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Tate & Lyle

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Industry Food Distribution
Employees 5001-10,000
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FY2014 Annual Report · Tate & Lyle
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Focus on 
ingredients
Annual Report 2014

Tate & Lyle is a leading global provider 
of ingredients and solutions to the  
food, beverage and other industries. 
Through our production facilities across  
the world, we turn raw materials into 
distinctive, high-quality ingredients for our 
customers. Our ingredients and solutions 
add taste, texture, nutrition and functionality 
to products used or consumed by millions 
of people every day.

Our 
ingredients  
at work 

 SPLENDA® Sucralose 
Sweetens without adding calories

KRYSTAR® Crystalline Fructose 
Provides sweetness and extends 
shelf life

HAMULSION® food system 
Thickens, stabilises, provides 
consistent mouthfeel and optimises 
cost (one all-inclusive solution)

 REZISTA® speciality food starch 
Provides body, mouthfeel and stability

PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber 
Provides added fibre and mouthfeel  
to rebalance fat or sugar reduction

PromOat® Beta Glucan 
Adds natural fibre and promotes  
heart health

  Delicious reduced fat, reduced 
sugar and reduced calorie  
yoghurt with added fibre.

www.tateandlyle.com/
ingredientsandservices

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Financial highlights

Adjusted operating profit 1 (£m) 

Adjusted diluted earnings  
per share 3 (pence)

£349m

55.7p

3562

349

3462

56.02

56.62

55.7

2012

2013

2014

2012

2013

2014

Dividend per share (pence)

Net debt (£m)

27.6p4

24.9

26.2

27.64

£353m

476

479

3533

2012

2013

2014

2012

2013

2014

1   Continuing operations before 

exceptional items and amortisation 
of acquired intangible assets.

2   Restated for IAS 19 (Revised 2011) 

‘Employee Benefits’.

3   Based on earnings from continuing 
operations excluding exceptional 
items, amortisation of acquired 
intangible assets, net retirement 
benefit interest and the tax effect 
of these items.

4   This includes the proposed final 

dividend.

Statutory results

Operating profit 
Profit before tax 
Profit for the year (on total operations) 
Diluted earnings per share (on total operations) 

2014
£325m
£290m
£273m
58.0p

20132
£334m
£301m
£273m
57.4p 

Adjusted operating profit, adjusted profit before tax and adjusted 
earnings per share
Unless stated otherwise, adjusted operating profit in this Annual Report excludes 
discontinued operations and is before exceptional items (see Note 7) and 
amortisation of acquired intangible assets. In addition, adjusted profit before tax 
and adjusted earnings per share also exclude net retirement benefit interest. 
Adjusted earnings per share also excludes the tax effect of the adjusted items.

Trademarks
SPLENDA® and the SPLENDA® logo are trademarks of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.

Definitions/cautionary statement
Please see the explanatory notes on the inside back cover.

Strategic Report

Financial Highlights 
Our Group at a Glance  
Chairman’s Statement  
Our Operations  
 Chief Executive’s Review  
Our Marketplace  
Our Business Model  
Our Strategy  
Our Strategy in Action  
 Key Performance Indicators  
Speciality Food Ingredients  
Bulk Ingredients  
Group Financial Results  
Additional Financial Information  
Risks  
Corporate Responsibility  

Governance

Board of Directors  
Statement from the Chairman  
Corporate Governance  
Audit Committee Report  
 Nominations Committee Report  
Corporate Responsibility Committee Report  
Directors’ Remuneration Report  
Directors’ Report  
Directors’ Statement of Responsibilities  

Financial Statements

Independent Auditors’ Report  
to the Members of Tate & Lyle PLC  
Consolidated Income Statement  
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income  
 Consolidated Statement of Financial Position  
Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows  
 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity 
 Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements  
 Parent Company Financial Statements  

Useful Information

Information for Investors   
Five-year Summary 
Glossary and Explanatory Notes 

01
02
04
06
07
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
26
29
32

38
40
41
47
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72
73

74
77
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134

141
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Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 01

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Strategic Report 

OUR GROUP AT A GLANCE

A global business dedicated to serving our 
customers from over 30 locations worldwide

Sales

Adjusted profit before tax

Net debt

Employees worldwide

£3,147m
2013 – £3,256m

£322m
2013 – £327m

£353m
2013 – £479m

4,523
2013 – 4,326

Tate & Lyle operates through two  
global divisions: Speciality Food 
Ingredients and Bulk Ingredients.

These two divisions are supported by our 
Innovation and Commercial Development  
(ICD) group, global Shared Service Centre  
and other global functions.

We have operations in over 30 locations, including 
our manufacturing facilities, such as our two scale 
SPLENDA® Sucralose facilities in Singapore and 
the US, and our network of corn wet mills in 
Europe and the US, which are shared by the two 
divisions to make our corn-based products. We 
have also built a global network of customer-facing 
facilities allowing us to collaborate with customers 
wherever they are located, including our global 
innovation hub, the Commercial and Food 
Innovation Centre in Chicago, USA.

