Study: Feed supplement reduces GHG emissions from cows

Livestock emissions are a considerable contributor to greenhouse gas emissions however, until recently, there has been no commercial, scalable solution to reduce methane emissions from cows.

Mootral supplement reduces methane emissions from ruminants by at least 30 percent

Over the past 10 years, researchers in the U.K. and leading European institutions were funded by the pioneering Swiss-based life science group Zaluvida and have developed a unique, patented natural feed supplement made from fruit and vegetables. This supplement, Mootral, has been shown to instantly reduce methane emissions from ruminants by at least 30 percent, helping the livestock industry to reduce carbon emissions immediately.

Zaluvida introduced the solution to Danish scientists at the University of Copenhagen and the results of the conducted in vitro trials shows a strong impact of Mootral on rumen fermentation ultimately impacting climate change.

“A 58 percent methane reduction was achieved when we added Mootral to a typical (Danish) dairy ration of maize silage and soybean cake in our in vitro test,” the scientists said. “This is an impressive and exciting result. We will continue our studies with Mootral to verify the effects in real cows under farm conditions as part of our ongoing research efforts to find ways to ensure drastic reductions in methane emission and de-criminalize cows in the climate debate. The in vitro test showed clearly that Mootral increased early fermentation and did not affect feed degradability whilst reducing methane.” 

“We are pleased to see such significant and positive results from the University of Copenhagen, confirming the methane emission reductions we have found with our partners worldwide, both in vitro and in vivo,” said Dr. Hilde Vrancken, vice president research and development, Zaluvida. “By using Mootral, farmers will now have an opportunity to provide meat and dairy products to the consumer while creating an immediate positive effect on the climate and the cow’s health and productivity. Since our market research has shown that consumers are excited about the concept of climate-friendly products, we are looking forward to move forward the discussion around Mootral.”