# Water-Based Butter Alternatives Scientists at Cornell University Discover a New Butter-Like Spread By Grace Mahas | Published 2019-08-23 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cornell-university References: [gizmodo](https://gizmodo.com/scientists-create-a-healthier-butter-like-spread-made-f-1837438121) & [news.cornell.edu](http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/08/you-butter-believe-it-low-calorie-spread-made-mostly-water) With more consumers opting for [plant-based food alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smoked-garlic-plant-btter), it's never been a better time for food scientists to unveil a new low-calorie butter alternative that's made mostly from water. The new product is made by emulsifying a small amount of vegetable oil and milk fat with 80 percent water to mimic the texture and taste of butter. It also features beeswax as a stabilizer to further immediate the consistency of real butter. The new butter alternative boasts 25.2 calories and 2.8 grams of fat per tablespoon, a much healthier makeup than the nutritional benefits of traditional butter. The widespread adoption of this new water-based butter could drastically reduce the nation's [dependence on dairy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solein-cream) which greatly contributes to climate change in addition to lowering the population's consumption of trans-fat. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.8/10 - Popularity: 43% | Activity: 62% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Plant-based Food Alternatives:** The increasing trend towards plant-based food alternatives creates opportunities for innovative low-calorie butter substitutes. - **Low-calorie Food Alternatives:** The growing demand for low-calorie food products creates opportunities for the development of water-based butter alternatives. - **Climate-friendly Products:** The need for climate-friendly products opens the door for water-based butter alternatives that reduce the nation's dependence on dairy. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food Science:** The food science industry can develop innovative butter substitutes using water-based formulations to cater to health-conscious and environmentally-conscious consumers. - **Sustainable Agriculture:** Sustainable agriculture companies can explore new ways of producing beeswax as a stabilizer to support the production of water-based butter and other low-fat and low-calorie food alternatives. - **Food Retail:** The food retail industry can capitalize on the growing demand for plant-based and low-calorie food products by adopting and promoting water-based butter alternatives and other similar items. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Plant-Based Butter Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plantbased-butter-alternatives.md) - [Allergen-Free Butter Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unbutter.md) - [Realistic Plant-Based Butters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beleaf-plantbetter.md) - [Carbon-Made Butters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/savor-butter.md) - [Non-Dairy Butter Alternatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/butter-buds-nondairy-32x.md) - [Spreadable Free-From Butter Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/all-things-butter-spreadable.md) - [Cultured Plant-Based Butters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/future-of-butter.md) - [Free-From Plant Butters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nextgeneration-plantbased-butter.md) - [European-Style Plant-Based Butters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/plant-butter-spread.md)