This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are celebrating our women scientists whose work shapes what millions of people eat every day and helps tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.
Around the world, communities are grappling with rising obesity and malnutrition, while our food system is also a major contributor to the climate crisis. Science is essential to changing this trajectory. For generations, advances in food science have made food safer, more affordable and available at scale - from early preservation and canning through to refrigeration, pasteurisation and today’s reformulation and fortification efforts.
“There isn’t a single food product that isn't connected to chemistry, physics or biology,” explains Victoria Spadaro-Grant, Tate & Lyle’s Chief Science and Innovation Officer. “Understanding those disciplines is incredibly useful in order to understand how foods are made.” By understanding the role an ingredient plays in a recipe at a molecular level, our food scientists are helping food and drink companies to make healthier food at scale to feed the world’s growing population.
“We help customers reformulate foods to cut sugar and calories and also optimise nutrition, including adding fibres,” explains Mabelyn Tan, Tate & Lyle’s Associate Principal Scientist. “My role is to become best friends with our ingredients – to understand their strengths – and figure out how they best fit with our customers’ needs.”
It doesn’t stop there. Our scientists are driving change in a range of areas, from food science to innovation, from nutrition science to sustainability. “I had always wanted to work for a company to help them decrease their impact on the environment. I found myself at Tate & Lyle, which I see as the perfect match of my personal purpose and a company that's on the same path,” explained Anna Pierce Tate & Lyle’s Director of Sustainability.
With expertise in many different specialisms, what unites our colleagues is a shared purpose: to improve lives through the science of food.
Watch our video to hear how our colleagues are making a difference through science.