The European Union has gained access to a new methane-reducing feed additive, in an effort to reduce carbon neutrality in the cattle industry, and Australia could be not far away as well.
Royal DSM confirmed that the feed additive, called Bovaer, was able to used in the EU after it had been registered.
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Cattle producers in Brazil and Chile have also gained access to the new feed additive, while the feed additive has already seen successful trials in Australia.
The local trial was funded by Meat & Livestock Australia and completed at the University of New England, with its link to reducing the Australian red meat industry's target to be carbon neutral by 2030.
University of New England research fellow Amelia De Almeida said the new methane mitigation technology was very promising.
"This small but potent molecule - 3-Nitrooxypropanol, or 3-NOP - may facilitate sustainable pathways for the Australian red meat industry as well as enable Australian producers to benefit from carbon credit trading schemes," Dr Almeida said.
"It may be necessary to test the efficacy of 3-NOP in other diets commonly used in the Australian industry - in commercial settings - as part of developing a system of carbon credits by verification organisations," she said.
Dr Almeida, along with Professor Roger Hegarty also from the University of New England, fed Bovaer to a feedlot diet near to an Australian finishing diet containing 25 parts per million of Monensin and 7 per cent fat (DM-basis) at five doses of 0, 50, 75, 100, and 125mg of 3-NOP/kg of dry matter.
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"Bovaer reduced methane production from cattle in up to 99pc', which is amazing," she said.
In the overall feeding period of 112 days, methane emissions were 78pc lower in the cattle fed 75mg of 3-NOP/kg of dry matter compared with control of 0mg of 3-NOP/kg of dry matter.
Dr Almeida said a peer-reviewed study was planned to be published in Australia in upcoming months after further trials.
"Although this experiment was not designed to make conclusions on an effect of 3-NOP on feedlot performance, no negative effects of any 3-NOP regimen were detected on production parameters," she said.
"We've concluded that piece of work, stay tuned for the publications in the upcoming months."
European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said the approval for use in the EU showed a shift towards a more sustainable food system not only in the EU, but worldwide.
"The EU continues to lead the way in ensuring food safety while adapting to new technologies that can make food production more sustainable," Ms Kyriakides said.
"Cutting farming-related methane emissions is key in our fight against climate change and today's approval is a very telling example of what we can achieve through new agricultural innovations."
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