Tate & Lyle and Cryptobiotix’s breakthrough ex-vivo^* study shows that sucralose does not impact the gut microbiota, while other low and no calorie sweeteners have potentially beneficial health effects

A new, first-of-its-kind study has identified unique and potentially beneficial interactions between certain low and no calorie sweeteners, including stevia, and the human gut microbiota. Tate & Lyle PLC, a world leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and drink, partnered with Cryptobiotix, pioneers in preclinical gastrointestinal research, on the study.

Dr. Davide Risso, molecular biology specialist and Tate & Lyle’s Head of Nutrition Research, led the project to explore the potential impact of certain low and no calorie sweeteners on the gut environment in both healthy individuals and those with type 2 diabetes. The research involved taking samples from co-living adults consuming a similar diet – to lower the potential variation introduced by differences in long-term diet, a major driver of microbiota composition. The doses of low and no calorie sweeteners used were based on actual intakes, regulations and amounts that are generally included in foods and beverages during different timepoints.

Results from the pre-clinical study, published in the leading peer reviewed, open-access journal the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, found that some of the studied low calorie and no calorie sweeteners had no impact on the gut microbiota, while others had potential beneficial health effects.

Using Cryptobiotix’s cutting-edge SIFR^® (“cipher”) technology to recreate the gut environment outside of the human body, the research partners found that sweeteners, such as sucralose, do not impact the microbial composition of the gut. Furthermore, other sweeteners, including stevia, have a beneficial impact on the gut microbiota as they were found to be easily fermented and increase the density of certain health-supporting bacteria, with the production of short-chain fatty acids.

The study adds to the strong scientific evidence demonstrating the beneficial role low and no calorie sweeteners can play when used as a part of a balanced diet. Assessments of additional low and no calorie sweeteners, including allulose and erythritol, are being completed and details will be shared in due course.

Dr. Davide Risso, Tate & Lyle’s Head of Nutrition Research, said:
“In this study, the low and no calorie sweeteners we have assessed are shown to have either no impact on the gut microbiota or to offer potential health benefits beyond their established sugar and calorie reduction benefits. Human clinical trials will be required to confirm the potential health benefits. At Tate & Lyle, we’re committed to advancing understanding around the role of low and no calorie sweeteners in the diet and sharing knowledge in this emerging field as a purpose-led, science-driven company.”

Dr Pieter Van den Abbeele, Cryptobiotix’s Chief Scientific Officer, said:
“Cryptobiotix was founded with the ambition of providing accurate insights into the impact and behaviour of ingredients in relation to the gut microbiome. This study provides much-needed evidence to consider the potential benefits of sweeteners individually, rather than as a uniform whole. The robustness and validation work that went into the SIFR® technology used, allowed us to pinpoint specific health-promoting pathways in relation to specific low and no calorie sweeteners.”

^*In ex vivo studies, living tissues are directly taken from a living organism and studied in a laboratory with minimal alterations to the organism’s natural conditions.

Import Promotion Desk (IPD) presents special sweeteners and a wide variety of dried fruits from developing and emerging countries

Sweet treats are on offer at the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) stand: Arenga palm sugar and coconut blossom sugar from Indonesia and Sri Lanka as well as date syrup and sugar from Jordan and Tunisia. At Anuga, which takes place from 7 to 11 October in Cologne, Germany, IPD will also present a wide variety of dried fruits, purees and fruit chunks. Producers from Egypt, Tunisia, Colombia, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan will bring this fruity sweetness to Cologne. All in all, the import promotion initiative, a project of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is presenting over 40 companies from 13 developing and emerging countries at Anuga in Hall 4.1, booth C91. The screened producers have a very diverse range of natural ingredients in their luggage.

Sugar from flower nectar of the coconut and Arenga palm tree

An exclusive sweetness is extracted from flower nectar of the coconut palm and the Arenga palm, which is processed into sugar without the addition of additives. Both types of sugar have a malty, caramel-like aroma and are less sweet than household sugar. The producers from Sri Lanka and Indonesia offer their sugar varieties in organic quality. Moreover, the products are HACCP and ISO 22000 certified. Besides granulated sugar, the companies also have syrup and block sugar in their product range. Exhibitors from Tunisia and Jordan process dates into syrup and sugar. The sweeteners have significantly fewer calories than household sugar. Syrup and sugar consist mainly of fructose and retain the typical date flavour. The producers also offer a wide range of date products – such as date coffee and date ketchup! The companies are HACCP, ISO or FSCC 22000 certified.

Sweetness from special fruit variations

A wide range of processed fruits will be presented by the IPD companies at Anuga this year. Freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and currants come from Uzbekistan. An Egyptian company is using the freeze-drying process for strawberries, mangoes, citrus fruits and pineapples. Dried mangoes and pineapples come from Ghana. Tunisian producers offer dates and various types of figs. An IPD company from Sri Lanka provides special sweetness: it produces dried jackfruit. And a Colombian company presents juicy pieces of mangoes, papaya, pineapple, bananas and passion fruit and frozen fruit purees.

