Brits have been filmed pouring milk products down the sink amid unfounded social media claims the additive can cause cancer.
A Scottish dairy has moved to reassure customers that its milk is free from Bovaer as a furious debate erupts on social media. McQueens Dairies, which was started in St Andrews, has said none of the farmers it uses the controversial feed additive.
Bovaer is designed to reduce the methane emissions produced by the animals, by suppressing certain digestive enzymes. This news faced a significant backlash and calls for boycotts, with fears over the effect of the additive on human health.
It is being trialled by Arla Foods which insists the product is safe and has been approved for use in 68 countries. It has also been deemed safe by the National Farmers Union.
But McQueens, now based in Glasgow, has joined a growing list of companies to tell customers they will not use Bovaer. In a social media post, company director Jamie McQueen said: “…I’d like to take this opportunity to reassure you that none of the farmers that we use here at McQueens Dairies will be trialling the use of Bovaer.
“It appears that several large retailers have trialled the use Bovaer in dairy farming with a view to reducing their environmental impact.” He said McQueens “primary aim has always been to deliver the freshest, best produce direct to your doorstep” and added that the company does “care deeply about the environment” and uses “sustainable practices”.
He insisted McQueens cows “graze naturally”. McQueens joins a growing list of companies distancing themselves from Arla and Bovaer with some believing the debate could be a huge boost for smaller independent dairies.
Brits have filmed themselves pouring milk down the drain amid unfounded reports that Bovaer can cause cancer in humans. There have even been baseless conspiracy theories that billionaire Bill Gates is somehow involved.
Arla Foods brands include Lurpak and Anchor. Companies with a partnership with Arla include McDonald’s and Starbucks as well as major supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, Co-op, Iceland and Marks and Spencer.
Thirty farms are trialling Bovaer, which has been deemed safe by the Food Standards Agency. In a statement, Arla said “a significant amount of misinformation has been circulating online” about Bovaer. The company said it has already worked for 15 years and was not passed on to humans.
It added: “Alongside the 2,000 farmers across the UK who own Arla, we work hard to produce healthy and quality food every day. We work to ensure that this is done safely, whilst also working to reduce our impact on the environment.”
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