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2024-11-11

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Bill Gates-backed startup makes ‘butter’ out of water and carbon dioxide (www.zmescience.com)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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A California-based startup called Savor has figured out a unique way to make a butter alternative that doesn’t involve livestock, plants, or even displacing land. Their butter is produced from synthetic fat made using carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and the best part is —- it tastes just like regular butter.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

"Bro", butter is literally just a hydrocarbon. As in carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms.

Making it in the lab produces chemically identical molecules.

As in, literally the same thing. Like actually for real no difference. Including however bad or healthy it is to eat.

Any nuances in the real thing will be from impurities that would have to be added to the lab produced stuff, should you want to.

The real difference is how it is made, not in what it produces. Meaning the synthetic option can be produced without livestock, and potentially using much less energy and land.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago (1 children)

*hydrocarbon, not carbohydrate (the latter contains oxygen). Otherwise spot on.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

Thanks.