THREE Cornish milk suppliers have confirmed that they are not trialling a new cow feed additive which has been heavily criticised by users on social media.

Bovaer, which is being produced by Swiss-Dutch manufacturer DSM Firmenich, is a new feed additive which has been created to reduce cow methane emissions in dairy cows. The feed is designed to suppress the enzyme that triggers methane. If proved successful, the organisation behind the new additive hopes that more UK farmers will start to use the feed.

However, the new additive has been met with negative reactions from some members of the public. Many users have taken to social media questioning whether the new additive is safe to drink and have also raised concerns over whether enough testing has been undertaken to make sure the new additive can be trusted.

The decision by Arla Foods, who announced at the end of November that they would be trialling the new additive on 30 farms across the UK, has been greeted with heavy criticism. Some users have stated online that they would boycott the brand’s products, as well as supermarkets Aldi, Morrisons and Tesco who are working alongside Arla to trail the feed.

Local milk suppliers Trewithen Dairy, Rodda’s and Green Cow Dairy have all confirmed that they are not conducting any trails of the new cow feed on their farms.

Posted on their website, Trewithien Dairy said: “We can confirm none of our partner farms are involved in the Bovaer feed additive trial. At Trewithen Dairy, we remain committed to reducing carbon emissions through regenerative farming practices. Our recently launched regeneratively farmed milk is a testament to this commitment, produced by family farms that are leading the way in CO2-reducing, nature-friendly farming methods.”

Rodda’s, who have also posted information regarding Bovaer on their website, explained: “We proudly work with 45 farming families across Cornwall for our milk supply. The cows are fed a diet that is nutritionally correct for their needs, which will vary on every farm. With regards to the use of Bovaer, Rodda’s is not conducting any trials with the additive and none of our farms are using it.”