Frequently Asked Questions Taste experience sugar, inspired by flavours around the world, will get you baking and cooking with our recipe list. Frequently Asked Questions by Tate & Lyle

Health and nutrition

Are Tate & Lyle sugars and syrups suitable for vegans?   

All of our sugars and syrups are suitable for vegans, except Tate & Lyle Traditional Royal Icing Sugar, which contains egg white.

Are Tate & Lyle sugars and syrups GM free?

We have an agreement with our suppliers that we will take only raw sugar extracted only from non-genetically modified cane.

Are Tate & Lyle sugars and syrups suitable for vegetarians?

All of our sugar products are suitable for vegetarians.

Are your products Kosher?

We currently hold Kosher Certification for: Tate & Lyle Granulated Sugar, Tate & Lyle Caster Sugar, Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar, Tate & Lyle Traditional Royal Icing, Dark Brown Soft Sugar, Light Brown Soft Sugar, Tate & Lyle Demerara Sugar, Tate & Lyle Organic Demerara Sugar, Tate & Lyle Sugar Cubes, Lyle's Golden Syrup, Lyle's Golden Syrup Pouring, Lyle's Black Treacle, and Lyle's Squeezy Syrups.

Plus all New Taste Experience Brown and Golden sugars AND new Lyle’s Golden Syrup New Baking 600g bottle and the new portion sachets.

What procedure is undertaken for Kosher labelling?

The London Beth Din audits our premises and production procedures twice a year and issues certification on the basis of this audit.

Why are there E numbers in some of your sugars and syrups?

Tate & Lyle Sugars strives to produce sugars and syrups containing natural ingredients. In some instances, we have added products that carry an E number to enhance performance. Currently E330 (citric acid) is added to Tate & Lyle Jam Sugar and Tate & Lyle Traditional Royal Icing Sugar and some of our flavoured syrups to ensure an adequate set and to improve flavour. Citric acid is found in living organisms and is a normal intermediate product in the metabolism of carbohydrates. Anti-caking agent E554 is used in Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar to absorb moisture from the air, so that your sugar will not be lumpy or hard in texture. 

Under today's law on European food standards, every additive or preservative put into food must be identified and given a number that have been shown to be safe, which is its E-number. All E-numbers present in UK food and drinks are regulated by the Food Standards Agency.

Tate & Lyle strives to produce sugars and syrups containing natural ingredients. In some instances, we have added products that carry an E number to enhance performance. Currently E330 (citric acid) is added to Jam Sugar and Traditional Royal Icing Sugar to ensure an adequate set and to improve flavour. Citric acid is found in living organisms and is a normal intermediate product in the metabolism of carbohydrates. Anti caking agent E554 is used in Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar to absorb moisture from the air, so that your sugar will not be lumpy or hard in texture.

Does sugar go out of date?

Sugar is a natural preservative and does not deteriorate under suitable storage conditions. Crystalline sugar products will, if suitably stored, remain safe to be consumed almost indefinitely. Under some conditions brown sugars may go hard, but they can be returned to their original consistency by placing in a bowl covered with a damp cloth overnight.

However, Light at Heart® and Royal Icing sugar will feature a Best Before Date due to containing more than sugar within their ingredient list.

How do you measure Lyle’s Golden Syrup?

The easiest way is to use a tablespoon.
1 tablespoon = 1 oz or 21g.

How do you stop Tate & Lyle Royal Icing Sugar from going hard?

Simply place it in an airtight container.

Should pregnant women avoid any of your products?

All our Tate & Lyle sugar products are fine for pregnant women - even the dried egg white in royal icing sugar has been pasteurised and so is safe for pregnant women to eat.

Do any of your products contain gluten?

All Tate & Lyle cane sugar products can be stated as gluten free.

I have Galactosemia - should I avoid any of your products?

Since pectin is a polymer containing galacturonic acid, which may digest to galactose, you may wish to avoid Tate & Lyle Jam Sugar.

Are there nuts in any of your products?

No Tate & Lyle sugar products contain nuts.

Do any of your products contain eggs?

Only Tate & Lyle Traditional Royal Icing Sugar, which contains dried egg white.

Do any of your products contain milk?

Lyle's Squeezy Chocolate flavour contains sweetened condensed milk. All of our other Tate & Lyle sugar and syrup products do not contain milk or milk derivatives.

Are your products fat free and cholesterol free?

Lyle's Squeezy Syrup Chocolate flavour contains 6.6% fat. All our other Tate & Lyle sugar products are fat and cholesterol free.

Do any of your products contain monosodium glutamate?

None of our Tate & Lyle sugar products contain monosodium glutamate.

What does fructose offer?

Tate & Lyle Fruit Sugar, made from fructose, has a low Glycaemic Index (GI) so it is a good choice for anyone following a GI based diet. This mean its energy is absorbed more slowly by the body, so it may help you to sustain steady blood sugar levels and to feel full for longer. It has a much sweeter taste than ordinary sugar so just use a third less. Please note that your blood sugar will be affected by other dietary factors including the total carbohydrates in the foods you eat.

Is brown sugar healthier?

It contains more of the components of the original sugar cane, which are responsible for its characteristic cane flavour. However, the differences between brown and white sugar are nutritionally insignificant in a well balanced diet.

Are your products Halal?

We currently hold Halal Certification for:
Tate & Lyle Granulated Sugar
Tate & Lyle Caster Sugar
Tate & Lyle Preserving Sugar
Tate & Lyle Icing Sugar
Lyle’s Golden Syrup
Lyle’s Squeezys all flavours
Lyle’s Black Treacle
Lyle’s Maple Pouring Syrup

What procedure is undertaken for Halal certification?

The European Halal Development Agency audits our sites on an annual basis and certification is given based on compliance with their manufacturing standard.

Taste Experience Golden and Brown cane sugars

Why do we have both large and small golden and brown sugar packs?

We have both listened to how our friends used these sugars and had first-hand experience which suggested not every recipe required a full 1kg of sugar. Waste is never good and so we have looked to reduce the frustration of storing lots of unused bags of sugar by offering both large and small packs.

Why are there two sizes/weights of both large packs and small packs?

Quite simply –   sugars can have different moisture content and crystal sizes which give different volume. This results in some sugars having a variable bulk density which means that they can take up more or less room in the bag and require bigger and smaller bag.

What can I use the British inspired Golden Syrup cane sugar for? 

This should be seen as the most exciting new sugar to have been launched in the UK in a generation. It has very distinctive taste profiles that truly present and hero the great flavour that this range of sugars offers. The Golden Syrup sugar is rich, bold and beautifully distinctive with a luscious, lingering sweetness. So it would enhance any cakes, glazes and desserts. Look for more great “inspired” recipes on the Golden Syrup Sugar webpage.

Where do the inspirations from these sugars come from?

The inspirations are drawn from the true histories and geographies that have helped inspire bringing together this collection and great variation of different sugar types. They reflect processes, styles and key cane sugar production areas across the globe that Tate & Lyle Sugars has had a relationship with.

Are these not your old brown sugars simply in new packaging?

No, except for Demerara, these are all entirely new sugars that have been produced to optimise their distinct flavour profiles in order to create an effective range of different brown and golden sugars with clear and understandable distinctly different uses.

Do you coat white sugar with molasses?

No we are not coating white refined sugar with molasses. Like all other cane sugar products we vary the degree of molasses coating on the sugar crystal.

Are your sugars mingled?

Mingling is a name used for a valuable industrial process within the sugar industry which enables our skilled production team to blend the best flavours using differing degrees of molasses. So like a mixologist or a coffee baristas, yes we blend the best flavours to deliver the best results and great tasting flavour. All different brown and golden sugars have by definition varying degrees of molasses content to enable them to be uniquely different.

Light at Heart®

What is Light at Heart®?

Light at Heart® contains 100% naturally sourced ingredients including pure cane sugar, sweet Stevia plant leaf extract and natural flavour. It is available in both 450g white and brown varieties, so it can help you cook with versatility and enjoy fantastic results.

Where is Light at Heart’s Stevia sourced from?

Currently we source our Stevia leaf extract from China.

Why combine sugar with Stevia?

We believe that you should not have to compromise taste and performance when seeking lower calorie solutions. By blending together cane sugar and stevia, we are able to offer a product which is twice as sweet as sugar saving 50% less calories in usage (as you only need to use half as much). The result: a lower calorie sugar solution that does not compromise on taste, texture or versatility. And we’ve managed to do it using just naturally sourced ingredients!

Why does Light at Heart® contain a natural flavouring?

A natural flavour is added to prevent the liquorice aftertaste of Stevia coming through; hence it helps the sweet leaf extract to taste sweet like sugar. It’s a flavour from a natural source. At a technical level the natural sugar and Stevia blend is stable at cooking temperatures. Have a go and why not try our great recipes. Hope you will be as much impressed by the results as we were when trying them. 

Is Light at Heart® made from 100% natural sourced ingredients?

Yes, all the ingredients in both white and brown Light at Heart® variants are 100% naturally sourced.

Why is Light at Heart® available in a white and brown variant?

As with normal sugar there is a market for both brown and white sugar. Many consumers use white as a staple sugar and brown for adding specifically to coffee or for baking. Our brown sugar blend is made from Demerara sugar which has a rich, creamy, molasses-like flavour which enhances the taste of many baked goods.

Can I use Light at Heart® just like I use regular sugar?

Yes and our recipes should prove you how great it is to cook with Light at Heart®! Using Light at Heart® could not be simpler.  Simply replace sugar with half the quantity of Light at Heart and progress as you would normally. This applies for anything from sweetening your tea to baking cakes.

Is Light at Heart® good for baking?

Yes and we hope that our recipes should prove you that using Light at Heart® lets you achieve the same texture, taste & sweetness you would expect from something cooked containing regular sugar. The good news is it will have fewer calories because you only need to use half as much Light at Heart® as you would sugar.