Late February saw global ingredients supplier Tate & Lyle PLC host an industry editor tour of its North American Innovation Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., near Chicago.

The event gave Tate & Lyle opportunity to showcase two key business developments. For starters, it offers a larger ingredient portfolio following the mid-November 2024 purchase of Huber’s CP Kelco, a manufacturer of pectins and gums. Secondly, Tate & Lyle formed The Natural Sweetener Alliance last fall with with Manus, a bioalternatives scale-up company. The first ingredient to be jointly introduced is stevia Reb M produced at Manus’ large-scale BioFacility in Augusta, Ga. It leverages Manus’ “all-Americas” supply chain—from stevia leaf, extraction, and bioconversion to final ingredient.

Tate & Lyle’s innovation center tour included a lunch menu developed by Senior Research Chef Christine Kerekes. Afterward, editors visited a wet products lab led by Adrienne Pohrte, senior manager, Food and Beverage Solutions; and a bakery lab and pilot facility led by Mike Merkley, senior scientist.

Editors next toured Tate & Lyle’s North American sensory center with Ryan Dillman, research scientist, Sensory.

Jim Smoot, director, R&D-Texturants, shared an inside look at Tate & Lyle’s new “Automated Laboratory for Ingredient Experimentation,” known as “ALFIE.” Opened last October in Singapore, ALFIE can run ingredient characterization tests at around 10 times the current rate, and provides enhanced predictive modeling, said Smoot. It features two robotic systems with complete connectivity and seamless data flow. Ultimately, by accelerating sample production, characterization and modeling, Smoot said Tate & Lyle can more efficiently trial new ingredients and create new customer solutions for at a greater pace.

Prototype Pantry Showcase & Tasting
Tate & Lyle’s Innovation Center tour ended with a stop at its culinary center where scientists presented five on-trend food and beverage prototypes. Each demonstrated Tate & Lyle’s work with sugar reduction (primarily incorporating stevia Reb M), fiber enrichment (featuring PROMITOR soluble fiber) and texture (highlighting T&L starch and CP Kelco gum technologies).

On hand to discuss trends, tastes and Tate & Lyle ingredients was Sophia Pai, vice president, Global Applications and NOAM Technical Service. Her team’s prototype offerings included …  

…  a kids Strawberry Kiwi hydration beverage, presented by Associate Principal Scientist Jessica Schroeder;
… a no-sugar added, Cinnamon Toast Swirl plant protein shake, presented by Associate Scientist Analiese Goins;
… enhanced texture Vanilla ice cream, presented by Associate Principal Scientist Trevor Bone;
… a blue raspberry “wiggle pop” frozen dessert, presented by Food Scientist Louie Le; and
… cheesecake-filled dessert Rangoon with no-sugar added dragon fruit sauce, presented by

Principal Scientist Trupti Palav.