20 November 2021

1 minute read

EFSA found that 3-nitrooxypropanol or Bovaer, made by Dutch speciality chemicals company DSM, cuts emissions in dairy cattle and is safe for cows and the consumers drinking their milk, reported Reuters.

The EU agency provides scientific opinions on safety and efficacy, on which the European Commission then takes a decision together with EU governments.

DSM, which says emissions are reduced by between 20% and 35% without affecting production, described Bovaer as the result of a decade of scientific research and expressed hope that the Commission would approve it soon.

DSM has yet to market the additive, although it received approval from regulatory authorities in Brazil and Chile in September. It has since signed a development agreement with Brazil's JBS, the world's largest meat processing company.

The additive works by suppressing enzymes that help break down grass and other fibrous plants, as well as methane that cows belch out. DSM says the impact of its product on three cows was the equivalent of taking a family-sized car off the road.

Methane has 10 times the heat-trapping potential of carbon dioxide, but it stays in the atmosphere for a shorter time, meaning that reducing methane emissions can have a more rapid impact on the climate.