Our operations 
Page 6

Performance of our divisions
Pages 20 to 23

02 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Principal Locations

Latin America
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Guadalajara, Mexico2

Mexico City, Mexico

Santa Rosa, Brazil

São Paulo, Brazil

USA
Chicago, Illinois 

Dayton, Ohio

Decatur, Illinois

Duluth, Minnesota

Houlton, Maine

Lafayette, Indiana

Loudon, Tennessee

McIntosh, Alabama

Princeton, New Jersey

Sycamore, Illinois

Van Buren, Arkansas

 
 
Sales by division

Adjusted operating profit 1

Employees by geography

1  31% Speciality Food Ingredients
2  69% Bulk Ingredients

1  55% Speciality Food Ingredients
2  45% Bulk Ingredients

1  46% North America
2   37%  Europe, Middle 

3  10% Latin America
4  7% Asia Pacific

East & Africa

1

1

2

2

1  Adjusted operating profit excluding central costs.

4

1

3

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Key
Manufacturing facilities

Applications/technical services facilities

Principal central/ICD locations 

Europe
Adana, Turkey2

Bergamo, Italy

Boleraz, Slovakia2

Kimstad, Sweden

Koog, the Netherlands

Lille, France

Łód ´z, Poland

London, UK

Lübeck, Germany

Mold, UK

Noto, Italy

Ossona, Italy

Middle East & Africa
Casablanca, Morocco

Kya Sand, South Africa

Asia Pacific
Brisbane, Australia

Singapore

Shanghai, China

Suqian, China

Xuzhou, China

Razgrad, Bulgaria2

Szabadegyháza, Hungary2

2  Joint venture.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 03

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ChaIRman’S Statement

“The Board is confident  
that our strategy of 
becoming a leading global 
provider of speciality food 
ingredients will create 
long-term sustainable  
value for our shareholders.”

  Sir Peter Gershon

04 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Corporate Responsibility
Pages 32 to 37

Governance 
Pages 40 to 46

Introduction
I could not open my statement on the 
performance of Tate & Lyle during the year 
without first addressing safety and the 
three tragic fatalities that have occurred 
over the last 12 months. Two accidents in 
Europe – one in Hungary and one in the 
Netherlands – and one just after the year 
end in Singapore, resulted in three people 
who came to work at our facilities not 
returning home to their families. At the time 
of writing, one other person remains in a 
critical condition in hospital in Singapore.  
I know I speak for the entire Board and the 
Company as a whole when I express my 
deep regret and sincere condolences to 
those families. We will continue to provide 
them with all the support that we can  
and our thoughts and prayers remain  
with them. 

The tragic loss of these colleagues  
reminds us that safety is, and must always 
be, our first priority. With that in mind, we 
are re-doubling our focus on safety, with 
Javed Ahmed and his team leading a series 
of fresh initiatives to further improve hazard 
identification and accident prevention at all 
of our sites. These new measures will be 
closely overseen by William Camp and  
our Corporate Responsibility Committee. 
We will consider what other measures are 
required when the results of the official 
investigations into the causes of the 
fatalities are known. 

Group performance 
We have faced a number of challenges 
over the last financial year. Unseasonably 
cold weather on both sides of the Atlantic 

Strategic Report in the first half of the year reduced demand 
for our bulk sweeteners and this, along with 
an increasingly competitive environment  
for SPLENDA® Sucralose and lower returns 
from co-products in volatile corn markets  
in the US, offset a good performance  
in a number of areas, notably the  
emerging markets. 

Although we are now facing the headwind 
from lower SPLENDA® Sucralose prices, 
the Board is confident that our strategy  
of becoming a leading global provider  
of speciality food ingredients will create 
long-term sustainable value for our 
shareholders. Accordingly, in the year 
ahead, we will continue to put in place  
the investment required to ensure the 
continued execution of our strategy and to 
build on the solid foundations laid over the 
last four years under Javed’s leadership.

Strategic progress
Realising our vision of becoming  
a leading global provider of speciality  
food ingredients and solutions requires  
us to explore new horizons and broaden 
the geographic reach of the business. 
While we continue to develop the business 
within what have historically been our core 
markets of North America and Europe,  
I am pleased to say we have made very 
good progress over the last few years 
building our speciality food ingredients 
business in both Asia and Latin America. 

During the year, the Board visited China 
and Singapore to see our Asia Pacific 
operations and to gain a better 
understanding of the opportunities that 
exist in the region. Against a backdrop  
of rapid urbanisation, rising household 
income and changing tastes, the role of 
innovation and new product development 
is becoming increasingly important in  
these regions as food and beverage 
manufacturers look to respond to 
consumer demand. We were able to  
see first-hand how our investment in new 
capabilities and customer-facing facilities  
is helping our customers meet their 
objectives and get their new products  
to market faster across the region. 

I am in no doubt that, alongside this 
investment, the strength of the Tate & Lyle 
brand and our reputation for delivering 
innovative food ingredients and solutions 
with the highest standards of quality, 
traceability and reliability have played  
an important part in building our presence 
in these markets.

The formation of Tate & Lyle Howbetter 
earlier in the year which combines  
Tate & Lyle’s global blending capabilities 
and recipe know-how with Howbetter’s 
strong local expertise and infrastructure, 
provides us with an excellent platform to 

accelerate the growth of our Food Systems 
business in China. The acquisition of 
Winway Biotechnology, a Chinese 
producer of polydextrose, which we expect 
to complete later in the year, will further 
enhance our presence in Asia and our 
offering in the fast-growing fibre category. 

Work to lay the foundations for future 
long-term growth derived from new 
ingredients continues within our Innovation 
and Commercial Development group (ICD). 
While the contribution from recent launches 
is modest, we are encouraged by the 
pipeline of customer projects and the 
strength of our innovation pipeline which 
remains robust. Within ICD we have also 
made excellent progress building a world-
class marketing function which has begun 
work on a range of initiatives to promote 
our business and products globally.

Our investment in our global Commercial 
and Food Innovation Centre in Chicago, 
USA is not only helping us bring new 
products identified by ICD to market faster, 
it is also helping to generate stronger,  
more collaborative relationships with  
our customers. Further information  
on this is on page 16.

