Savor Introduces Groundbreaking 'Butter' Made Without Cows, Plants, or Microbes

By Agroempresario.com

Savor, a cutting-edge startup based in San Jose, California, has unveiled a world-first: a butter alternative created without relying on cows, plants, or microbes. This pioneering product is the result of a novel thermochemical process that the company claims is more scalable and sustainable than other alternatives currently available. The butter, produced at Savor’s pilot facility in Batavia, Illinois, is designed for use in baking, confectionery, and dairy applications.

The process behind Savor's butter involves taking carbon and hydrogen sources, applying high pressure, and introducing oxygen to create fatty acids. These fatty acids serve as the building blocks of fats and oils, allowing Savor to build a variety of customized fats and oils for different applications. Unlike traditional methods, which often rely on plants, animals, or microbes, Savor's approach uses simple elements, offering a flexible and scalable solution to the growing demand for sustainable fats.

Chiara Cecchini, VP of commercialization at Savor, explained the company’s innovative approach: “We apply very high pressure and heat oxygen into the mix to create fatty acids, which we then build into triglycerides for use in different recipes. This gives us the flexibility to replicate the functional properties of a wide range of fats, from milkfat to cocoa butter and beef tallow.”

Savor's butter alternative has received "self-GRAS" (Generally Recognized as Safe) status in the U.S., paving the way for its broader use in the food industry. The company has already developed multiple prototypes that mimic the properties of various fats traditionally used in food production. With plans to expand into cocoa butter alternatives, Savor’s products are poised to disrupt the fat production industry.

Backed by $33 million in funding from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Synthesis Capital, Savor has been working with upscale restaurants and bakeries in the San Francisco Bay Area while engaging in talks with major consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. The company’s 25,000-square-foot production facility has the potential to produce metric tons of its innovative fats, making it well-positioned to scale up production as demand grows.

With its scalable and flexible approach, Savor’s groundbreaking technology could play a crucial role in transforming the food industry by providing a sustainable alternative to animal- and plant-based fats.