Dairy cow feed additive Bovaer makes dairy products unsafe to consume and is backed by Bill Gates
The False Narrative
Dairy products from cattle that are fed Bovaer, a feed additive that reduces cows’ climate impact by limiting their methane emissions, are dangerous for people to consume. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is an investor in Bovaer.
The Facts
Contrary to claims by conservative social media users, Bovaer — a feed additive for cattle that reduces the methane that they emit — does not pose health risks to consumers of dairy products, according to European food regulators, and Bill Gates is not an investor in Bovaer.
Livestock are a significant source of planet-warming gasses, primarily by producing methane as they digest food and releasing it through burps and flatulence. Bovaer, which is made by Dutch corporation DSM-firmenich, reduces the methane produced by cows by suppressing this enzyme, according to its manufacturer’s website. Research by the University of Aarhus found that Bovaer reduces methane emitted by dairy cows by 27 percent.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved Bovaer in 2021 and 2023, respectively, as safe for dairy cows, consumers, and the environment. Although both agencies found that the active ingredient in Bovaer, 3-NOP, is a skin and eye irritant and may be harmful if inhaled, this only applies when people directly handle it, according to the agencies’ reports.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that 3-NOP may affect male fertility, but only when people directly handle the chemical, according to a May 2024 FDA approval letter.
Bovaer does not pose a danger to consumers because 3-NOP does not enter cows’ milk when used as a feed additive, the EFSA’s report on Bovaer’s safety found, and the substances that 3-NOP breaks down into when in cows are not harmful. “3-NOP was not detected in milk and tissues,” the report stated. “Other possible metabolites deriving from 3-NOP … are not considered of toxicological concern.”
3-NOP does not enter the milk because cows metabolize the chemical, University of Melbourne professor of carbon farming Richard Eckard told Irish fact-checking organization Logically Facts. “The active ingredient [3-NOP] breaks down within the animal's stomach. … Therefore the likelihood of consequential levels of the active ingredient entering the human food chain seems quite remote,” Eckard said.
Moreover, contrary to some claims on social media, Bill Gates is not a backer of Bovaer, which is made by Dutch corporation DSM-firmenich. The company said in a November 2024 statement: “Contrary to what is stated in recent messages, Bovaer is fully developed and owned by dsm-firmenich, and has no other investors. Bill Gates is not involved in the development of Bovaer.”
Gates has invested in Australian company Rumin8, which is developing similar methane-reducing supplements for livestock, the BBC reported in January 2023. However, Rumin8 is not associated with DSM-firmenich and Bovaer.
Where the False Narrative Spread
The false narrative spread on X and TikTok by conservative accounts in late November and early December 2024.
For example, former model and conservative UK commentator Leilani Dowding said in a Nov. 27, 2024, video on X: “Let’s take a look at some of the side effects of this Bovaer: skin and eye irritant, potentially harmful when inhaled — this is the worst — may damage male fertility and reproductive organs. … How can they possibly call that safe? … Is it going to get into the milk? Is it going to get into the flesh? … And, of course, you’ve got Bill Gates and all the backers behind it.” The video gained 186,400 views, 6,800 likes, and 3,400 reposts as of Dec. 3, 2024.
On Nov. 28, Dowdingposted on X: “the insanity that they would feed this to an animal in the belief it can change global climate and protect the environment.” The post gained 67,500 views as of Dec. 3, 2024.
On Dec. 2, 2024, @PeterSweden7, the X account of U.K. conservative activist Peter Imanuelsen who NewsGuard has found to have frequently shared COVID-19 misinformation, said in an X post, “Your milks [sic] is being POSIONED [sic] now by a company funded by none other than Bill Gates,” and linked to an article on Imanuelsen’s blog that described Bovaer as “poison” and “toxic.” The post gained 195,800 views, 15,000 likes, and 7,800 reposts in one day.
Background
Arla Foods, a major Danish dairy product producer, announced on Nov. 26, 2024, that 30 Arla U.K. farms will participate in a trial using Bovaer in an initiative to reduce methane emissions from its dairy cows that contribute to climate change. Research by the University of Aarhus shows that Bovaer reduces methane emissions from cows by 27 percent, according to an Arla press release.
Shortly after Arla’s announcement, conservative social media users called for a boycott of the company, with many citing the false narrative that dairy products from cows fed Bovaer are unsafe for consumers, multiple U.K. news outlets reported.