Governance
As the business expands, my fellow 
directors and I are devoting more time  
to obtaining a better understanding of the 
markets in which we operate and how our 
business is evolving to meet customer 
needs. As well as individual non-executive 
directors’ site visits to our operations, and 
the Board visit to the Asia Pacific region, 
members of the Audit Committee also 
visited our global Shared Service Centre  
in Łód´z, Poland to review its work and 
future initiatives with the local team.

This year, we agreed that the annual review 
of Board effectiveness should be externally 
facilitated. We felt that given the importance 
of inclusive leadership and the changes  
to the Board in the previous financial year 
there would be significant benefit in 
undertaking this review from a diversity and 
inclusion perspective. Further details on our 
visits and the effectiveness review are set 
out within the Governance section.

Corporate responsibility  
and risk management
We have continued to strengthen our 
internal control arrangements and external 
reporting on environmental, social and 
governance matters, including in relation  
to safety and business continuity 
management. Our approach to safety, 
business continuity and risk management 
focuses on preventive programmes, 
approaches and actions to reduce the  
risk of experiencing any incidents; and  
on advanced planning and preparedness  

Dividend per share (pence)

27.6p1

24.9

26.2

27.61

2012

2013

2014

1  This includes the proposed final dividend.

for responding to actual events that may 
occur. Corporate responsibility matters are 
integrated into the Group’s enterprise-wide 
risk management and reporting process 
(see page 29).

During the year, we have engaged with 
customers and other key stakeholders to 
better understand the environmental, social 
and governance matters and potential risks 
that they see as particularly important.  
We have used this feedback to review how 
we report on corporate responsibility in this 
Annual Report and through other means 
including our corporate website.

Dividend
The Board recognises the importance  
of the dividend to shareholders and follows 
a progressive dividend policy with the aim 
of growing the dividend over time, taking 
into account the long-term earnings 
prospects of the business.

The Board is recommending a 5.3% 
increase in the final dividend to 19.8p  
(2013 – 18.8p) per share making a full-year 
dividend of 27.6p (2013 – 26.2p) per share, 
a 5.3% increase on the prior year. Subject 
to shareholder approval, the proposed final 
dividend will be due and payable on  
1 August 2014 to all shareholders on the 
Register of Members at 27 June 2014.  
In addition to the cash dividend option, 
shareholders will continue to be offered  
a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) 
alternative.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the hard 
work of all our employees in a challenging 
year. We continue to make good strategic 
progress in transforming Tate & Lyle and  
we have them to thank for that.

Sir Peter Gershon
Chairman
28 May 2014

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 05

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Strategic Report 

OUR OPERATIONS

Tate & Lyle operates through two global divisions: 

Speciality Food Ingredients (SFI)

Bulk Ingredients (BI)

SFI develops, produces and markets distinctive, high-quality 
ingredients for food and beverage customers across the world. By 
leveraging our manufacturing facilities, innovative technology and 
formulation expertise, we help create cost-effective, better tasting 
products for consumers.

SFI works closely with our Innovation and Commercial Development 
group to develop and commercialise new products.

BI manufactures and markets products including sweeteners, 
industrial starches, ethanol, acidulants and animal feed, for food and 
beverage, industrial and agricultural customers around the world.

BI also partners with bio-based materials companies seeking expertise 
to commercialise green chemistry fermentation. One such partnership 
is our joint venture with DuPont which manufactures Bio-PDO®,  
a bio-based ingredient used in the textile and plastics industries.

Customers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Large, multi-national food and beverage manufacturers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Small and medium-sized food and beverage manufacturers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Private label food and beverage manufacturers

Products
Sweeteners 

Texturants 

– 

– 

 Speciality corn-based sweeteners 
including KRYSTAR® Crystalline Fructose
 High-intensity sweeteners including 
SPLENDA® Sucralose, PUREFRUITTM  
Monk Fruit Extract and TASTEVA®  
Stevia Sweetener
–  Speciality starches
–  Locust bean gum

Customers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Large, multi-national food and beverage manufacturers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Paper and board producers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Gasoline suppliers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Textile manufacturers
(cid:116)(cid:1) Animal feed compounders

Products
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Liquid sweeteners including corn syrup, dextrose and glucose
(cid:116)(cid:1) Industrial starches
(cid:116)(cid:1) Citric acid
(cid:116)(cid:1) Bio-fuels
(cid:116)(cid:1) Animal feed including corn gluten feed and corn gluten meal

Health and wellness  –  PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber 

Food Systems 

–  STA-LITE® Polydextrose
–  SODA-LO® Salt Microspheres
–  PromOat® Beta Glucan
–  Food stabiliser systems
–  Functional ingredient blends

The Innovation and Commercial Development group supports our two divisions: 

Innovation and Commercial Development (ICD)

ICD is a key enabler of Tate & Lyle’s growth strategy. It brings together 
open innovation, R&D, global marketing and platform management into 
one global team, to provide an integrated approach towards developing 
and commercialising innovative new products and technologies.

While ICD supports both of Tate & Lyle’s global divisions, it concentrates 
particularly on growing SFI. As a result, ICD’s resources are predominantly 
focused on three broad platforms within the global speciality food 
ingredients market – sweeteners, texturants, and health and wellness.

We have identified five core scientific competencies as being key to 
delivering innovation in these three platforms: bio-chemistry; formulations 
science; separations science; particle design; and organic chemistry.

We have made investments in innovation and technical services facilities 
across the world to support these. 

Ideas are generated from both internal and external sources. Internally, 
these come from work done by our own scientists. Externally, we generate 
ideas from engagement with our customers and from our dedicated Open 
Innovation team which seeks to develop partnerships with universities, 
research institutions and start-ups specialising in food science and novel 
ingredients. We also invest in long-term external partnerships through our 
venture funds. 

All of our ideas and innovations are put forward for commercialisation via a 
defined process which is designed to prioritise ideas, time and resources.

Open 
innovation 

Research and 
development

Innovation and 
Commercial 
Development

Global 
marketing 

Platform 
management

A clear focus on three SFI platforms

Sweeteners

Texturants

Health and wellness

Marketplace for SFI and BI
Pages 10 and 11

06 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Our business model 
Pages 12 and 13

 
 
 
 
 
 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW

Highlights

   Speciality Food Ingredients sales up 4% (up 4% in constant currency)  
at £983 million with adjusted operating profit in line with the prior year  
(up 1% in constant currency) at £213 million:
 – Continued strong growth in Asia and Latin America
 – Acquisition of Biovelop, and in China, the formation of Tate & Lyle Howbetter 

and agreement to acquire Winway Biotechnology

   Bulk Ingredients adjusted operating profit 5% lower (4% lower in constant 
currency) at £172 million due to soft beverage season and unusually cold  
and prolonged winter in the US

   Adjusted profit before tax 2% lower (flat in constant currency) at £322 million

   Balance sheet remains strong with reduction in net debt of £126 million  
to £353 million (2013 – £479 million)

   Final dividend of 19.8p proposed making a total dividend of 27.6p  
(2013 – 26.2p) up 5.3% on prior year

   Successful deployment of upgraded IS/IT platform across Europe with US  
and Singapore on track for the summer

   Board approval of capital investment of £100 million over the next two  
years in Speciality Food Ingredients to expand capacity for existing  
and pipeline products

  Javed Ahmed

Full-year performance
During the year, we continued to make 
steady progress in executing our strategy. 
The delivery of profit growth in starch-
based speciality ingredients and Food 
Systems, along with another year of  
strong growth in emerging markets,  
was offset by the impact of the cold spring  
in the US last year followed by the recent 
severe and prolonged winter, and an 
increasingly competitive market for 
SPLENDA® Sucralose. 

Sales for the year were £3,147 million  
(2013 – £3,256 million), 3% lower than the 
prior year (3% in constant currency) with 
sales in Speciality Food Ingredients up 4% 
(4% in constant currency) to £983 million 
(2013 – £947 million) and 6% lower in Bulk 
Ingredients (6% in constant currency) at 
£2,164 million. Adjusted operating profit 
was 2% lower (1% in constant currency)  
at £349 million (2013 – £356 million) with 
adjusted operating profit in Speciality Food 
Ingredients in line with the prior year at 
£213 million (up 1% in constant currency) 
and 5% lower (4% in constant currency)  
in Bulk Ingredients at £172 million (2013 
– £182 million). Adjusted profit before tax 
was 2% lower (flat in constant currency),  
at £322 million (2013 – £327 million), and 
adjusted diluted earnings per share were 
2% lower (flat in constant currency) at 55.7p 
(2013 – 56.6p). 

Financial management  
and balance sheet
Our average quarterly cash conversion cycle 
improved by three days to 39 days (2013 
– 42 days) largely driven by a decrease in 
working capital due to lower finished goods 
inventories and lower corn prices. 

The key performance indicators (KPIs)  
of our financial strength, the ratio of net 
debt to earnings before interest, tax, 
depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) 
and interest cover, remain well within our 
internal thresholds. At 31 March 2014,  
the net debt to EBITDA ratio was 0.8  
times (2013 – 1.0 times), against our internal 
threshold of 2.0 times and interest cover  
on total operations was 11.6 times  
(2013 – 11.1 times), again comfortably 
ahead of our minimum threshold of  
5.0 times.

Net debt of £353 million at 31 March  
2014 was lower than at the end of last  
year (2013 – £479 million), reflecting  
the reduction in working capital and a 
decrease in the value of dollar denominated 
debt as a result of the weakening of the  
US dollar against sterling. 

We continue to generate a good level of 
return on our assets with return on capital 
employed of 19.2% (2013 – 19.7%). 

Changes in constant currency are calculated by retranslating comparative period results at current 
period exchange rates.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 07

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Strategic Report 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW | CONTINUED

Safety
As already set out in the Chairman’s 
Statement on page 4, I am saddened  
to report that the performance of the  
Group this year has been completely 
overshadowed by three fatal accidents.  
As a result of these tragic events, working 
with the Chairman, the Board and the 
Corporate Responsibility Committee,  
we are taking a fresh look at our overall 
safety approach and procedures,  
not limited to the specific areas related  
to these accidents. 

I know I speak for all of my colleagues 
across the Group when I say that we  
are determined to continue to improve  
our safety programme so as to keep all 
those that work at or visit our sites safe  
at all times.

Strategy and business update
Growth in Speciality Food Ingredients
Since May 2010, we have made steady 
progress executing our strategy and 
growing Speciality Food Ingredients,  
having delivered average annual volume 
growth of 5% and compound annual 
operating profit growth of 7% during that 
period. Excluding SPLENDA® Sucralose, 
where an increasingly competitive 
environment held back growth of the 
division as a whole, we have delivered  
a strong performance across the rest  
of Speciality Food Ingredients, with 
compound annual profit growth of  
12% during the same four-year period. 

This growth has been achieved by rigorously 
following through on the key priorities we set 
out in May 2010, when we outlined a path  
to grow our Speciality Food Ingredients 
division by: diversifying our business 
geographically through building our 
presence in faster growing, emerging 
markets and hence reducing our reliance  
on developed markets; broadening our 
product portfolio through the development 
of a world-class innovation capability;  
and forming stronger relationships with  
our customers through much greater 
collaboration with them.

Over the past year we have made further 
progress in each of these areas. 

Entering new markets
We delivered another strong performance 
in Asia Pacific and Latin America with 
double-digit volume growth during the 
period, as we continued to leverage the 
strength of our brand, our ingredients 
portfolio and our applications expertise in 
these regions. Our successful expansion 
into the emerging markets, which now 
represent 19% of Speciality Food 
Ingredients sales, is a result of the 
investments we have made in building 
strong local teams and infrastructure, 

08 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

which have been key enablers in forming 
direct and higher quality relationships with 
regional food and beverage customers. 

During the year, we opened an applications 
and technical service laboratory in 
Singapore (the new hub of our Asia Pacific 
operations), and established a sales office 
in Japan. 

We have also strengthened our presence 
through acquisition. In October 2013, we 
acquired a 51% equity interest in Jiangsu 
Howbetter Food Co., Ltd, a leading Food 
Systems business in China. By combining 
Tate & Lyle’s global blending capabilities 
and extensive recipe expertise with 
Howbetter’s strong local expertise and 
infrastructure, Tate & Lyle Howbetter 
provides us with an excellent platform  
from which to accelerate the growth of  
our Food Systems business in China.

In March 2014, we announced the  
signing of an agreement to acquire  
Winway Biotechnology (Winway), a leading 
producer of polydextrose fibre in China. 
Winway will provide us with our third global 
polydextrose facility complementing our 
existing facilities in the Netherlands and  
the US. The acquisition, which is subject  
to government approval (expected in the 
next few months), will allow us to further 
accelerate the growth of our speciality 
fibres business in Asia Pacific and  
to expand our health and wellness  
offering globally.

Innovation
Our Innovation and Commercial 
Development group (ICD) launched five 
new products during the year including 
PULPIZ® Pulp Extender, a speciality food 
starch that replaces tomato pulp in a range 
of applications. ICD also continued to play 
a key role in the commercialisation of our 
recently launched ingredients, particularly 
our salt reduction ingredient SODA-LO® 
Salt Microspheres and our stevia-based, 
no-calorie, natural sweetener TASTEVA® 
Stevia Sweetener. During the year, a 
number of customers launched products 
incorporating these ingredients and we 
continued to work closely with customers 
on formulation, product prototyping and 
testing to convert the increasing number of 
customer projects in the pipeline into sales.

Our innovation pipeline remains strong with 
a total of 35 products at various stages of 
development including ten in the final 
stages, some of which we plan to launch 
over the next 12 to 18 months. The pipeline 
is well balanced with a number of line 
extensions, next generation and 
breakthrough projects across our 
sweeteners, texturants, health and  
wellness and bulk ingredients platforms. 

Our global marketing team is an  
integral part of the innovation and 
commercialisation process. In addition  
to developing clear value propositions  
and positioning for our ingredients, this 
team is also developing consumer-focused 
strategies for specific applications in the 
beverage, ‘clean label’, convenience  
and dairy categories.

At the start of the year, we acquired 
Biovelop, an early-stage manufacturer  
of oat beta glucan which added a ‘clean 
label’, speciality fibre with strong EFSA1 
health claims to our existing corn-based 
fibre-portfolio. During the year, high levels 
of customer interest in PromOat® Beta 
Glucan has helped to build a strong 
pipeline. Work to expand capacity at  
our plant in Kimstad, Sweden has begun 
and we expect this will come on line  
in the current financial year. 

Focus on the customer
As reported at our half-year results,  
we have made significant progress  
in increasing customer collaboration  
by leveraging our global Commercial  
and Food Innovation Centre in Chicago  
and our enhanced network of applications 
laboratories around the world. During the 
year, we commissioned an independent 
analysis to understand better our 
customers’ views of our developing 
innovation capabilities. This showed a 
marked improvement in the way we are 
perceived by those customers who interact 
with us at our Innovation Centre in Chicago, 
with around two-thirds of those stating that 
we were ‘exceeding their expectations’. 
This has not only led to us developing 
stronger customer relationships but also  
to winning new business with both existing 
and new customers. 

SPLENDA® Sucralose
As announced in February 2014, the 
competitive environment for sucralose 
intensified during the final quarter, driven  
by an increase in capacity in China and  
a significant overhang of unsold Chinese 
sucralose. Against this backdrop, we 
renewed a number of customer contracts  
for SPLENDA® Sucralose, including some 
on a multi-year basis, and as a result we 
experienced an increase in the rate of price 
decline in SPLENDA® Sucralose in the final 
quarter. As previously announced, with 
these contracts in place and based on 
current market dynamics, we expect 
average prices in the 2015 financial year  
to be around 15% lower than the 2014 
financial year. 

1  EFSA – European Food Safety Authority.

Notwithstanding the competitive market 
environment and the headwind of lower 
prices, we continue to see good long-term 
volume growth opportunities in the global 
market for sucralose driven by a number 
of factors:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Given rising rates of obesity and diabetes 
globally, increased consumer focus on 
health and wellness is continuing to drive 
food and beverage manufacturers to 
reduce or replace sugar content in their 
products. The imposition of taxes by 
governments on food and beverage 
products with high levels of sugar or 
calories is also creating opportunities  
and increasing demand for sucralose;

(cid:116)(cid:1)Sucralose continues to be the high 

intensity sweetener of choice because 
the combination of its superior taste 
profile and heat stability that enable it to 
be incorporated in a wide range of food, 
beverage and other applications. This 
provides an opportunity for sucralose to 
continue to replace other high intensity 
sweeteners that have already been 
incorporated into low calorie products in 
the market as well as replacing sugar. In 
calendar year 2013, 6,3732 new products 
were launched globally incorporating 
sucralose, a 54% increase over the prior 
year (2012 – 4,142 launches) compared 
with 3,6332 for aspartame (up 4% on 
2013) and 2,8602 for stevia (up 56%  
on 2013) where we also have a strong 
offering through TASTEVA® Stevia 
Sweetener. As a result, sucralose’s value 
share of the global high intensity 
sweetener market continues to grow, 
standing at 35% for calendar year 2013;

(cid:116)(cid:1)We also see good growth potential  

in the tabletop market where we now 
have full freedom to operate worldwide.

While we expect the global market for 
sucralose to remain competitive, our 
priority remains to increase volumes by 
both growing and taking a greater share  
of the global market for sucralose, by 
leveraging our unparalleled applications 
and formulations expertise and providing 
our customers with the highest standards 
of quality, traceability and reliability in the 
industry. Specifically, our focus over the 
next year will be to continue to renew 
existing customer contracts, aggressively 
pursue new business opportunities globally 
(including those relating to the substitution 
of other artificial high intensity sweeteners 
given the increasing price competitiveness 
of SPLENDA® Sucralose) and drive further 
cost savings and efficiencies through our 
two large-scale continuous production 
facilities in the US and Singapore. 

Investing in a platform for  
long-term growth
In order to support continued growth in the 
Speciality Food Ingredients division, the 
Board has approved, in line with our 
disciplined capital process, capital 
investment of £100 million over the next 
two years. This investment will be used to 
expand capacity at our speciality plants in 
Europe and the US and our recently 
acquired oat beta glucan business, support 
the growth in new products expected to be 
launched in the next 12 to 18 months and 
deliver cost reduction initiatives. As a result, 
we expect the ratio of capital expenditure 
to depreciation to increase in the next 
financial year to approach 2.0 times, with 
an average payback on these projects of 
3.5 years. 

Earlier this month, we successfully 
deployed the upgraded global IS/IT system 
across our European operations and we 
remain on track to implement the system  
in the US and Singapore by the end of 
summer. While we expect the total 
investment in the IS/IT platform and global 
Shared Service Centre to be towards the 
top of the £120 – 135 million range we 
disclosed in May 2013, we are starting to 
see the benefits from this investment, in 
particular within procurement and shared 
services, and continue to target a three-
year cash payback from completion of  
the implementation. 

During the year, we incurred £46 million of 
costs on the rollout of the common IS/IT 
platform, taking the total costs to 31 March 
2014 on the global Shared Service Centre 
and IS/IT platform to £124 million, of which 
£77 million was capital expenditure. As a 
result of bringing the IS/IT system into 
operation across the business, we expect 
our depreciation and amortisation charge 
to increase by £5 million in financial year 
2015 and a further £4 million the year after. 

Conclusion
The transformation of Tate & Lyle  
remains firmly on track and our strategy  
of becoming a leading global provider  
of speciality food ingredients will  
continue to create long-term value  
for our shareholders.

Excluding SPLENDA® Sucralose, Speciality 
Food Ingredients has grown strongly over 
the last four years and well ahead of the 
wider market, underpinned by the good 
progress we have made in emerging 
markets, innovation and working more 
closely with our customers.

While we are operating in an intensely 
competitive, dynamic market for sucralose, 
we continue to see good volume growth 
opportunities and are well placed to secure 
this growth.

Following the implementations of our global 
IS/IT platform over the summer, we will 
have completed virtually all the business 
transformation initiatives we set out to 
deliver four years ago. 

We have strengthened our financial 
position, which provides us with the 
resources to invest in the business and the 
flexibility to make acquisitions where we 
see high quality opportunities to accelerate 
organic growth.

Since 2010, we have built a more robust, 
more global and higher-quality business 
that is capable of generating sustained 
growth over the long term. I would like  
to thank all of our employees across  
Tate & Lyle for their continued hard work 
and dedication over the last year and look 
forward to working alongside them in 
continuing to deliver our objectives over  
the next financial year and beyond.

Key performance indicators (KPIs)
Our KPIs for the year ended 31 March 2014 
are detailed on pages 18 and 19.

Outlook 
In Speciality Food Ingredients, we expect 
to deliver volume growth across all major 
product categories but a lower profit 
contribution from SPLENDA® Sucralose  
is expected to offset a good performance 
elsewhere in the division. Profits in this 
division are expected to be more evenly 
weighted between the first and second 
halves than the previous financial year.

In Bulk Ingredients, we now anticipate  
a slower start in the US in our first quarter 
associated with the prolonged and severe 
winter, combined with lower European 
sugar prices in our second half, to 
outweigh a better performance across 
other product categories. 

Overall, and before the impact of  
currency movements3, while we expect  
the Group’s performance for the full year  
to be slightly lower than the comparative 
period, we are well placed to deliver growth 
in the longer term.

Javed Ahmed
Chief Executive
28 May 2014

2  Source: Innova Market Insights.
3   The estimated annual movement in operating  
profit and profit before tax caused by a one  
cent movement in the US dollar is £1.7 million  
and £1.6 million respectively.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 09

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Strategic Report 

OUR MARKETPLACE

Speciality Food Ingredients
The global market for speciality food ingredients is large and growing, underpinned by strong 
consumer trends: convenience, health and wellness and ‘clean label’.

Focus and depth 
Our strategy is to focus on three core 
platforms and to have deep expertise 
within each one:

  Sweeteners

  Texturants

  Health and wellness

Global speciality food ingredients market 
Approximately US$35 billion*

1  14% Sweeteners
2  20% Texturants 
3   14% Functional food 

ingredients

4   8% Colours and 
preservatives
5  33% Flavour
6  11% Other

1

6

5

4

2

3

Tate & Lyle Speciality  
Food Ingredients:
1. Sweeteners
(cid:116)(cid:1) SPLENDA® Sucralose
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Speciality corn-based sweeteners
(cid:116)(cid:1)  PUREFRUITTM Monk Fruit Extract
(cid:116)(cid:1) TASTEVA® Stevia Sweetener

2. Texturants
(cid:116)(cid:1) Speciality food starches
(cid:116)(cid:1) Food stabiliser systems

3. Health and wellness
(cid:116)(cid:1)  PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber
(cid:116)(cid:1) STA-LITE® Polydextrose
(cid:116)(cid:1) SODA-LO® Salt Microspheres
(cid:116)(cid:1) PromOat® Beta Glucan

*  Sources: Leatherhead; SRI; LMC International; Company analysis.

Convenience

Health and wellness

‘Clean label’

(cid:116)(cid:1) Changes in consumer lifestyles continue  
to increase the demand for packaged and 
convenience foods, for consumption both  
at home and ‘on the go’

(cid:116)(cid:1) Product launches with a ‘convenient’ claim 

increased globally by 25% in 2013

(cid:116)(cid:1) Increasing urbanisation has driven growth  
in Asia Pacific and Latin America where 
launches of convenience products increased 
by 23% and 40% respectively in 2013

(cid:116)(cid:1) Consumers are increasingly aware of the link 
between diet and health and are seeking 
products enhanced or fortified with 
ingredients such as fibre

(cid:116)(cid:1) The number of product launches containing 
fibres increased by 47% globally in 2013 with 
growth across both developed and 
developing markets

(cid:116)(cid:1) In 2013, product launches containing fibres 
were up by 65% in Asia Pacific and by 51%  
in Europe

(cid:116)(cid:1) Food and beverage manufacturers are 

launching more ‘clean label’ products in 
response to increasing consumer demand  
for more natural products across a broad 
range of categories

(cid:116)(cid:1) The fastest growing ‘clean label’ categories 
are baby food, soups, soft drinks, cereals  
and spreads

(cid:116)(cid:1) ‘Clean label’ product launches increased 

globally by 27% in 2013

Global convenience product launches1, 2 

Global product launches containing fibres1, 3

Global ‘clean label’ product launches1, 4

+25%
151,499

+13%

+47%

9,809

+29%

+27%

50,236

+13%

2011

2012

2013

2011

2012

2013

2011

2012

2013

Source: Innova Market Insights.
1  Data shown is based on calendar years.
2  Definition: product launches that have at least one of these claims – convenient consumption, easy-to-prepare, ready prepared, time saving.
3  Definition: product launches containing fibres in their formulation.
4  Definition: product launches claiming no additives/preservatives, natural, organic and/or without genetically modified organisms (non GMO).

10 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Bulk Ingredients
Bulk ingredients operates in a mature, consolidated industry, manufacturing largely commodity 
products, where the level of profitability is related to the level of industry capacity utilisation.

Steady sustained  
cash generation
Our strategy is to generate sustained 
long-term cash flows to help fund  
growth in Speciality Food Ingredients:

 Optimise margins 

 Optimise and fill grind capacity

  Ensure security of raw material supply

  Dampen volatility

US corn wet milling industry output 
by major product category in 2013 (75bn lbs)*

1   44% Liquid 
Sweeteners 
(commercial weight)

2  10% Starch 
3  11% Ethanol
4  35% Co-products

1

4

3

2

Tate & Lyle Bulk Ingredients:
1. Liquid Sweeteners
(cid:116)(cid:1) High fructose corn syrup
(cid:116)(cid:1) Glucose
(cid:116)(cid:1) Dextrose

2. Starch
(cid:116)(cid:1) Industrial starch

3. Ethanol

4. Co-products
(cid:116)(cid:1) Corn oil
(cid:116)(cid:1) Corn gluten feed
(cid:116)(cid:1) Corn gluten meal

* Sources: Compiled by the Corn Refiners Association based on 2013 data from the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, press reports, and industry 
data compiled for CRA by Veris Consulting, Inc. Corn marketing year ended 31 August 2013. 
NB Includes approximately 95% of US corn milling industry.

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Corn market dynamics

Bulk corn sweeteners

Industrial markets

(cid:116)(cid:1) Corn is the main raw material in the corn wet 
milling industry which, in the US, processes 
around 11% of the corn crop annually

(cid:116)(cid:1) A good harvest in the US in 2013, as a result 
of favourable growing conditions, helped 
ease tight market conditions and saw corn 
supplies restored to more normal levels
(cid:116)(cid:1) As a result of a more balanced demand  
and supply situation, US corn prices 
reduced significantly during the summer 
of 2013 with corn prices in Europe following 
a similar pattern

(cid:116)(cid:1) Demand for US bulk corn sweeteners, 

including high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), is 
closely linked to the consumption of beverages 
and carbonated soft drinks in particular, both 
in the US and Mexico

(cid:116)(cid:1) During 2013, a softer beverage season 

caused by the cold spring in the US reduced 
consumption of beverages thereby 
weakening domestic demand for HFCS 
across the industry

(cid:116)(cid:1) Mexican imports of US HFCS were also  

held back as a result of lower Mexican sugar 
prices (used as a substitute for HFCS)

(cid:116)(cid:1) The paper industry, which provides a major 
source of demand for industrial starches in 
the US, saw a reduction in operating rates 
during the year as a result of a modest 
decrease in demand

(cid:116)(cid:1) In Europe, additional starch capacity 
reduced industrial starch prices and  
margins during the year

(cid:116)(cid:1) US ethanol industry margins recovered 
during the year and moved into positive 
territory as a result of improved demand  
and supply dynamics

US and European spot corn price (c/bushel)5

US carbonated soft drinks sales volume year-on-year change (%)6

)

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900

800

700

600

500

400

300

US corn
EU corn

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300

250

200

150

100

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13 weeks to end

June
2013

September
2013

December
2013

-3.1%

-2.9%

March
2014

-2.6%

-6.3%

0%

-10%

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5  Source: Bloomberg.
6  Source: IRI Infoscan Reviews, Total U.S. Multi-Outlet and Convenience (FDM, WMT, Dollar, Club, Convenience Stores).

