Researchers were concerned with determining the environmental load of various food sources. To do this, they measured levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the Baltic Sea and identified beef production as the largest contributor to excessive nitrogen and phosphorus loads.

Overall, meat and milk production were identified as contributing the most to nitrogen and phosphorus levels, with beef production having the greatest phosphorus and nitrogen loads.

Beef production creates 30-50 grams of nitrogen per kilo. The amount of nitrogen created in pork and egg production is one-third of that of beef, while poultry production creates one-seventh the amount of nitrogen as beef. Both milk production and grain production generate one-fifteenth the amount of nitrogen as does beef, and potatoes create one-hundredth the amount.

Beef production also produces the greatest phosphorus load. Pork creates one-fourth the amount of phosphorus as beef, while poultry and eggs produce one-tenth, and milk produces one-fifteenth of the amount of beef.