Product Launch

Product Launch 

    LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2002--

    Tate & Lyle announces plans for new food ingredients

Tate & Lyle PLC today announced plans to develop and manufacture a new
range of products based on its world-leading fermentation capability.
An efficient proprietary process, newly developed by Tate & Lyle's
Research & Development team, will be commercialised to produce Xanthan
Gum and other related bio products from carbohydrate feedstock.

Xanthan, which currently has a global market that totals more than
$250 million, is used extensively as a food ingredient, offering
thickening and gelling properties. It also has a number of important
industrial applications in coatings, pharmaceuticals, adhesives,
cosmetics and oil well fluids.

The phase-one plant will be added to existing facilities in Decatur,
Illinois. First product from the plant is expected to be commercially
available within approximately 18 months. It is anticipated that
full-scale capacity will be added in subsequent phases, dependent on
market conditions.

'This move is in line with our strategy to grow Tate & Lyle's valued
added carbohydrate-based ingredients,' Simon Gifford, Tate & Lyle
Group Finance Director said. 'We already supply the world's major
branded food companies with a range of high-quality ingredients. This
development will widen our product base using our existing sales,
technical and distribution teams as well as providing an important
testing platform for fermentation developments coming out of our
global Research and Development team.'

For more information contact:

Mark Robinson:  020 7626 6525
Chris Fox:  020 7626 6525 (Press)


About Tate & Lyle

Tate & Lyle is a world leader in carbohydrate ingredients. Our core
competence is to take basic carbohydrates - corn, wheat or sugar - and
add value to these raw materials through technology. As a result of
continuous innovation we offer an ever-wider product portfolio of
versatile and functional ingredients. These products include Cereal
Sweeteners, Starches, Sugars and Citric Acid. Our products have wide
applications in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, paper,
packaging and building industries.

With headquarters in London, the Group has 8,500 employees and 50
plants in 24 countries. Sales in the 53 weeks to 31 March 2002
totalled £3.9bn. Tate & Lyle ordinary shares trade on the London Stock
Exchange under TATE.L. In the US, ADRs trade on the NASD OTC Bulletin
Board under TATYY (each ADR is equal to four ordinary shares).
Additional information can be found at the website
www.tateandlyle.com.

   Short Name: Tate & Lyle PLC
   Category Code: PRL
   Sequence Number: 00001437
   Time of Receipt (offset from UTC): 20021217T084600+0000