A startup funded by Bill Gates succeeds in producing butter using only carbon dioxide and water, and can also produce milk and meat

A startup called Savor , based in San Jose, California, is trying to create fat by combining carbon dioxide as the main carbon source with heat and hydrogen. Bill Gates, who has invested in Savor, spoke about the value of the butter Savor makes and his impressions of the fake butter he tasted in GatesNotes .

Greasy—and good for the planet | Bill Gates
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Alternative-fats-and-oils

Fats from thin air: Startup makes butter using CO2 and water
https://newatlas.com/technology/savor-butter-bill-gates/

Below is the official website of Savor. At the top of the page it says, 'We create delicious, versatile fats from an abundant resource: carbon.'

'Cheeseburgers are my favorite food, but I think it's better not to have them because of the environmental impact,' Gates said, expressing concern for the environment. Gates has tried many meat and dairy substitutes, including the highest quality ones, but there is nothing on the market that is of a quality that can fool cheeseburger lovers. The richness, juiciness, and unique mouthfeel unique to animal fat are necessary, but the production of animal fat involves large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and the slaughter of animals. The ideal is to avoid these and reproduce animal foods at an affordable price without using dangerous chemicals.

Savor started from the fact that 'all fats are made of various carbon and hydrogen compounds' and aimed to create the same carbon and hydrogen compounds without the intervention of animals or plants. Ultimately, they are developing a process that extracts carbon dioxide from the air and hydrogen from water, heats them, and oxidizes them, causing the separation of fatty acids and the formation of fat. The process does not emit any greenhouse gases, does not use farmland, and uses less than one thousandth of the water compared to conventional agriculture. And, Gates said, 'Most importantly, it tastes really good because it's chemically real fat.'

The following movie shows Gates tasting Savor butter, cheeseburgers, fries made with Savor oil, ice cream, etc. As the title of the movie says, Gates was surprised, saying, 'I couldn't believe I wasn't eating real butter. The hamburger tasted similar to it.'

“I couldn't believe that wasn't butter” - YouTube


While acknowledging that Savor butter is easy to make and tastes fine, Gates said, 'The big challenge will be to get a product like Savor to the same price or lower than animal fats so that the masses can buy it. But the key steps in this fat production process are already working, so Savor has a good chance of success. The idea of switching to lab-made fats and oils may seem strange at first, but they have the potential to significantly reduce our carbon footprint.'

On its website, Savor explains, 'We're starting with butter. Then, with an eye to the future, we partner with professional chefs to test Savor butter in breads and pastries to create new animal-free recipes. Fat-based foods like milk, ice cream, cheese, meat and tropical oils can all theoretically be made from carbon dioxide and water. Our next endeavor is to explore a wider range of ingredients.'

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