Conspiracy theorists initiated a Lurpark boycott following the spread of unfounded assertions that
Bill Gates
was responsible for initiating trials of the contentious additive Bovaer.
Arla Foods, a Danish-Swedish dairy enterprise which
produces both Lurpak and Anchor butter
, sparked controversy when it revealed in late November that 30 of its farms would trial Bovaer, a feed designed to suppress methane.
The additive, which was introduced to cattle food as part of the trial, is designed to reduce the amount of methane they produce in digestion, a gas that contributes to
climate change
.
Once approved by UK regulatory authorities, some of the nation’s largest supermarkets decided to carry Lurpak butter and Cravendale milk as part of an experimental program involving the additive, which led to significant criticism across social media platforms.
Arla’s announcement about the trial, shared on X on November 26th, attracted millions of viewers. Both alleged conspiracy theorists and individuals genuinely concerned joined the conversation in the comment section.
Thousands of social media users cited issues around the safety of certain compounds used in the additive – some claimed it could cause
fertility
issues and
cancer
.
In various conspiracy theories, upset Twitter users claimed that a wealthy billionaire
Microsoft
Bill Gates, as one of the founders, was associated with the development of Bovaer, a product created by DSM-Firmenich.
Nevertheless, the firm vehemently refuted this assertion in a statement saying, “Bill Gates has no involvement in the creation of Bovaer.”
Despite this, many X-users remained convinced that Gates was orchestrating the experiment.
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Purchase any items from Arla Foods, encompassing brands such as Lurpak, Puck, Castello, Cravendale, Lactofree, Anchor, along with numerous other grocery store products.
.
‘They are using Bill Gates’s harmful synthetic food additives in their products.’
Another worried internet user commented: “Even Tesco seems to be involved with Bill Gates and Arla! Don’t make a purchase!”
Gates, who has faced accusations of attempting to reduce global population, had actually invested in Rumin8, which is a competitor to DSM Firmenich, and was not connected with Bovaer.
Following the announcement of the trial, references to Bovaer on X surged from almost zero to more than 71,000 within days.
The UK head of Arla, Bas Padberg, has attributed the criticism faced by his company to ‘misinformation’ spread on social media platforms.
‘It might have been Bill Gates who garnered the attention,’ he mentioned.
The Telegraph
.
‘Bill Gates may have garnered more attention compared to us, and reportedly, he has been involved with developing a methane suppressor. It seems this information became confused somehow.’
A number of British politicians too joined the row in early December, with a Reform UK politician announcing that he ‘won’t be consuming anything containing Bovaer’ and calling for ‘an urgent review of its use in our food system.’
The additive, nonetheless, has received approval from regulators in the United Kingdom; the Food Standards Agency stated: “Milk derived from cows administered with Bozaer, a feed supplement, is permitted.”
utilized for decreasing methane emissions
It’s safe to drink.’
Mr. Padberg from Arla stated that the company “would absolutely not, under any circumstances, compromise the quality of its products or endanger the safety of its food.”
Arla is indeed pushing ahead with its trial despite experiencing a drop in sales following the backlash.
Bovaer is produced using silicon dioxide, propylene glycol, and the synthetic organic compound 3-nitrooxypropanol (referred to as 3-NOP).
The said component, 3-NOP, was formerly deemed caustic to the eyes, an irritant for the skin, and possibly dangerous when inhaled, according to the FSA.
However, specialists emphasized that throughout Arla’s trial, these components would not appear in milk or butter since they get broken down first within a cow’s stomach.
“It has undergone various regulatory procedures globally, and everyone is assured that it effectively reduces methane emissions as promised and poses no food safety concerns,” said Professor Chris Elliott, a specialist in food and microbiology, to the BBC in December.
Even though its foundation lies in Scandinavia, Arla holds a significant position in supplying dairy products to the United Kingdom. In reality, it ranks as the fifth largest dairy company globally.
The company website states, ‘Arla Foods traces its origins back to the 1880s.’
When dairy farmers from Denmark and Sweden united under a single objective: to create and supply premium dairy products.
MailOnline reached out to Arla Foods for their input.
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