Topic: Margarine

A startup called Savor, backed by Bill Gates, is producing synthetic butter using carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The process creates fats without agriculture, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of food production. Critics label the product "Margarine 3.0," noting it is derived from hydrocarbons and resembles paraffin wax or petroleum-based products.

"Skimpflation" is identified as a trend where food brands reformulate recipes with cheaper ingredients to offset rising costs. Examples include Smart Balance margarine reducing its vegetable oil content from 64% to 39% and other brands substituting sugar with high fructose corn syrup. A survey of 300 brands indicates that nearly two-thirds have recently changed their recipes, often resulting in lower product quality.

Dvorak dismisses a "major discovery" from MIT regarding solar-powered hydrolysis as a publicity stunt. He details the physical difficulties of storing hydrogen, noting that the atoms are small enough to leach through steel tanks. He also explains the industrial process of using hydrogen to saturate polyunsaturated oils to create margarine.