Fact check: Are cows in Denmark dying over Bovaer additive?

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Fact check: Are cows in Denmark dying over Bovaer additive?  Misinformation and controversy surrounding the methane-reducing Bovaer feed additive hit the UK last year, and has now travelled over to Denmark.  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/11/24/fact-check-are-cows-in-denmark-dying-over-bovaer-additive  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00Are cows in Denmark dying over the Beauvair additive?

00:07Cows in Denmark are falling seriously ill and even dying due to the use of the feed additive Beauvair,

00:13a series of viral social media posts claims.

00:16The posts share videos and supposed testimonies of dairy farmers who have given their cows Beauvair,

00:22which is used to reduce methane emissions, in which they refer to the feed additive as poison.

00:27They say that cows fed with Beauvair are collapsing, developing diarrhoea, producing less milk and even dying.

00:34Food safety authorities and independent experts across the world are sure that the additive is safe for dairy cows

00:40and doesn't make milk or meat from animals that have taken it unsafe for humans to consume.

00:46The European Food Safety Authority published a scientific opinion in 2021,

00:50in which it said that Beauvair was effective and safe for dairy cows

00:54and was of no concern for consumer safety or the environment.

00:58It noted that its active substance, 3NOP, can irritate the skin and may be hazardous if inhaled.

01:05The UK's Food Standards Agency more recently published a notice in December 2024,

01:11explaining that cows metabolise Beauvair so it doesn't pass to their milk or meat.

01:15It also said that 3NOP had passed rigorous safety assessments

01:19and that Beauvair posed no safety concerns when used at the approved dose.

01:23Denmark mandated the use of methane-reducing feed at the beginning of 2025

01:28to make its agriculture more climate-friendly, vouching for Beauvair's safety.

01:33Nonetheless, certain bodies such as SEGUS Innovation and Aarhus University

01:38are taking reports of changes in the health and behaviour of dairy cows seriously.

01:42They want to see whether Beauvair feeding could be contributing to digestive or production changes,

01:48or if other factors like diet composition explain why certain farms are reporting challenges but not others.

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