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Better Mood Foods
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Hold the Hay! What’s All This About Bovaer?

Two cows laying on hay in industrial farm confinements

Unless you’ve been hiding under a hay bale, you might have seen some worrying reports coming out of Denmark about a chemical feed additive called Bovaer. Farmers are reporting strange behaviour in their cows, like refusing food, falling ill, and even collapsing, after being required to add Bovaer to their feed since January 2025.

We started asking questions and because we couldn’t find much information about Bovaer use in Australia, we picked up the phone and called Coles. The person on the other end confirmed that their Coles Select meat suppliers are using Bovaer, but assured us “it doesn’t end up in the meat, it’s just fed to the cows.”

A few things about that conversation didn’t sit right:

  • Not once was animal welfare mentioned. There was no concern shown for how Bovaer might affect the cows themselves.
  • No transparency around the farmers. We weren’t given any information about who they are or how their animals are being raised. When asked which specific farmers were using Bovaer, all they could say was that their Coles Select range were the only meat supply that uses Bovaer.
  • We know that we are what we eat… and what we eat eats. For example, it’s a well-known fact that a cow that is grass-fed and finished is significantly higher in nutrients and is far better for you than a cow that is fed grain.

    And that’s when we realised how grateful we are to have direct relationships with our farmers. We know their names, their faces, and their ethics. They care about healing the land, nurturing animals, and feeding people real, nutritious food. No shortcuts, no chemical additives, no Bovaer.

🔍 What Is Bovaer?

Bovaer (chemical name: 3-NOP) is a feed additive developed by DSM-Firmenich. It’s designed to reduce methane emissions from cattle by disrupting an enzyme in the cow’s rumen.

  • Claims to cut methane by ~30% in dairy cows and up to 45% in beef cattle.
  • Approved in dozens of countries, including Australia.
  • Touted as a climate solution by policymakers in industrial agriculture.

In Australia, industry bodies say it’s not used on dairy farms, but can be found on some beef farms, like Coles Select suppliers.


🇩🇰 What’s Happening in Denmark?

Since January 2025, Denmark has made it compulsory for conventional dairy farms to include Bovaer in cattle feed as part of their climate plan.

What followed has raised a few red flags:

  • Researchers at Aarhus University are investigating reports of reduced feed intake and possible welfare concerns in cows fed Bovaer.
  • Farmers on social media are coming out to say that their cows are refusing feed, collapsing, miscarrying, or producing less milk. These claims haven’t been officially verified, but they’re hard to ignore.
  • Consumer pushback: In the UK, some shoppers are boycotting dairy products from farms using Bovaer.
  • Safety concerns: Ingredients in Bovaer include 3-NOP, silicon dioxide, and propylene glycol. A report from the UK Food Standards Agency warns 3-NOP may be corrosive to eyes, irritating to skin, and harmful if inhaled by humans handling it.

🤔 Why We’re Paying Attention (And Why You Should Too)

This isn’t about fear-mongering; it’s about awareness, transparency, and protecting ethical food systems that heal the land rather than harm it.

Here’s why this matters:

1. Animal Welfare 

If cows are refusing feed or showing signs of distress, that’s a massive red flag. A climate solution shouldn’t compromise animal health.

2. Transparency in the Supply Chain

Right now in Australia, dairy farmers say they’re not using it. Some meat producers are. But unless you ask directly, you won’t know.

3. Pressure to Conform

If additives like Bovaer become “the standard,” smaller farms, especially organic and regenerative ones, might be pushed out for not complying.

4. Consumer Trust

When controversial practices happen overseas, it doesn’t stay overseas for long. Awareness now = smarter decisions later.

5. A Band-Aid on a Broken System

At the end of the day, Bovaer is just a quick fix slapped onto a much deeper problem. It doesn’t address the real issue, which is the industrial farming system that prioritises high yields and profit over soil health, animal welfare and long-term sustainability.

Instead of redesigning the system to work with nature, conventional farming keeps trying to mask the symptoms with chemicals and additives.

At Spray-Free Farmacy, we believe the real solution lies in regenerative and organic farming, where animals live naturally, soil is nurtured, and food is grown in a way that heals, not harms, the planet. No greenwashed “solutions.” Just real farming done right.


🥦 What We’re Doing

✅None of our farmers use Bovaer or any similar additives. Check out our amazing regenerative farmers here.
✅We ask our farmers regularly about feed additives, pesticides, and chemical use. If they use them, we don’t stock them. Simple.
✅We keep watching what’s happening globally and we keep you up-to-date. 


💬 Final Thoughts

We’re not here to spark fear; we’re here to raise awareness. Conversations like this matter because they remind us that we have a voice in how our food is grown and how animals are treated. So don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions, challenge the norm, and stand up for what feels right.

Real solutions to climate change and ethical food don’t come in a packet or a lab. They grow from healthy soil, cared-for animals, and farmers who treasure wellbeing over profit.

Let’s keep building a food system that’s kind, transparent and local. 💚



📚 References

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