Bill Gates’ Lab-Made Butter: World-Saving Innovation or Sinister Food Scam? 

In a move straight out of a sci-fi thriller, an Illinois-based startup called Savor, backed by none other than billionaire Bill Gates, has unleashed a lab-engineered butter made entirely from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Yes, you read that right—butter brewed from air, not cows, not plants, not even a whisper of traditional farming. Launched commercially in March 2025, this synthetic spread is being hailed by its creators as a climate-saving miracle. But is it really the golden ticket to a greener planet, or a dangerous gamble with our food supply that could leave family farms in the dust and our health on the line? Buckle up—this story is about to spark a firestorm of debate! 

Savor, founded in 2022 and funded by Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, claims their butter is a game-changer. Using a thermochemical process, they combine carbon dioxide (CO₂), green hydrogen (GH₂), and methane (CH₄) to craft fat molecules that mimic the creamy, indulgent taste and texture of dairy butter. According to Savor, this isn’t just a gimmick—it’s a revolution. They boast that their product sidesteps the environmental pitfalls of traditional butter and palm oil, which they claim contribute a staggering 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions due to livestock farming and deforestation.  With a new 25,000-square-foot facility in Batavia, Illinois, Savor is already scaling up, partnering with Michelin-starred restaurants, top bakeries, and major food suppliers to sneak this lab-made butter into everything from croissants to packaged snacks. You might already be eating it without even knowing! 

Supporters, including Gates himself, are singing its praises. “I couldn’t believe it wasn’t real butter,” Gates gushed in a blog post, claiming the process uses “less than a thousandth of the water” of traditional agriculture and produces no greenhouse gases. Savor’s CEO, Kathleen Alexander, doubles down, saying their butter is “affordable, approachable, and craveable,” with a carbon footprint of less than 0.8 grams of CO₂ equivalent per calorie compared to 2.4 grams for real butter. Chefs like Kyle Connaughton of SingleThread and Juan Contreras of Atelier Crenn are on board, raving about its performance in everything from flaky pastries to rich ganaches. Savor’s even earned a self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) designation from the FDA, paving the way for its spread (pun intended) across the U.S. food market.

But hold the butter knife—critics are sounding the alarm, and they’re not mincing words. They argue this “carbon butter” is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, prioritizing climate agendas over human health and the livelihoods of rural communities. “This is margarine 2.0,” one skeptic tweeted, pointing to the 1980s when trans fat-laden margarine was marketed as a “heart-healthy” alternative to butter, only to be exposed as a health hazard years later. Nutritionists and food purists warn that lab-engineered fats could lack the nutritional integrity of natural foods, potentially hiding long-term risks we won’t discover until it’s too late.  Others fear Savor’s push to replace all palm oil and dairy fats could devastate family farms and entire rural economies, especially in regions dependent on traditional agriculture. “They’re trying to feed us lab goo while farmers go bankrupt!” one X user raged, echoing a growing sentiment that this high-tech butter threatens the soul of our food system.

The controversy doesn’t stop there. Savor’s partnerships with multinational consumer packaged goods companies hint at a future where lab-made butter could infiltrate your grocery store shelves without clear labeling. Imagine biting into a cookie or spreading butter on your toast, unaware it was cooked up in a lab from captured air.  Critics argue this secrecy erodes trust in the food supply, with some calling it “Frankenfood” designed to push a climate narrative at the expense of transparency. On X, posts are already buzzing with hashtags like #FakeButter and #GatesFoodScam, with users demanding to know: If it’s made from air, is it even food? Meanwhile, Savor’s defenders counter that the science is sound and the environmental benefits undeniable, accusing naysayers of clinging to outdated traditions in the face of a climate crisis.

Savor’s ambitions go beyond butter. They’re eyeing milk, cheese, ice cream, and even tropical oils, aiming to overhaul the global fat market. With Gates’ deep pockets and a shiny new R&D hub in San Jose, California, they’re poised to make waves. But the road ahead is fraught with challenges. Regulatory hurdles loom, especially with recent scrutiny over self-affirmed GRAS designations. And then there’s the price—Gates himself admits that lab-made fats need to compete with cheap, conventional butter to win over consumers. Can Savor deliver on taste, cost, and safety while convincing a skeptical public to embrace butter from thin air? Or will this be another overhyped tech promise that crumbles under scrutiny?

One thing’s for sure: Savor’s lab-engineered butter is spreading fast—both on menus and in heated online debates. Will you slather it on your next croissant, or are you Team Real Butter? Drop your take on Threads and let the food fight begin!