Arla foods is threatened with a boycott of supermarkets for the trial of a methane suppressing feed additive, pushing concerns over its safety, cows and the environment.

Major Supermarkets such as Aldi, Morrisons, and Tesco are under threats of boycott by shoppers for being involved in a trial to supplement cows with methane-suppressive additives. Arla Foods, which owns the largest dairy co-operative in the UK, announced on 26 November 2024 that it would be trialing the Bovaer supplement in 30 British farms that reduce the greenhouse gas from cows during digestion.

The plan is supposed to be beneficial; however, it has raised much controversy, with lots of customers committing themselves to stop further buying food & beverages from these supermarkets such as Lurpak butter from Arla's brands. The feed additive would break hilarious methaneules formed inside cows' stomach tubers and would even reduce up to 27. But the public outcry is related to the future safety of Bovaer, with some critics suspecting whether it could harm cows as well as the environment.

However, both Arla and its partners, the supermarkets, have defended the trial. All of them maintain that Bovaer is safe for cows and consumers as it doesn't enter any milk or meat products. The usage has also been approved by the UK Food Standards Agency and European Food Safety Authority.

The ongoing tussle in the food & beverages industry emerges where health consumers were to be given priority either over environment sustainability or consumer health, and was trialed in 2025 by British farms. Those desperate to limit methane emissions into the atmosphere will have to add Bovaer, but open questions still surround their effectiveness, as well as their long term efficacy, and on livestock welfare.