Tate & Lyle has launched an automated facility in Singapore, which will be used to develop more effective mouthfeel solutions. The British-headquartered F&B supplier will use automated robotics to provide faster and more accurate ingredient designs and enable products to hit markets faster. 

Known as the Automated Laboratory for Ingredient Experimentation (ALFIE), the lab will be housed in the company’s Customer Collaboration and Innovation Center in the country.

ALFIE is the result of a significant investment by Tate & Lyle, with the ability to run characterization tests at around ten times the current rate.

Nick Hampton, CEO at Tate & Lyle, says: “With this multi-million-pound investment, we are transforming the new product development process for our mouthfeel solutions, empowering our scientists to accelerate experiment design, analysis and delivery of innovative solutions for customers.”

“Our goal was to create a revolutionary tool that will better predict product performance in food manufacturing, allowing us to create faster and improved solutions to customer challenges.”

“ALFIE’s cutting-edge technology will enable us to push the boundaries of food innovation, speed up our customers’ innovation cycles, improve consumer choice for healthier food and beverages and help shape the future of the food industry.”

Targeting food innovation

Additionally, the lab can provide predictive modeling and consists of two robotic systems with complete connectivity and seamless data flow for faster ingredient and solution design.

ALFIE finds support from the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and will be operated by Tate & Lyle’s on-site scientists.

Marcus Dass, SVP of Global Enterprises at Singapore EDB, says: “The opening of ALFIE reflects Singapore’s position as a trusted hub for the region and cutting-edge innovation in the food and nutrition space. We look forward to the lab accelerating ingredient solution discoveries and enriching Asia’s food innovation ecosystem.”

The facility will also be linked to Tate & Lyle’s Customer Collaboration and Innovation Centre in Hoffman Estates, near Chicago, US, wher experts can operate the lab virtually.

“ALFIE will redefine research and development in our industry. With automation and advanced data analytics at its core, it will accelerate innovation, enabling us to provide tailored solutions for our customers’ most complex needs. Its unique system will offer our customers access to technology and insights they didn’t have before,” says Andrew Taylor, president of Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America at Tate & Lyle.

“The launch of ALFIE also aligns with Singapore’s Food Manufacturing Industry Transformation Map 2025, which charts the development of Singapore into a leading food and nutrition hub in Asia.”

In other news, the company said earlier this month that it no longer needs stakeholder approval for the US$1.8 billion proposed buyout of CP Kelco from J.M Huber Corporation. The decision is based on the Financial Conduct Authority’s changes to the UK Listing Rules, which took effect on July 29.