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Tate & Lyle and BioHarvest Sciences have reported progress on their collaboration to develop ‘next-generation’ plant-based sweeteners, confirming that BioHarvest’s Botanical Synthesis platform can produce their targeted sweetening solution.

The partnership between the two companies was announced in late 2024, aiming to address demand for sustainable and healthy plant-derived sweeteners that can be used to enhance taste in sugar-reduced and sugar-free food and beverage products.

It was expanded earlier this year, with the scope broadened to include multiple plant-based sweetener molecules.

Now, the latest milestone marks continued progress in the collaboration, with development activities continuing to advance in line with expectations. BioHarvest’s Botanical Synthesis platform, based on plant cell cultivation technology, can reduce the industry’s reliance on traditional agricultural extraction for botanicals, aligning with both companies’ sustainability goals and the ambitions of the broader food and beverage industry.

The approach could also improve consistency and supply reliability, while reducing some of the time, labour and natural resources required to produce certain ingredients.

Susanna Palatucci, vice president of commercial innovation and strategy at Tate & Lyle, said: “Different food and beverage categories demand different balances of taste, nutrition, cost and labelling, which is why building a broader toolbox of solutions matters”.

“This milestone further bolsters the potential of BioHarvest’s Botanical Synthesis platform and the role new approaches to ingredient development could play in helping us meet those varied customer needs across our portfolio.”