A California-based startup has reportedly developed a process for creating butter without the use of milk.
And this endeavour is being backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
The start-up uses a combination of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and oxygen chains to produce its butter.
Can you imagine butter being made without milk? Well, this startup in California has not only imagined it but is bringing it to life. Savor, which is a California-based startup, has reportedly developed a process for creating butter without the use of milk or any other dairy product. And this endeavour is being backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. But how does it produce butter then? Let’s find out.
How does Savor produce milk?
This experiment is not a first for the company. It has been conducting experiments to create dairy-free alternatives for various products, including ice cream, cheese, and milk.
The start-up uses a combination of carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and oxygen chains to produce its butter. As per a report by The Guardian, the result “tastes like the real thing”. They use a thermochemical process that helps them to develop fat molecules using gases. So they don’t have to use traditional dairy materials.
Why are they doing this? As per a UN report, the livestock industry is responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As per the start-up, their products will have a substantially lower carbon footprint compared to their animal-based counterparts.
Real butter has a carbon footprint of 16.9kg CO2 equivalent per kg, while the butter created by Savor has a carbon footprint of less than 0.8g CO2 equivalent per kg, as per The Guardian.
Bill Gates said in his blog, “It might sound like a pipe dream, but a company called Savor (which I’m invested in) is in the process of doing it. They started with the fact that all fats are made of varying chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Then they set out to make those same carbon and hydrogen chains—without involving animals or plants. They ultimately developed a process that involves taking carbon dioxide from the air and hydrogen from water, heating them up, and oxidizing them to trigger the separation of fatty acids and then the formulation of fat. The result is real fat molecules like the ones we get from milk, cheese, and vegetable oils.”
The product is not yet available for commercial distribution. But what do you think about this concept?
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Mustafa Khan
Mustafa is new on the block and is a tech geek who is currently working with Digit as a News Writer. He tests the new gadgets that come on board and writes for the news desk. He has found his way with words and you can count on him when in need of tech advice. No judgement. He is based out of Delhi, he’s your person for good photos, good food recommendations, and to know about anything GenZ. View Full Profile
