New Research to Help You Choose Eco-Friendly Foods | SciShow News

TL;DR

Plant-based alternatives can be more eco-friendly than meat, with some having one-fifth to less than one-tenth of meat’s environmental impact. Oxford researchers estimated scores for 57,000 food products in the UK and Ireland using greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land use, and aquatic nutrient pollution. Their results also reveal meaningful differences among ingredients, sausage types, and brands. Read on to see how the comparison works and where its limitations lie.

Transcript

Thanks to Brilliant for supporting this SciShow News video. You can keep building your STEM skills at Brilliant.org/SciShow with 20% off an annual premium subscription! [♪ INTRO] Figuring out whether or not the foods you’re eating are bad for the planet is… complicated. Maybe you’ve heard about the methane burps of cows, so you decided to cut back ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🍖 Plant-based alternatives to meat have significantly less environmental impact compared to meat products.
• 🥘 Foods made of fruits, vegetables, sugar, and flour generally have lower environmental impact scores.
• 😋 Different brands of the same food product can have varying levels of environmental impact.
• 🥘 Healthier food choices often align with lower environmental impact.
• 😘 Sugary drinks and treats have a low impact on the environment, but they are not healthy choices.
• 😋 The study highlights the need for better information and transparency regarding the environmental impact of food products.
• 👯 Drugs commonly used to help people quit smoking may also have a role in reducing problem drinking.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you choose more eco-friendly foods?

Favoring products made from fruits, vegetables, sugar, and flour may reduce environmental impact, as these generally received the lowest scores in the study. Plant-based meat alternatives can also have one-fifth to less than one-tenth the impact of meat, while switching brands may provide lower-impact options without major dietary changes.

Q: How did researchers estimate the environmental impact of food products?

The researchers developed an algorithm that used ingredient percentages, ingredient-list order, and comparisons with similar products to estimate ingredient quantities. They then compared those quantities with established databases measuring the impacts of particular ingredients.

Q: What environmental effects did the food study measure?

The study examined greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land use, and the potential for food production to build up harmful nutrient levels in aquatic ecosystems. Researchers combined this information into an environmental impact score ranging from 0 for no impact to 100 for bad.

Q: How many foods were evaluated in the Oxford study?

Researchers at the University of Oxford and their collaborators estimated the environmental impact of 57,000 food products. The products were sold in the UK and Ireland.

Q: Which foods had the lowest and highest environmental impact scores?

Products made from fruits, vegetables, sugar, and flour generally scored lowest, including popcorn, vegetarian soups, some cereals, breads, and many meat substitutes. Meat and dairy products tended to score higher overall, and beef jerky received a special mention for its especially high score.

Q: Which types of sausages had the lowest environmental impact?

Vegetarian and vegan sausages had the lowest impact among the sausage types compared. Beef and lamb sausages were 240% more impactful than pork, pork was twice as impactful as chicken and turkey, and chicken and turkey were more than twice as impactful as vegetarian and vegan sausages.

Q: Are healthier foods also better for the planet?

The researchers found that many food categories combined good nutrition with low environmental impact. Sugary drinks and treats were a notable exception because the analysis suggested they were not especially bad for the planet even though they were unhealthy.

Q: What were the limitations of the food impact study?

The study did not account for food origins or every stage of processing and transport because some information was unavailable. Its 100-point scale was also based on 100 grams of each food, which may not represent the amount typically eaten at a meal.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Researchers at the University of Oxford estimated the environmental impact of 57,000 food products in the UK and Ireland.

• Plant-based alternatives to meat were found to have one-fifth to less than one-tenth the impact of meat.

• Foods made of fruits, vegetables, sugar, and flour had lower environmental impact scores, while meat and dairy products had higher scores.