Trading Statement

Tate & Lyle PLC
                  

23 September 2004 - Tate & Lyle PLC

Trading Update

In line with its regular practice, Tate & Lyle issues the following trading
update prior to meeting with stockbrokers' analysts and entering its closed
period for interim results to 30 September 2004. The interim results will be
announced on 4 November 2004.

Trading since the update issued on 28 July 2004, prior to the Annual General
Meeting, has continued to go well. Over the five months to August 2004, profit
before tax and exceptional items has exceeded both our budgetary expectations
and the corresponding period of the prior year.

SPLENDA(R) Sucralose has seen exceptional growth. This partially
reflects initial uptake by customers to fill the pipeline for new
product launches and has been achieved through increased production
(as we improve efficiency and implement the first of the capacity
expansions announced earlier this year), and a drawdown against
inventory. One-off costs of integrating the business have been lower
than our original estimate.

The sharp increase in wheat and corn raw material prices in the second half of
the March 2004 financial year has, as anticipated, caused profits at Amylum in
the five months to be below those in the corresponding period. These cereal
prices have subsequently declined close to the level before last year's price
increase. Good growth has been experienced in value added food ingredients.

Staley in the US has, as we predicted, experienced reduced sweetener volumes;
these have been offset by good growth in food ingredients and industrial
starches. Ethanol has also performed strongly. The citric acid product line
traded profitably (a small loss was incurred in the corresponding period). The
astaxanthin plant to produce AquastaTM (an essential nutrient and pigment for
farm raised fish) in the UK has started production.

Our sugar operations in the UK, Portugal and Canada all performed at or above
plan levels. There has not been any new information or clarification on the
proposal for reform of the EU sugar regime which was tabled by the European
Commission in July. Our lobbying to ensure fair treatment for the cane refiners
continues.

CONTACTS

Mark Robinson, Head of Investor Relations
Tel: [phone] or Mobile: [phone] 
[e-mail]

Chris Fox, Director of Corporate Relations (Press)
Tel: [phone] or Mobile: [phone]

Tate & Lyle is a world leader in renewable ingredients. Its core competence is
to take corn, wheat or sugar, and add value to these raw materials through
technology. As a result of continuous innovation it offers an ever-wider product
portfolio of versatile and functional ingredients. These products include Cereal
Sweeteners, Starches, Sugars, Citric Acid and SPLENDA(R) Sucralose. Tate & Lyle
products have wide applications in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetic,
paper, packaging and building industries. With headquarters in London, Tate &
Lyle operates more than 41 plants and 20 additional production facilities in 28
countries, almost all in Europe and the Americas. It employs 6,700 people in its
subsidiaries with a further 4,800 employed in joint ventures. Sales in the year
to 31 March 2004 totalled £3,167 million. More details are available on this
website www.tateandlyle.com.

SPLENDA(R) is a trademark of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC