Are Feed Ingredients for Dairy Cows Safe?

New products that can be added to animal feed are being promoted to reduce greenhouse gas – specifically enteric methane emissions – in dairy production. Are these products safe, and how do they work?

For expert insight, we reached out to Dr. Ermias Kebreab, associate dean for global engagement in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California – Davis. Dr. Kebreab has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and conducted extensive research in the use of feed ingredients to reduce methane emissions from livestock.

One such product is 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), which is also known by the name Bovaer.

Is milk from cows who have been fed Bovaer safe to consume? Is the meat safe to eat?

Dr. Kebreab: “Yes. Milk from cows supplemented with Bovaer is considered safe for human consumption. Multiple independent studies, as well as regulatory reviews in the U.S., EU, and other regions, have confirmed that 3-NOP does not transfer into milk and does not pose any consumer health risk. 3-NOP is rapidly metabolized in the rumen (the stomach of the cow that digests grass) into naturally occurring compounds (e.g., nitrate) and does not appear in milk or meat. Milk composition (fat, protein, lactose, somatic cell counts, minerals) remains unchanged when cows are fed Bovaer.”

What sort of testing has been conducted to make sure it is safe?

Dr. Kebreab:  “Bovaer has undergone extensive safety testing over more than a decade, including:

• Metabolism and residue studies – Multiple trials traced 3-NOP and its metabolites in the cow’s body and found no detectable residues in milk or meat (EFSA, 2021).
• Toxicology testing – Human-relevant safety tests include: Subchronic toxicity studies, genotoxicity and mutagenicity testing and reproductive and developmental toxicity evaluations. All were found to be negative for risk.
• Milk quality assessments – Across dozens of dairy trials, researchers measured milk fat, protein, lactose, somatic cell count, fatty acid profile and coagulation and processing properties with no meaningful changes in any quality parameters.
• Long-term animal trials show no adverse effects.
• Regulatory safety reviews – Bovaer has been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and approved by 70 countries including EFSA (EU), Health Canada, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), Brazilian and Chilean authorities and all concluded that consumer exposure is negligible and safe.”

Bovaer was named one of the best inventions of 2024 by Time magazine. This feed ingredient was developed to help solve an issue that is important to dairy farmers, milk processors and consumers. Cows have a digestive system that allows them to eat grass, hay and other forages, and turn them into energy. That’s good because it means cows can use land that’s not suitable for growing crops and turn the feed into meat and milk. In the process, the cows’ digestive systems produce methane gas, according to the University of California – Davis’s Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR) Center.

Because methane is a greenhouse gas that can impact the environment, scientists and the dairy community have been searching for ways to reduce the amount of methane emissions from cows.

How does Bovaer work?

Dr. Kebreab: “It works by blocking a reaction that is needed by microbes to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen into methane. Bovaer is the most studied feed ingredient in the world and has been shown to reduce methane emissions from cattle by about 30%.”

Does Bovaer have any impact on the cows?

Dr. Kebreab: “The only impact is reducing their methane emissions.”

How can Bovaer help to make milk production more sustainable?

Dr. Kebreab: “Methane is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy industry. Therefore, reducing methane by 30% helps dairy production become more sustainable.”

Feed additives for cattle can make milk production more sustainable and are safe for animals and people who consume milk and dairy products.

• tags:
• dairy,
• milk,
• cattle,
• sustainability