Sweeteners
traditional methods. As Doucette explains, Tate & Lyle is constantly aiming to evolve its sugar reduction solutions to meet emerging public health challenges. “It’s not just about people’s health, but about the health of the planet, too,” she points out. “Global food systems are under increasing pressure, and this technology offers a scalable solution to meet future nutritional demands more sustainably.” According to Action on Sugar, a UK-based advocacy group, the UK population consumes two- and-a-half times the amount of sugar needed to meet the maximum recommended daily intake. As well as driving tooth decay and a host of chronic ailments – including obesity and type 2 diabetes – this is causing untold environmental damage. Currently, the UK uses around 100,000 hectares of prime agricultural land to grow sugar beet, which is leading to topsoil damage and biodiversity loss. It’s a similar story elsewhere in the world. Added sugar now makes up about 8% of the average person’s calories – four times the figure from 60 years ago – and the consequences are stark. One study found that, if added sugar were reduced to 5% of daily calories, 483 million tonnes of sugarcane would be freed up around the world, meaning that the land could be repurposed for more pressing needs. Another study calculated that a 20% reduction in Americans’ sugar consumption would save the US more than $10bn in direct medical costs by 2035.
Solutions to sugary problems Plant-based sweeteners, like the ones being developed by Tate & Lyle and BioHarvest, could prove to be an important part of the solution. “Most countries and health systems recognise the urgent need to reduce calories from sugar, a major source of calories for many,” comments Doucette. “By replacing sugars in foods and beverages, low and no-calorie sweeteners help decrease the energy density of food and drink, which, in turn, can also go on to mean significant reduction in calorie consumption.” The partnership stems from Tate & Lyle’s ongoing Open Innovation programme, which welcomes proposals from anyone with a good idea. From the innovator’s perspective, this brings scope to dramatically scale up their technology. Tate & Lyle has years of ingredients research to its credit, along with a global customer base and the ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes. From Tate & Lyle’s perspective, meanwhile, it means accessing some of the most enterprising minds in the business.
“Our Open Innovation programme is committed to creating cutting-edge solutions,” says Doucette.
Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
“We seek to offer the latest technological innovation to our food and drink customers, to enable our purpose of Transforming Lives through the Science of Food. By partnering with entrepreneurial innovators like BioHarvest, we aim to disrupt the future of food for the better.”
In this case, the two companies are united by a shared goal: to develop accessible ingredients that are better for people and the planet. Their collaboration will have many facets, with the two working together on technical, regulatory, marketing and economic aspects. They want to ensure that their new offerings have the right kind of sensory profile, cost point and label, with a view to appealing to discerning customers in the food and beverage business.
“Our initial focus is on tissue culture work, which involves assessing the plants used as a raw material in the creation of Tate & Lyle’s low and no calorie sweeteners,” says Sobel. “We want to replicate the molecules that are extracted for these ingredients so we can, ultimately, replicate them at scale without the need for equivalent fields of these crops.”
He expects to see the first tangible results within the first year of the partnership and looks forward to sharing updates. And while the initial work will focus on Tate & Lyle’s sweeteners’ platform, the partnership may provide for expansion into other areas further down the line.
“As a leader in the sweeteners market, we continue to evolve our sugar reduction toolkit to meet every consumer need and preference,” says Doucette. “We support industry formulators to develop exceptional food and drinks that people enjoy and which support balanced nutrition. This partnership with BioHarvest will enable us to accelerate innovation through the latest science.” ●
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Advancing food science is creating healthier, more sustainable ingredients to suit consumer trends.
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