Expanded sweetener molecule development programme aims to broaden access to plant based sweetening solutions tailored to diverse customer food and beverage categories.
Tate & Lyle PLC, a global leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, today announced the expansion of its collaboration with BioHarvest Sciences Inc., broadening the scope of their joint sweetener development programme to include multiple plant‑based sweetener molecules.
The expanded collaboration builds on the initial agreement signed in 2024 and reflects strong technical progress to date, as well as Tate & Lyle’s ambition to equip food and beverage manufacturers with a flexible toolkit of sweetening solutions that can be tailored to different formulation needs.
As customer requirements around taste, cost and labelling continue to evolve, no single sweetener can address all food and beverage category needs. Tate & Lyle’s approach focuses on developing complementary sweetening options that can be used independently or together – enabling product‑specific optimisation while supporting sugar and calorie reduction goals.
The collaboration draws on BioHarvest’s Botanical Synthesis™ platform, which supports the development of plant‑based, non‑GMO ingredients, reducing the industry’s reliance on traditional agricultural extraction for rare or hard‑to‑source botanicals. This approach aligns with Tate & Lyle’s focus on delivering ingredient innovation that balances performance, scalability and responsible sourcing considerations.
The partnership builds on Tate & Lyle’s long‑standing commitment to sugar and calorie reduction and its track record in sweetener innovation. The company’s heritage includes major industry milestones, from the discovery of sucralose in 1976, to the commercialisation at scale of allulose in 2015 and high‑purity bioconverted stevia Reb M in 2018.
Today, Tate & Lyle’s development pipeline is focused on advancing sweetening solutions that deliver great taste while supporting sugar and calorie reduction, helping customers meet evolving consumer expectations around health and wellbeing. This includes sweet ingredients that reduce sugar and calories and have the potential to support broader health and wellbeing needs.
A 2025 proprietary Tate & Lyle survey across seven global markets found that over half of respondents planned to reduce their sugar consumption in the following 12 months, with strong consumer interest in great‑tasting sweeteners derived from fruits and plants1. The intent to reduce sugar was greater than the intent to reduce calorie and fat consumption, showing how top of mind sugar reduction is for consumers.
Tate & Lyle’s innovation approach is informed by more than a decade of global research into consumer perceptions of ingredients. This ensures that considerations such as sensory performance, value creation and label acceptance are embedded into ingredient development from the outset.
1Tate & Lyle Proprietary Ingredient Tracker Research – 2025 (Includes 7 Markets – US, Brazil, Germany, UK, UAE, China, and India; 1,000 respondents per market
As we look forward to 2026, a fundamental shift is already underway in product identification. The standard one-dimensional barcode is giving way to the dynamic 2D barcode, accelerated by the GS1 Sunrise 2027 initiative. The transition to QR codes and GS1 Digital Link is also driven by evolving regulations, consumer demand for transparency, the industry’s push for operational efficiency and the growing need for brands and private labels to establish a direct line of communication with shoppers.
Markem-Imaje, a global leader in product identification and traceability solutions, is deeply engaged in supporting this transition across Europe and beyond. Rémy Fontanet, Solutions Business Development Manager at Markem-Imaje, comments on the three trends driving rapid uptake of next-generation 2D barcodes.
1. Transparency is now a baseline expectation
“This year we saw a major UK retailer, Tesco, begin trials of next-generation QR codes powered by GS1 Digital Link to improve the accuracy of date codes, reduce food waste, help prevent the sale of out-of-date products and better inform consumers. The pilot demonstrates exactly why brands and retailers are accelerating adoption.
“Consumers increasingly expect instant, unique, verifiable information about the products they buy. They want to understand where an item comes from, how it was made, and what is in it. 2D barcodes can provide this depth of information transparency in a single scan, helping retailers and brands build trust through content that extends far beyond what can be physically displayed on the pack.
“According to Syndigo’s State of Product Content 2024, half of consumers abandoned a potential purchase because they could not find enough information, while 35 % returned a product because it did not meet expectations based on its description.
“GS1 Digital Link offers a direct way to meet this rising demand for clarity and trust.”
2. Sustainability and waste reduction are still high on the agenda
“The second major trend is sustainability. New EU rules, including the Digital Product Passport (DPP), will require brands to share more detailed information on-pack, covering ingredients, sourcing, environmental performance and recycling guidance. Static labels alone cannot meet this requirement, but 2D barcodes can. 2D barcodes offer the most effective way to provide accurate, batch-level or even serialised, unique information for each product, without overcrowding packaging.”
“Consumers also continue to prioritise sustainable behaviour. Mintel reports that 73% of UK shoppers try to act in a way that is not harmful to the environment. Having recycling information at your fingertips through a quick scan with your smartphone will facilitate waste handling. In addition, with smart 2D, you can include best-before dates and recall information in the connected code and block it at the Point-of-Sale or automatically lower its price when the product is about to expire, hence, increasing sales volumes and avoiding food waste.”
3. Health and wellness are shaping a new era of product data
“The third trend shaping adoption in Europe is health and wellness. As concerns around ultra-processed foods increase and the use of weight-management therapies becomes more mainstream, consumers are seeking more specific, real-time nutritional insights.
“Providing clear and complete information via a QR code allows consumers to make more informed choices and helps credible brands differentiate themselves. The clean label movement reinforces this. Innova Market Insights data shows that 35 % of European food and beverage launches carry a clean label claim, with strong consumer demand for ingredient transparency. Nearly two-thirds of shoppers reconsider purchases based on the ingredient list, and more than half say honesty is their top priority.
“2D barcodes can provide unique product or batch-level nutritional data, allergen updates and even direct access to recall information. For brands, this creates an opportunity to strengthen trust and loyalty by offering verified product data at the moment it matters most: the point of choice.”
Firmenich introduces Orange NextGen replacers and extenders, its natural alternative to FTNF (From The Named Fruit) orange oils, achieving identical orange flavours at significant economic benefit to customers and enabling sustained supply.
The global orange oil market has been under severe pressure and volatility in recent years due to crop shortages, poor fruit quality, climate-related challenges, and transportation instability. To address these supply disruptions and meet the growing demand for orange citrus oils, Firmenich has developed a range of natural, high-performing Orange WONF (With Other Natural Flavours) solutions, achieving taste profiles identical to orange oils.
“A fundamental part of our commitment to being our client’s unrivaled Citrus Partner means providing great taste and consistent quality, together with supply stability,” said Sonia Botta, Firmenich’s Global Citrus VP. “This is especially relevant in light of the continuing supply challenges facing the orange oil market. By leveraging our strong in-house citrus capabilities, advanced analytical expertise and deep understanding of natural molecules, our experienced Citrus Flavorists have masterfully created Orange NextGen replacers and extenders, allowing us to provide equivalent taste at cost competitiveness.”
For use in a wide variety of applications including waters, juices, alcoholic beverages, sweet goods and savory products, Firmenich’s Orange NextGen is designed to replace or extend orange oils, helping customers avoid product disruptions and delivering the same great flavour their consumers have grown to love.
