Burger King adds LEMONGRASS to its cows’ diets in a bid to reduce their methane emissions

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Burger King adds LEMONGRASS to its cows’ diets in a bid to combat climate change and reduce their methane emissions by 33 percent

  • Burger King is now selling a Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper at select restaurants
  • Beef comes from cows who have been fed lemongrass, which is thought to reduce their methane emissions by more than 30 percent
  • The agriculture sector accounted for 9.9 percent of total US greenhouse gas emissions in 2018
  • The situation has posed a problem for fast-food restaurants who want to be seen as eco-friendly  

By Andrew Court For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: | Updated:

Burger King has added lemongrass to the diet of some of its cows in a bid to reduce methane emissions that contribute to climate change. 

The fast-food giant announced the news Tuesday, unveiling their Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper, available immediately in select restaurants.

The company claims that the tweak in the diet could reduce a cow’s daily methane emissions by up to 33 percent.  

The company did not say how many of its cows will now be fed lemongrass, and whether they wish to change the diet of all of their livestock. 

The Reducated Methan Emissions Beef Whopper will only be available in some outlets in Miami, New York, Austin, Portland and Los Angeles.   

Burger King has added lemongrass to the diet of some of its cows in a bid to reduce methane emissions that contribute to climate change. The fast-food giant announced the news Tuesday, unveiling their Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper, available immediately in select restaurants. The company’s advertisement is pictured 

Cows emit methane as a by-product of their digestion, which has become a potential public relations hurdle for major burger chains who want to appear eco-friendly.  

The agriculture sector accounted for 9.9 percent of total US greenhouse gas emissions in 2018,  according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Burger King worked with scientists at the Autonomous University at the State of Mexico and at the University of California, Davis to test and develop its formula of adding 100 grams of lemongrass leaves to the cows’  daily diets.

Preliminary tests indicate that the lemongrass leaves help the cows release less methane as they digest their food. 

Burger King worked with scientists at the Autonomous University at the State of Mexico and at the University of California, Davis to test and develop its formula of adding 100 grams of lemongrass leaves to the cows´ daily diets

Burger King worked with scientists at the Autonomous University at the State of Mexico and at the University of California, Davis to test and develop its formula of adding 100 grams of lemongrass leaves to the cows´ daily diets 

A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found about two out of three Americans say corporations have a responsibility to combat climate change. 

Two years ago McDonald’s said it was taking steps to cut the greenhouse gases it emits. It tweaked the manner in which the beef in its Big Macs and Quarter Pounders was produced. The company said at the time that it expected the changes to prevent 150 million metric tons (165 million tons) of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere by 2030.