CHARLEBOIS: Plastic ice cream and cow-free butter? Pushing food too far?

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Producing butter without cows, pastures, or even crops — using only carbon and hydrogen synthesized in a laboratory — sounds like science fiction.

Yet, in the era of climate urgency and resource constraints, it’s increasingly being framed as the next frontier in food innovation. A new generation of philanthropists and investors is betting on disruptive technologies to reimagine how we produce food.

One such player is Savor, a Chicago-based company backed in part by billionaire Bill Gates. The firm claims it has developed a product indistinguishable in taste and texture from traditional butter. Unlike margarine — made from plant-based oils such as soybean or canola — this “butter” is created entirely without animals or crops.

Its fat molecules are reconstructed in a lab from carbon dioxide captured from the air and hydrogen extracted from water, processed through heating and oxidation. The result mimics the molecular structure of fats found in beef, cheese, or vegetable oils — without a single acre of farmland.

From an environmental standpoint, the footprint could be dramatically smaller.

Commercially, Savor is targeting a market launch within 12 to 18 months but has yet to reveal pricing. It’s reasonable to expect a premium positioning, perhaps in the organic butter range. On nutritional value, however, the company remains silent.

Molecular agriculture—sometimes called synthetic or cellular food production — has gained significant traction in recent years. Meat, coffee, cocoa, seafood — virtually every category is being replicated.

These innovations are often marketed as climate saviours. But the variables that truly shape consumer decisions — labelling, price, taste, and nutritional value — are often treated as secondary considerations.

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Occasionally, the race for novelty veers into the absurd. In 2023, a U.K. company announced it could make ice cream from recycled plastic. Yes, plastic. One has to wonder how far we’re willing to go in the name of saving the planet.

Food science also has a history of unintended consequences. Consider trans fats: once hailed for improving texture and shelf life, they were ultimately banned due to their impact on public health.

And here lies the economic and cultural tension: food is not merely a matter of calories produced with minimal resources. It is an expression of culture, heritage, and pride — rooted in centuries-old traditions. According to the Food Sentiment Index published by our lab earlier this year, just 9% of consumers identify the environment as their primary purchase driver.

Cellular and molecular agriculture research certainly has its place, but it must be guided by the right motivations. Projects that attempt to “play God” or adopt eco-authoritarian narratives risk alienating the very consumers they aim to serve. Any credible pathway for these technologies must incorporate the cultural, economic, and sensory dimensions of eating. After all, we don’t just eat to reduce carbon footprints — we eat to support our farmers, our food businesses, and the communities they sustain.

The future of food will not be defined solely by lab breakthroughs or carbon math.

Success will hinge on taste, transparency, affordability, and respect for culinary traditions. In the end, not all of us aspire to eat like Greta Thunberg.

— Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast