A FLINTSHIRE food technologist has been shortlisted for an award for helping UK bakers and supermarkets to lower sugar and calories in their products.

Amy Jackson, who works at Tate and Lyle Bakery, is one of five shortlisted contenders for the title ‘Food Scientist of the Year’ in the UK Food and Drink Federation Awards 2018.1

She has been shortlisted for her work helping bakers across the UK and Europe to reduce sugar, fat and calories in their cakes, biscuits and other baked goods.

From Tate and Lyle’s technical service centre and ingredient blending facility in Mold, 36-year-old Miss Jackson has adapted hundreds of product recipes to improve their nutrition profile before helping bakery customers to implement these changes at their sites.

In a recent project she helped a bakery to reduce sugar by 10 to 15 per cent in a range of own brand cakes that it makes for a major UK supermarket using a Tate and Lyle fibre and stabiliser blend.

The supermarket sells around two million cakes each year meaning that, with this project alone, Miss Jackson has helped to remove around 25 tonnes of sugar from UK consumers’ diets.

She said: “It’s a real honour to be shortlisted for this national award alongside leading brands and industry peers.

"Nutrition and bakery have always been passions of mine and it’s really rewarding to be able to help customers to make their pastries, muffins, pies and celebration cakes that bit healthier without compromising on taste.

"This shortlisting would not have been possible without the support I receive from colleagues at Mold and across the globe. It’s a fantastic feeling and makes me extremely proud to work for Tate and Lyle.”

Murat Orhon, senior vice president and general manager EMEA at Tate and Lyle, said: "Sugar reduction isn’t easy as sugar provides many different functions in a recipe, and no one project or recipe formulation is alike, which is why we have experts like Amy worldwide helping customers to overcome their technical challenges.

"We’ve seen a major increase in demand for our sugar reduction technical support in recent years, both in the UK and globally, as the food industry works to deliver more great tasting foods and beverages with less sugar and calories.

"Amy is a valued member of our technical team and this shortlisting recognises the difference she makes each day to our customers and to the millions of people they feed.”