Tate & Lyle takes on new protein ingredient technology for food texturants

Nandi Proteins was spun out of Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2001. Its technology takes common proteins from egg, whey and soy and completely unfolds and then adjusts them to impart desirable qualities in foods and beverages, such as improved emulsification, for example.

Tate & Lyle will gain an exclusive global licence for the technology’s use in food and beverage, and will be responsible for its development and eventual commercialisation.

The partnership was formed through Tate & Lyle’s Open Innovation team, which looks to universities, research institutes and start-ups specialising in food science, with the aim of commercialising their technologies for use in new products.

John Stewart, Open Innovation Manager at Tate & Lyle said: “We look forward to further developing Nandi’s food ingredient technology which has the potential to be an excellent addition to our texturants offering. This agreement represents another example of Tate & Lyle’s Open Innovation team successfully developing strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with early-stage companies.”​

Nandi will retain the right to develop its use for other applications, such as the pharmaceutical industry.

Executive chairman of Nandi Proteins Ltd Mike Brennand said: “Our agreement with Tate & Lyle is a powerful validation of Nandi’s approach of developing partnerships with major food industry players. Tate & Lyle’s technical resources and global customer reach combined with our technology make this a ‘win-win’ partnership and we look forward to a long and successful partnership in the years to come.”​

Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.