A new lab-engineered butter alternative backed by Bill Gates is drawing intense online backlash, with critics calling it “disgusting” and questioning both its necessity and its motives.
The product, developed by Savor — a Batavia, Illinois–based food technology company — is made entirely from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The company claims its synthetic fats are chemically identical to those in dairy butter but created without cows, farmland, fertilizers, or emissions.
According to Savor’s website, their spreads are “real fats, not a substitute,” composed of fat, water, a small amount of lecithin as an emulsifier, and natural flavors and colors.
Instead of agricultural production, Savor uses an industrial process that converts carbon dioxide from the air and hydrogen from water into fat molecules, which are then manipulated to match the taste and texture of butter. The company says its formula contains no palm oil and is already being tested in restaurants, with plans to launch commercially in 2025 and potentially hit retail shelves by 2027.
The rollout has triggered strong reactions. Celebrity chef Andrew Gruel criticized the concept on X, asking, “Why do this when we already have butter?” Another online commentator accused Savor of using climate change as a pretext for centralizing control of food production, warning, “Once they own the source code for your food, they can alter it, gate it, and revoke access at will.”
Others cited possible health risks, suggesting synthetic butter could contribute to heart disease and obesity.
Defenders, though fewer in number, see promise in the idea, particularly for feeding populations in developing nations if costs remain low. Still, even some supporters expressed reluctance to replace traditional dairy products.
“No one will force me to eat this butter,” one wrote, adding that while the molecules might be replicated, “the authentic taste certainly cannot.”
Gates himself has acknowledged the technology may “seem strange at first” but argues its ability to slash greenhouse gas emissions could be “immense.” Savor co-founder and CEO Kathleen Alexander says the mission is both environmental and humanitarian: “This is really about how we feed our species and heal our planet at the same time.”
