Tate & Lyle invests €25m to expand dietary fibre capacity

The €25m investment has been used to expand Tate & Lyle’s capacity at the Slovakian site for its ‘non-GMO promitor soluble fibres’.

This is a corn-based, soluble fibre which is said to possess twice the digestive tolerance of inulin, reducing the possibility of digestive discomfort. Moreover, its high fibre content means it can be used at lower inclusion levels whilst still reaching nutritional targets.

This is the first phase of a wider programme, which Tate & Lyle expects will significantly increase its fibre capacity to serve both its European and global customer base.

Speaking on the investment, Igor Kovačovič, Tate & Lyle's plant manager at the Boleráz facility said that the expansion will not only give the organisation the ability to expand existing Promitor product lines, but also allow for the ‘seamless’ introduction of new ones in the future.

The new lines come at a time when demand for dietary fibres​​ is on the rise, as gut health, immunity and mental health are top of mind. In fact, Tate & Lyle research found that as many as 54% of global consumers plan to consume more fibre.

At the same time, the company reports that customer demand for sugar reduction solutions is continuing to grow, with fibre playing an increasingly important role as a value added, nutritious bulking ingredient.

Abigail Storms, Tate & Lyle’s SVP fibre and sweetener platform, added: “Our customers appreciate Tate & Lyle has an industry leading soluble fibre production network with capacity in three continents. The addition of this new capacity at this production facility means we can offer customers even greater security of fibre supply at greater speed, supporting consumer demand for more accessible fibre enhanced nutrition.”​