Global food and beverage ingredients manufacturer Tate & Lyle has acquired stevia solutions provider Sweet Green Fields (SGF) for an undisclosed sum.

As part of the deal, Tate & Lyle will acquire SGF’s portfolio of stevia products and a fully integrated stevia supply chain, including leaf sourcing, leaf varietal development, and manufacturing.

The deal is expected to further bolster Tate & Lyle’s position as the supplier of sugar reduction and clean-label solutions for the food and beverage industries.

Tate & Lyle chief executive Nick Hampton said: “Sweet Green Fields is an exceptional business with a leading portfolio of stevia solutions, a strong team of stevia experts and an impressive, fully integrated supply chain.

“We are delighted to take our relationship to the next level by bringing Sweet Green Fields into the Tate & Lyle family.

“This acquisition supports our strategy to grow our sweetener solutions portfolio and our purpose of Improving Lives for Generations by helping us to deliver tasty food and beverages with less sugar to consumers worldwide.”

The transaction would also increase Tate & Lyle’s presence in the Asia Pacific region, which has stevia production and research and development facilities in Anji, China.

In 2017, Tate & Lyle and SGF began their partnership, under which Tate & Lyle became the exclusive global distributor of SGF’s stevia-based ingredients and solutions. Tate & Lyle acquired a 15% stake SGF in 2018.

Following the acquisition of the remaining stake, Tate & Lyle intends to create a fully integrated supply chain, along with unified research and development capabilities.

Sweet Green Fields chief executive Dean Francis said: “I am proud of the leading stevia business that the Sweet Green Fields team has built.

“Tate & Lyle, with its global customer reach, innovation focus, and strong sweetener portfolio, is the ideal company to take Sweet Green Fields forward, supporting food and beverage customers across the globe and enabling healthier consumer diets.”

In October, Tate & Lyle agreed to acquire an 85% stake in Chaodee Modified Starch (CMS), a Thailand-based manufacturer of tapioca-modified food starch.