Sugar manufacturer Tate and Lyle has revealed it has filed a case in the US alleging patent infringement of its sweetener manufacturing technology.
The London-based firm announced that on April 6th it filed an International Trade Commission (ITC) case against three Chinese manufacturer groups as well as 18 importers and distributors.
Named as Hebei Sukerui Science and Technology, Changzhou Niutang Chemical Plant and Guangdong Food Industry Institute, Tate and Lyle allege the three firms stole its technology in producing sucralose.
"Our sucralose manufacturing technology is protected by a robust and sophisticated patent estate, which we will defend rigorously," Robert Gibber of Tate and Lyle's general council said.
"We are now ready to proceed with this broader ITC case and so extend our enforcement action to two more Chinese manufacturing groups, who have stolen our technology, as well as their distribution networks in the US," he added.
However it is widely predicted that disappointing sales of the artificial sweetener Splenda Sucralose in 2006 will affect overall profits at Tate and Lyle.
"The lower than expected contribution from Splenda Sucralose means that in the year to March 31st 2007 the growth of value added profits will be significantly below the group's target of 30 per cent," a statement in January revealed.
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