Require labelling of beef & dairy from cows fed with additives to reduce methane

We believe that all beef and dairy products from cows whose feed contains additives used for reducing methane emissions, should be labelled to state that this is the case, so the public can decide whether to consume or not, instead of consuming unknowingly. We believe it should be our choice.

This includes all eateries offering beef & dairy, we believe they should state on their menu if the products contain such additives. We think that we the people should have the right to choose what we consume, not anyone else. We are concerned there could be a risk of adverse effects, just like with many products. We think there is no harm in having beef & dairy labelled. Transparency is fair.

Thank you for your petition requesting labelling on beef and dairy products from cows fed with additives to reduce methane.

Feed additives have no effect on milk and help tackle climate change. This in turn means that the likelihood of extreme weather events, such as floods or extreme heat or fires, is lessened.

Defra considers that methane suppressing feed products are an essential tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. We are committed to working with industry to stimulate the market and encourage uptake of these products. Methane suppressing feed products (MSFPs) are an innovative group of products which reduce methane emissions from ruminants. They can be natural e.g. seaweed derivatives or synthetic e.g., calcium nitrates, 3-nitrooxypropanol – or 3NOP.

All authorised feed additives have undergone the Food Standard Agency's (FSA) and Food Standard Scotland’s (FSS) rigorous safety assessment. This assessment is part of the regulated products authorisation risk analysis process (https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/fsa-risk-analysis-flowchart.pdf) which ensures products are safe and appropriate for the UK market. This process ensures that dairy produce from animals fed MSFPs is safe to consume.

At present there is one FSA approved methane-suppressing feed additive on the UK market. 3NOP/Bovaer is the only high efficacy feed additive (delivering about 30% methane reduction) to have received FSA approval for use in lactating ruminants and ruminants for reproduction. Fed in accordance with manufacturer instructions, 3-NOP/Bovaer is fully metabolized by the cow and was not detected in milk in studies considered by the FSA and FSS.

There are currently no rules requiring meat or dairy products to be labelled with details of animal feed and there are no plans to introduce any. Businesses are able voluntarily to differentiate their brand by providing details of production methods, but mandatory labelling could result in significant costs being passed on to the consumer.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs