Bog
Butter
A 3,500-year-old Irish tradition reimagined as a protein-packed confection from native duckweed — born from the bog, approved by Europe.
From bronze age bogs
to a new food age
For at least 3,500 years, the people of Ireland buried butter in peat bogs. The cool, acidic, oxygen-starved ground preserved it for months, years, even millennia. Archaeologists still pull these pale, waxy lumps from the earth — the oldest dating to 1700 BC. Some were food stores; others, offerings to whatever held the bog sacred. Butter was currency, sustenance, and ritual.
Now that ancient logic — food sustained by the bog — returns in a wholly new form. Duckweed, Lemna minor, has floated on Irish ponds, lakes, and bog pools for thousands of years, a native plant so small it rarely warranted a second glance. But it contains up to 40% protein by dry weight, all nine essential amino acids, and is rich in vitamins A, B12, iron, and zinc. It reproduces by simply dividing in two, doubling its biomass every 48 hours. From this plant, a highly functional protein extract — RuBisCO, the most abundant protein on Earth — can be isolated: clean, neutral in flavour, and with a digestibility score comparable to eggs.
In January 2025, the European Commission formally approved Lemna minor and Lemna gibba for human consumption under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/153, following nearly a decade of research led by Wageningen University & Research. At University College Cork, Professor Marcel Jansen’s Duck-Feed project has been pioneering the cultivation of an Irish-native clone — Lemna minor “Blarney”, collected in the south of Ireland in 2010 — developing the knowledge to grow duckweed sustainably through circular economy principles.
Bog Butter™ is the first product of Bog Bia™, a food line built on this convergence: Ireland’s deep relationship with the bog, its native duckweed, and the science that makes it all possible. The name carries the ancient tradition forward — sustenance preserved, transformed, and shared, as it always was. The butter, the bog, the bia — food — are reunited.
Europe’s newest food
is Ireland’s oldest plant
Duckweed has been studied as a protein source for decades in Southeast Asia, but it took a landmark EU ruling and pioneering Irish research to bring it to European tables. Here is what makes it remarkable.
Protein Powerhouse
Up to 40% protein by dry weight with a complete amino acid profile meeting WHO standards — even for infant nutrition. The isolated protein extract, RuBisCO, achieves a digestibility score comparable to eggs.
EU Novel Food Approved
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/153, adopted 29 January 2025, authorises Lemna minor and Lemna gibba for the EU market. Safety confirmed by EFSA after extensive evaluation.
Radically Sustainable
No arable land required. Six times more protein per hectare than soy. Doubles in biomass every 48 hours. Can be cultivated vertically, indoors, year-round — even on the International Space Station.
Irish-Led Research
UCC’s Duck-Feed project, led by Prof. Marcel Jansen, cultivates the native Lemna minor “Blarney” clone, developing aquatic growth media using circular economy practices.
Rich Micronutrients
High in vitamins A and B12, iron, zinc, calcium, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and dietary fibre. Its taste has been described as mild, plant-like, with subtle nutty notes.
Water-Efficient Production
Grown on a thin layer of water in closed systems. 90% less water per kilogram of protein than traditional crops. No pesticides. Absorbs CO&sub2; and produces oxygen.
From Bronze Age to Bog Bia
Introducing Bog Butter™
The Irish buried butter in bogs for 3,500 years. Now we’re unearthing the sustainable power of bog food.
Bog Butter™ carries forward Ireland’s oldest food tradition. For millennia, the bog preserved what mattered most — now it gives rise to something new. This is a protein-packed confection powered by a protein extract from Lemna minor — common duckweed, native to Ireland. RuBisCO, the most abundant protein in nature, is isolated from the plant to deliver a complete amino acid profile in a form you’d actually want to reach for.
Think of it as where heritage meets innovation: smooth, satisfying, and rich with the distinctive taste of Ireland’s finest regional ingredients. No dairy, no soy, no common allergens — just concentrated plant protein wrapped in something sweet enough to feel like a reward.
Bog Butter™ is the first product in the Bog Bia™ line — a range of foods rooted in Irish provenance, native ingredients, and the science of a sustainable future.
Rooted in Ireland,
crafted from the land
Bog Bia™ sources exclusively from Ireland’s premier artisanal producers, where traditional methods meet modern innovation across the island’s diverse landscapes.
Leahy Beekeeping Heather Honey
Raw heather honey with a distinctive smoky, toffee-like taste and earthy undertones. Trinity and DCU research shows health benefits comparable to Manuka honey.
Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil
Award-winning culinary oil from Ireland’s northwest coast, containing half the saturated fat of olive oil with high levels of Omega-3.
Atlantic Sea Salt
Hand-harvested from Ireland’s pristine Atlantic waters, providing mineral complexity and terroir.
Oat-Standing™ Flour
Gluten-free superfine oat flour — advanced Irish milling technology delivering smooth texture and wholegrain nutrition from Irish oats.
Butter & Buttermilk
From Ireland’s grass-fed herds, providing rich flavour and natural nutrition from pasture-based farming.
How RuBisCO Protein Compares
| Lemna (RuBisCO) |
Soy | Whey | Pea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein Content | 85% by weight | 90% by weight | 80–90% by weight | 80–85% by weight |
| Amino Profile | Complete (all 9 essential) | Complete | Complete | Incomplete (low in methionine) |
| Digestibility | 1.0 PDCAAS (highest possible) | 0.9–1.0 PDCAAS | 1.0 PDCAAS | 0.7–0.8 PDCAAS |
| Processing | Mechanical extraction | Chemical processing | Chemical processing | Mechanical & chemical |
| Environmental Impact | 90% less water; no arable land | High land and water use | High carbon footprint | Moderate land use |
| Flavour | Neutral, clean taste | Beany, earthy | Mild dairy taste | Strong, earthy taste |
| Origin | Native Irish plant | Global commodity crop | Animal dairy byproduct | Global commodity crop |
| Status | EU Novel Food approved 2025 | Traditional food ingredient | Traditional food ingredient | Traditional food ingredient |
A Note on the Innovation
Bog Butter™ takes its name from Ireland’s 3,500-year tradition of bog-preserved dairy — reimagined here as a protein-rich confection. It is Europe’s first direct-to-consumer food product made with protein extracted from Lemna minor (common duckweed).
Duckweed has been eaten for centuries in Southeast Asia, where Wolffia globosa (a different genus) was approved by the EU in 2021 as a traditional food. In January 2025, whole Lemna plants were approved under Regulation (EU) 2025/153, following an earlier April 2024 approval for Lemna-derived protein concentrate under Regulation (EU) 2024/1048. While B2B duckweed protein ingredients exist in the US market, as of early 2026 no finished consumer food product using Lemna protein extract has been brought to market in Europe — making Bog Butter™ the first of its kind.