Arla Foods has rejected online claims surrounding the safety of its Bovaer feed additive as “completely false misinformation” and insisted the methane-reducing feed is “safe” for both consumers and animals.

Responding to Grocery Gazette, the UK dairy manufacturer rebuffed suggestions that have been circulating online that the cow-feed posed a risk to humans and cattle, following the announcement of its partnership with Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons last week.

It is thought the trial project, which has been approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and UK Food Standards Age, will reduce the enteric methane emissions from cows by 27% on average. The feed will be trialled across 30 Arla farms.

However, many consumers took to social media to highlight their concern, expressing doubt over whether the product would prove to be carcinogenic, while others suggested a link between Bovaer and billionaire Bill Gates, and stated they would shop at other retailers that did not use the methane-reducing feed.

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Responding to the concerns, a spokesperson for Arla Foods said: “The information spreading online surrounding our link to Bill Gates and the safety the Bovaer feed additive is completely false. The health and safety of both consumers and animals is always our number one priority and Arla would never compromise on the quality or high standards of the milk we produce.

“Bovaer has already been extensively and safely used across Europe and at no point during the trial will there be any impact on the milk as it does not pass from the cow into the milk. Regulatory bodies, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and UK Food Standards Agency, have approved its use based on evidence that it does not harm the animals or negatively impact their health, productivity, or the quality of milk.”

Arla Foods is not the only business in the grocery industry to experiment with its cattle feeds in a bid to drive sustainability.

In June, Morrisons partnered with environmental technology company Sea Forest in producing cattle seaweed-based livestock feed in a bid to help reduce carbon production from its beef products.