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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 5 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] 64 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's quite obvious at a theoretical level but not easy in terms of figuring out the actual process. A lot of science like that.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

According to the savor team, it was quite easy for them:

“We start with a source of carbon, like carbon dioxide, and use a little bit of heat and hydrogen to form chains which are then blended with oxygen from air to make the fats & oils"

I want to guess they are glossing over a complicated enzyme they created, or other form of reagent.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

Yeah, they're definitely glossing over a lot of things. They don't even mention the source of co2 or even a real timeline.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

That's like saying you can build a nuclear bomb by smashing pieces of uranium together. Technically true, but it's a lot more complicated than that.