It perhaps shouldn’t have been a surprise when news of a project to tackle methane emissions by the dairy industry led to a wave of misinformation and calls to boycott butter.
After all, this is a world where the incoming U.S. health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., considers fluoride — a mineral credited with protecting millions of children from the dangers of bad teeth — a neurotoxin and says raw milk — which may contain pathogens including H5N1, otherwise known as bird flu — has been unfairly kept from Americans. And yet, after years of research, safety trials and usage in herds, the plan to sanitize cow burps has prompted a backlash driven by social media, catching those involved off guard.
A November announcement from dairy co-operative Arla Foods that it was joining forces with U.K. retailers Morrisons, Aldi and Tesco to trial the use of Bovaer, a feed additive that reduces the methane emissions produced as cows digest their food, has sparked outrage and misplaced concern. Many of the claims being made by concerned consumers on social media are baseless, highlighting a new risk for companies: Even if you’re transparent about a new product or technology, the internet outrage machine will invent its own narrative.
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