A Cornish pasty has a carbon footprint of up 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) of CO₂ — but this could be halved by replacing beef with a vegan filling — a study has found.
Researchers from the University of Exeter have made a new tool which can determine how much carbon emissions are released in the making of a given pasty.
The Carbon and Low Impact Pasty (CLIP) tool factors in not only raw ingredients but carbon expenses related to water use, energy, transportation and refrigeration.
Experts estimate that some 120 million Cornish pasties are produced each year — and are thought to contribute some £300 million to Cornwall's economy.