According to NPR, meat grown in labs, or animal cell-based meat (ACBM), could hit store shelves sooner rather than later. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the go-ahead to San Francisco ACBM startup Upside Foods. Lab-grown meat is an emerging market valued at nearly $247 million in 2022. ACBM could be the answer to the rising number of animals slaughtered annually. However, new studies show it could also be an environmental disaster.
New studies show that lab-grown meat produces 25 times more CO2 than traditional farming methods.
No-kill meat has several benefits beyond saving the lives of billions of animals. For example, it requires far less land and reduces waste, according to biomedical engineering professor David Kaplan. Additionally, cell-based meat could massively cut down on carbon and methane emissions. Animal agriculture accounts for nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas pollution.
However, new research estimates that ACBM could produce 25 times more carbon dioxide than farmed livestock when scaled for commercial production. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island, New York, published the first “cradle-to-gate,” scaled environmental impact study on lab-grown meats.
The research determined that the process of removing endotoxins from lab-grown meat is a highly energy-intensive process. So much so that Cold Spring Harbor’s study contradicts previous experiments showing ACBM produces less CO2 than current farming methods.
“Scaling this technology before solving key issues like developing an environmentally friendly method for endotoxin removal,” reads the study. “Would be counter to the environmental goals which this sector has [supported].”
ACBM could still be highly disruptive to the animal agriculture industry.
Although the new study shows endotoxin removal could produce more carbon emissions than traditional farming, it has other potential benefits. For example, lab-grown meats are extremely malleable and can be tailor-made to suit preferences or nutritional requirements. Scientists can also adjust the nutrient profiles of ACBM. “Whether that’s less saturated fat and cholesterol, or more vitamins or healthy fats,” said Upside Foods CEO Uma Valeti. “Imagine if we could produce a steak with the fatty acid profile of salmon.”
And ACBM grows in a highly sterilized environment without the need for high doses of antibiotics. In turn, means cultivated meat could help combat human antibiotic resistance, according to Kaplan. The World Health Organization reports antibiotic resistance is one of the most pressing issues for food security and global health.
ACBM will never completely replace animal farming.
Regardless of the environmental impact, it’ll be several years before animal cell-based meats will hit store shelves. A 2022 study by Harvard University shows there are still several logistical challenges to mass-producing lab-grown meat. Additionally, the global meat market is simply too large for ACBM to replace a sizeable share. For reference, according to Statista, the worldwide meat market reported over $1.2 trillion in revenue in 2022. However, with further innovation, meat grown in tanks could fill an important niche that traditional farming methods simply cannot. But first, scientists must contend with the energy-intensive process of removing endotoxins from meat grown in labs.