In addition, the IPD will be presenting carefully selected suppliers of these products at Anuga Cologne in Hall 4.1, booth C91: Spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, chili or vanilla beans, as well as a wide variety of nuts, oil seeds or oils such as argan, avocado or coconut oil.

Position as a leading global provider of sugar reduction and clean-label solutions strengthened by acquisition of stevia sweetener solutions business

Tate & Lyle PLC (Tate & Lyle), a leading global provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Sweet Green Fields (SGF), a leading global stevia solutions business.

The acquisition of SGF brings a broad portfolio of stevia products and a fully integrated stevia supply chain to Tate & Lyle including leaf sourcing, leaf varietal development, established agricultural programmes and cost-efficient manufacturing. It strengthens Tate & Lyle’s position as a leading provider of innovative sweetener solutions with the capabilities to create foods and beverages that are lower in sugar and calories and with cleaner labels for customers across the world. The acquisition also extends Tate & Lyle’s presence in the faster growing Asia Pacific region with dedicated stevia production and research and development facilities located in Anji, China.

Tate & Lyle began its partnership with SGF in 2017 becoming the exclusive global distributor of SGF’s portfolio of stevia-based ingredients and solutions, and then acquired a 15 % equity holding in SGF the following year. Tate & Lyle’s acquisition of the remaining shares of SGF simplifies the existing relationship by creating a fully integrated supply chain and commercial organisation, unified research and development capabilities, and combined strengths to accelerate innovation and optimise production technologies. Sweet Green Fields revenue for the year ending 31 December 2020 is expected to be around US$50 million, including revenue for products Tate & Lyle currently sells as distribution agent.

Stevia is one of the fastest growing low-calorie sweeteners used globally, particularly in beverages, dairy and snacks, as demand from consumers continues to grow for foods and beverages that are lower in sugar and calories. Globally, from 2015 to 2019, product launches that contain stevia grew by compound annual growth rate of 15 %.¹ In the year ended 31 March 2020, Tate & Lyle’s stevia revenues grew by 23 %, making it an important contributor to New Products revenue growth.

¹Mintel GNPD

What others consider waste, Fooditive considers a primary resource. Its new 100 % natural sweetener is produced from apple and pear leftovers, making it a chemical- and allergen-free sugar substitute. The sweetener came into fruition after founder and food scientist the Jordanian, Moayad Abushokhedim noticed that the multi-billion-dollar industry had been dominated by unhealthy sweeteners and had seldom seen change. Cue Fooditive.

Fooditive’s “mission is to develop food additives that contribute to a healthier body and a healthier environment” (Abushokhedim) with sustainability at its core. In 2019, Fooditive caught Rabobank’s attention and was awarded the Innovation Loan.

“Fooditive contributes to the European food industry by offering healthy alternatives to chemical sweeteners. Additionally, this product helps battle food waste. This fits in with our vision of Banking for Food: Rabobank wants to facilitate and support entrepreneurs in the agricultural and food industries, now and in the future to contribute to a more sustainable way of feeding the world” (Wiel Hopmans, SME account manager at Rabobank Rotterdam).

Fooditive is currently developing a range of other products in food ingredients, the specifics of which will be revealed later this year. The sweetener complies with EU organic standards, which has led to Fooditive being awarded the Skal certification meaning it can also produce an organic sweetener next to its regular one. In 2019, Fooditive have partnered with sustainable third-party production company Bodec. Allowing the zero-calorie sweetener to reach consumers through products in Dutch supermarkets. This year, it will be further distributed to various food and beverage companies across the Netherlands.

Last year, Fooditive began collaborating with Rotterdam Circulair, an organisation that is dedicated to reducing, re-using and recycling waste and whose ultimate goal is to transition from a linear to a circular economy by 2030. Fooditive plays a major role in achieving this target because its sweetener is transforming and challenging the long-standing sugar-substitute industry from a greener, healthier and more sustainable perspective.

It is not just the Netherlands that is interested in Fooditive, Sweden also wants to pear up. In October 2019, €100,065.63 was raised to set up the now registered branch in Stockholm. Future plans include expanding to the UK and Jordan. By starting production in these countries, Fooditive aims to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to an all-round better future.

Customers will be offered a broad Cargill range of food ingredients and solutions for various applications to make their business a success

Caldic and Cargill have reached an agreement making Caldic Ingredients Deutschland GmbH the exclusive distribution partner for Cargill’s starches, sweeteners and texturizers for food applications in Germany and Austria. The collaboration with Cargill will expand Caldic’s offering to customers in food markets such as bakery, convenience, confectionery, dairy and beverage.

