards and for use in organic farming.

“Arla buys milk from many different farms and they supply both organic and non-organic milk. Any organic milk they supply must meet organic regulation requirements and the production has to be completely separate from any non-organic milk. This must be demonstrated and independently audited every year.”

Arla says that its Bovaer trial “aims to provide a better understanding of how these feed additives can be rolled out across a larger group of farmers”.

Following Arla’s announcement, Bovaer’s manufacturer DSM-Firmenich issued a statement in response to what it called “mistruths and misinformation” about its product that had appeared in claims online, including allegations that chemical components contained in its formulation present human health risks. Specifically, the company asserted that Bovaer, “(when used as recommended) is fully metabolized by the cow and is not present in milk or meat, so there is no consumer exposure”. It added that regulatory and scientific trials “show that Bovaer poses no risk to health for consumers nor animals and it has no impact on milk production or reproduction”.