
Enteric Methane Mitigation Evaluation Tool
Evaluation Tool for enteric methane-mitigating feed additives
How to Use the Tool
Follow these steps to fill out questions on the backside of this sheet regarding safety, efficacy, and potential trade-offs and benefits:
Gather Information
Answer a series of questions based on information about the assessed AMFA found on available product labels, Food and Drug Administration registry, peer-reviewed literature, or public and private sources.
Check Your Answers
Answers to each question are either YES, NO, or UNKNOWN. Check the appropriate box.
Analyze Results
After completing the Tool, users can analyze the overall results by using a heat map to chart responses from the assessment in a non-numeric manner, providing users with a visual understanding of their own perceptions of an AMFA based on safety, efficacy, benefits, and trade-offs.

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Tool Results - Creating a Heat Map
Follow these steps to create a heat map and determine if enough publicly-available information or research exists to confidently consider using a feed additive:
Mark Your Responses
Check the appropriate box on the backside based on your answers to the questions.
Evaluate Confidence
Analyze your results to reveal your confidence in a feed additive.
Evaluation Tool
Safety for Cows and Consumers
Animal and food safety are not negotiable. Feed additive safety is established on the basis of its composition and intended use. Safe handling is important to supplement manufacturers, farmers, and milk processors. (For more info view the guidance video: https://bit.ly/JuanInsights)
Is the feed additive or its ingredients under their intended use listed in a U.S. regulated list of substances allowed for use in animal feed?
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Is the “intended use” of the feed additive or its ingredients included in the U.S. regulated lists of Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) substances?
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
If the “intended use” of the feed additive or its ingredients are NOT included in question #2 lists, did the manufacturer self-certify as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)?
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Look in both: Look up the manufacturer’s website or ask them for the publicly-available scientific evidence supporting the GRAS self-certification.
If the feed additive or its ingredients are NOT included on ANY of the above lists for their intended use, did the manufacturer receive an exception from the FDA?
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Look in both: Look up the manufacturer’s website or ask them for the publicly-available scientific evidence supporting the GRAS self-certification.
Efficacy in Methane reduction
Animal and food safety are not negotiable. Feed additive safety is established on the basis of its composition and intended use. Safe handling is important to supplement manufacturers, farmers, and milk processors. (For more info view the guidance video: https://bit.ly/JuanInsights)
Does the product label state that the purpose for feeding this additive at the stated effective dose is to reduce methane emissions in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers?
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Look at the feed additive label supplied by the manufacturer
Are there one or more meta-analyses published in the scientific literature supporting the methane reduction effects of the feed additive or its ingredients at the stated effective dose in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers?
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "meta-analysis", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive active ingredient/s]", "dairy"
Are there one or more in-vivo studies in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers published in the scientific literature supporting the methane reduction effects of the feed additive or its ingredients at the stated effective dose?
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive active ingredient/s]"
Are there one or more in-vitro or laboratory studies published in the scientific literature supporting the methane reduction effects of the feed additive or its ingredients
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive active ingredient/s]"
Trade-offs and Benefits for On-Farm Use
Animal and food safety are not negotiable. Feed additive safety is established on the basis of its composition and intended use. Safe handling is important to supplement manufacturers, farmers, and milk processors. (For more info view the guidance video: https://bit.ly/JuanInsights)
Are there one or more in-vivo studies in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers published in the scientific literature evaluating the effective dose of the feed additive or its ingredients on Milk production
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive activeingredient/s]", "dairy"
Are there one or more in-vivo studies in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers published in the scientific literature evaluating the effective dose of the feed additive or its ingredients on Milk composition
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive activeingredient/s]", "dairy"
Are there one or more in-vivo studies in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers published in the scientific literature evaluating the effective dose of the feed additive or its ingredients on Milk flavor or aroma
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive activeingredient/s]", "dairy"
Are there one or more in-vivo studies in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers published in the scientific literature evaluating the effective dose of the feed additive or its ingredients on Milk somatic cell count
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive activeingredient/s]", "dairy"
Are there one or more in-vivo studies in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers published in the scientific literature evaluating the effective dose of the feed additive or its ingredients on Reproductive performance
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
Search Google Scholar (www.scholar.google.com) using the following terms: "methane", "[feed additive name]", "[feed additive activeingredient/s]", "dairy"
This tool was developed to assist dairy farmers, their trusted advisors and other stakeholders in the dairy value chain discover if an anti-methanogenic feed additive (AMFA) meets the three criteria of safety, efficacy and trade-offs / benefits when fed to dairy cattle according to the “conditions of use” stated by the manufacturer for the “intended use” of enteric methane mitigation.
Key Terms
intended use
The “intended use” of a feed additive considers the expected effects (i.e., methane mitigation) on the target animal species (e.g., dairy cattle), its life stage (e.g., lactating), and the specific conditions of use.
conditions of use
The “conditions of use” describe the practical aspects of administering the AMFA to the target animal — such as active ingredient(s), dosage, mixing conditions, feeding frequency, and withdrawal period if appropriate.
Evaluation Results
YES
NO
UNKNOWN
SAFETY
EFFICACY
TRADEOFFS
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Safety for Cows and Consumers
Animal and food safety are not negotiable. Feed additive safety is established on the basis of its composition and intended use. Safe handling is important to supplement manufacturers, farmers, and milk processors. (For more info view the guidance video: https://bit.ly/JuanInsights)
Efficacy for Methane Reduction
Confidence in mitigation efficacy depends on the collective body of evidence. All study types play a role in establishing
mitigation efficacy and the dose-response relationship. (For more info view the guidance video: https://bit.ly/JuanInsights)
1. Does the product label state that the purpose for feeding this additive at the stated effective dose is to "reduce methane emissions" in
lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers?
Look at the feed additive label supplied by the manufacturer
2. Are there one or more meta-analyses published in the scientific literature supporting the methane reduction effects of the feed
additive or its ingredients at the stated effective dose in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers?
Look at the feed additive label supplied by the manufacturer
3. Are there one or more in vivo studies in lactating dairy cows, dry cows, or dairy heifers published in the scientific literature supporting the
methane reduction effects of the feed additive or its ingredients at the stated effective dose?
Look at the feed additive label supplied by the manufacturer
4. Are there one or more in-vitro or laboratory studies published in the scientific literature supporting the methane reduction effects
of the feed additive or its ingredients?
Look at the feed additive label supplied by the manufacturer