Sustainability / Environment

SCiFi Foods Says First Sustainability Study of Cultivated Beef Proves Climate Benefits

Cultivated beef startup SCiFi Foods announces it has conducted the first-ever Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of cultivated beef products. According to SCiFi, the study, which was conducted by Ohio State University, substantially proves that cultivated beef benefits the climate more than traditional beef.

The study has been published in Sustainability, a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal.

“Honestly, we’re proud to prove that yes, what we’re doing is truly making an impact”

For the LCA environmental impact study, researchers looked at a SCiFi burger consisting of cultivated beef cells and plant-based ingredients (such as water, soy protein isolate, etc.) and compared it to traditional animal-based beef. In all areas of consumption, including GHG emissions, energy, land and water usage, SCiFi says its burger emerged as a more sustainable product compared to a traditional beef patty. 

 

Unit

SciFi Burger

Beef patty

% Reduction

GHG emissions

kg CO2-eq

3.52

30.5

88.5%

Energy use

MJ

48.94

78.6

37.7%

Land use

m2a eq.

8.66

92

90.6%

Water use

m3 eq.

0.06

1.93

96.9%  

 

The study does not assume the exclusive usage of renewable energy, which SCiFi says could make its burger even more climate-friendly, and which is something that conventional cattle farming cannot benefit from.

While some parts of the process, such as cold storage, packaging, and distribution, were very similar in impact -SCiFi says its blended cultivated/ plant-based burger clearly had a smaller environmental impact. 

“There are many ways engineering and bioengineering is being utilized today to create a more sustainable future,” said Dr. Bhavik Bakshi, Richard M. Morrow Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Ohio State University who led the study. “And this is just the onset when it comes to what science can do for the food system.” 

A “validator” for the industry

While the study is specific to SCiFi Food’s product, the startup says it serves as a validator for the entire cultivated meat space, much like the FDA’s premarket approval for Upside Foods’ products last month. 

SCiFi Foods Cultivated Beef
Co-founders Joshua March & Kasia Gora ©SCiFi Foods

Based in San Leandro, CA, SCiFi Foods emerged from stealth mode six months ago to reveal it has achieved a 1000X cost reduction in scaling cultivated beef. The company expects to break ground on its official pilot plant early in 2023, and hopes to launch its blended burgers in 2024. SCiFi has raised $22M in Series A funding. 

“Since June, when we changed our name, we showed the world we want to be a company with an open door policy, and that includes backing all the claims we make,” said SCiFi Foods co-founder and CEO, Joshua March. “And honestly, we’re proud to prove that yes, what we’re doing is truly making an impact, because as much as this is about delicious burgers, the crux of it is about leaving a positive mark on the planet.” 




>> Click here to go to Cultivated X where you will see a familiar layout and a focus solely on content regarding cellular agriculture, including fermentation-enabled products, and with more granular categories.

Bookmark
ClosePlease login
See all bookmarks

Share