A new report indicates that lab-grown meat may have a higher CO₂ emission footprint than retail beef. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that the environmental impact of lab-grown, or 'cultivated', meat is potentially greater than that of meat bought in shops.

The researchers conducted a life cycle assessment of the energy required and the greenhouse gases emitted at all stages of production, comparing this to beef production. One of the current issues associated with lab-grown meat is the use of highly refined or purified growth media—the ingredients required to help animal cells multiply. Currently, this method is similar to the biotechnology used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. This raises a fundamental question regarding the production of 'cultivated' meat: 'Is it a pharmaceutical or a food product?'

'If companies are having to purify growth media to a pharmaceutical level, it uses more resources, which increases the global warming potential,' said the study's lead author and doctoral graduate Derrick Risner (Derrick Risner) from the UC Davis Department of Food Science and Technology. 'If this product continues to be produced using a “pharmaceutical” approach, it will be worse for the environment and more expensive than conventional beef production.'
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