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Using seaweed as a methane inhibitor is not free of risks


One of the possible ways to limit methane emissions from cows is by feeding the animals the seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis. This seaweed contains high concentrations of bromoform, a substance that counteracts the formation of methane in the cow’s rumen. Research by Wageningen University & Research has shown that bromoform can subsequently also end up in the milk and urine of the cow.

Bromoform is toxic. Maximums have been set for the amount of bromoform that drinking water may contain. There are no standards for foodstuffs. However, the fact that the substance can be found in the milk of cows is a cause for concern. At the moment there is no milk containing bromoform in the supermarket. The milk from the study by feeding cows with seaweed has been destroyed.


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