Caldic Ingredients Deutschland GmbH is part of the Caldic Group, serving the Food segment, as well as Life Science and Industrial applications. In recent years, Caldic and Cargill have successfully developed customer relationships and enabled food manufacturers to win in their markets in various other European countries.

reasons to initiate this partnership. “We are very pleased with this agreement, because Cargill and Caldic are both aiming for leadership positions in their chosen market segments”, says Stephan Neis, Managing Director of Caldic Ingredients Deutschland GmbH. “When it comes to developing innovative solutions with a service-oriented character, we are clearly aligned with Cargill. With an extended on-trend product portfolio, tailored manufacturing and state-of-the-art application services there is no doubt we will take our full-service distribution model to the next level.”

Alain Dufait, Managing Director for Cargill Starches, Sweeteners & Texturizers business in Europe, adds: “Caldic has an excellent customer approach and a strong organization in Germany. We have been impressed by Caldic’s way of developing solutions for their customers and their entrepreneurial spirit. We are enthusiastic about this partnership, because it will allow us to expand our solutions to the German and Austrian food market.”

Following the publication of a study carried out by Cochrane – a British medical research charity – to provide evidence for the World Health Organization in readiment for its own report into low- and no-calorie sweeteners, a number of media outlets have picked up the story.

The review did not find solid evidence of any major safety issues.

Gavin Partington, Director General at British Soft Drinks Association, said:

“Low- and no-calorie sweeteners allow consumers to enjoy sweetness while managing sugars and calories in their everyday lives. Because they taste good and are low- or calorie-free, people are more likely to combine them with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle and stick to their dietary goals for weight management.

“In March 2017, the UK Government and Public Health England publicly endorsed the use of low-calorie sweeteners as a safe alternative to reduce sugar in food and drink and help people manage their weight.

“The increased use of low-calorie sweeteners in soft drinks has led to a significant reduction in sugar and calorie intake (from soft drinks). Kantar Worldpanel data shows overall sugar intake from soft drinks is down by 22.9% since 2014.”

62 % increase in plant-based product claims, says Innova Market Insights

Plant-based innovation is flourishing. Growing consumer interest in health, sustainability and ethics is driving plant-derived ingredients and products into high popularity. Innova Market Insights reports that plant-based product claims increased by 62 % globally (CAGR, 2013-2017) with growth occurring on platforms such as plant proteins, active botanicals, sweeteners, herbs & seasonings and coloring foodstuffs.

“The dairy alternatives market has been a particular beneficiary of this trend,” says Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights. “With the growing availability and promotion of plant-based options to traditional dairy lines, specifically milk beverages, and cultured products such as yogurt, frozen desserts and ice cream,” she states.

The dairy alternatives category was largely pioneered by and continues to be led by beverages. Global sales of dairy alternative drinks are set to reach US$16.3bn in 2018 and they accounted for over 8 % of global dairy launches recorded by Innova Market Insights in 2017, up from 7 % over 2016. Actual global launches have more than doubled over a five-year period.

Spoonable non-dairy yogurt has also seen strongly rising levels of interest, but from a smaller base, with a 48 % CAGR for the 2013-2017 period taking its share of dairy launches from less than 0.5 % in 2012 to 1.5 % in 2017. According to Innova Market Insights’ consumer research, one in three US consumers have increased their consumption of plant-based milk/yogurt in the two years to the end of 2017.

“In the move to offer something new, we are starting to see an increasing variety of non-soy plant-based ingredients, including cereals such as rice, oats and barley,” notes Williams. “We also noticed an increase in nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts and macadamias, as well as coconut and more unusual options such as lupin, hemp and flaxseed.”

Interest in plant-based eating is clearly reflected in developments in the meat substitutes market, where global sales are set to grow to US$4.2bn by 2022. The range of ingredients used for meat substitutes includes vegetables and grains, as well as traditional sources such as soy and specialist manufactured brands such as Quorn and Valess.

Gravitation towards plant-based diets in general, along with interest in vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian lifestyles and concerns over animal welfare, have together served to increase interest and NPD has subsequently seen an 11 % CAGR for the 2013-2017 period. Research also indicates that four in ten US consumers increased their consumption of meat substitutes/alternatives during 2017.

This Trading Statement covers the period from 1 April 2017 to 30 June 2017, which is the first quarter of the financial year.

The Group made an encouraging start to the year with profit in constant currency ahead of the comparative period, and volume ahead in both divisions.

In core Speciality Food Ingredients:

• North America, where the overall Food and Beverage market remained soft, saw modest volume growth with firmer volume from some larger customers, and also continued to make progress in broadening its customer base.
• Asia Pacific and Latin America, and Europe, Middle East and Africa delivered strong volume growth.

In the remainder of the Speciality Food Ingredients division, Food Systems volume was in line with the comparative period and SPLENDA^® Sucralose performed as expected.
• In Bulk Ingredients, the core business performed well driven by solid demand for sweeteners and industrial starches, firm US bulk sweetener margins, and continued strong manufacturing performance. In Commodities, performance was ahead of the comparative period.

Overall, we continue to expect that the Group will make underlying progress in the full year.