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 11

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic Report 

OUR BUSINESS MODEL

Turning raw materials 
into distinctive,  
high-quality ingredients 
and solutions for our 
customers

Through our facilities across the world we:

  Collaborate closely with our customers to  
help them develop new concepts, adapt 
formulations and get products to market faster

  Draw on the deep sector knowledge of our 
food scientists and ideas sourced from 
outside the Company to develop and 
commercialise the next generation of 
speciality food ingredients 

  Apply our manufacturing know-how and 
supply chain expertise to turn raw materials 
into high quality food ingredients for delivery to 
our food and beverage customers worldwide.

Our operations 
Page 6

Our Strategy in Action
Pages 16 and 17

12 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Raw materials

Sourcing raw materials
Most of our ingredients are produced from crops, 
predominantly corn. Ensuring we have a reliable source  
of corn for our plants is essential. This involves developing 
long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with growers, 
farmers and other commercial partners to secure supply; 
understanding commodity markets; and hedging costs  
where feasible. 

Supply chain ethics are important to us. We apply clear 
standards, both operational and ethical, to our suppliers,  
and work with them to help them meet our compliance 
needs. This is essential if we are to meet our customers’ 
requirements for traceability, quality and ethical standards 
throughout the supply chain.

Developing sustainable products  
Page 36

Speciality Food 
Ingredients

Innovation and 
Commercial  
Development

Bulk 
 Ingredients

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Customers

Innovation and Commercial Development (ICD)
Both divisions, but principally Speciality Food 
Ingredients are supported by the ICD group.  
ICD brings together research and development, 
platform management, global marketing and  
open innovation into one global team, to provide 
an integrated approach to developing and 
commercialising innovative new products 
and technologies.

Customers

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Producing high-quality ingredients
We operate through two global divisions – Speciality Food 
Ingredients and Bulk Ingredients. 

Our production facilities include a network of corn wet mills in 
North America and Europe which manufacture both bulk and 
speciality products. In addition to the plants shared by the two 
divisions to make corn-based products, we produce sucralose 
through two, large-scale, continuous processing facilities in the 
US and Singapore, and operate a number of smaller-scale 
blending facilities where we make food stabiliser systems. 

Each division has its own sales force and commercial operations 
to provide the necessary focus and expertise for customers in 
their respective end markets.

Understanding our markets 
Customer insights drive all that we do. We analyse the  
markets we operate in globally and we use market research  
to gain insights into consumers’ dietary habits, their 
perceptions of ingredients, and their nutritional expectations  
of food and drinks.

We use these insights to drive our own product development,  
to differentiate ourselves from our competitors and to help  
our customers meet consumer needs.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 13

 
 
 
 
 
Strategic Report 

OUR STRATEGY

How we are delivering 
on our strategy

Our vision
Our vision is to become a leading 
global provider of speciality food 
ingredients and solutions. Our strategy 
is to deliver this vision through:

  A disciplined focus on growing  
our Speciality Food Ingredients 
division through:

  – deeper customer understanding 
  – continuous innovation 
  –  stronger positions in high-growth 

markets

  Driving our Bulk Ingredients division 
for sustained cash generation to fuel 
this growth.

Our Strategy in Action 
Pages 16 and 17

14 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Deep customer 
engagement
We believe that getting closer 
to our customers, developing  
a better understanding of their 
needs and changing the ways 
we interact with them is a key 
part of delivering sustainable 
long-term growth.

Innovation
Creating a world-class 
innovation capability is a key 
part of our growth strategy.  
The Innovation and Commercial 
Development group (ICD) 
provides a fully integrated 
approach to developing and 
commercialising innovation to 
meet our customers’ needs. 

New markets and 
customer channels
Our aim is to build our 
presence significantly in 
emerging markets and in those 
parts of the speciality food 
ingredients market where 
historically we have been 
under-represented, specifically 
in SMEs and private label.

Sustained cash 
generation
Within Bulk Ingredients our 
strategy is to provide stable, 
long-term cash flow to help 
fund growth in Speciality  
Food Ingredients.

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Global network
Our global Commercial and Food Innovation Centre in 
Chicago, USA is helping us transform the way we work  
with our customers. It has:

(cid:116)(cid:1) Full sensory capabilities
(cid:116)(cid:1) Full culinary capabilities
(cid:116)(cid:1) High-tech food laboratories
(cid:116)(cid:1) A pilot plant
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Global communications capabilities.
We have also developed a global network of regional 
applications and technical services facilities enabling us to 
interact directly with customers across our markets, helping 
them develop new concepts and get them to market faster.

Progress

2015 Priorities 

   Increased level of customer 
interaction at our global 
Commercial and Food 
Innovation Centre and our other 
client-facing facilities worldwide

    Step change in the way we are 
perceived by food and beverage 
customers in the speciality food 
ingredients industry

   Broaden customer interaction 
through our global network of 
innovation, applications and 
technical services facilities

    Improve quality and size of 
customer project pipeline 

    Convert more customer 
relationships into strategic 
partnerships 

Ideas within our innovation pipeline are derived from  
three sources:

In-house innovation (part of ICD)
(cid:116)(cid:1) New products or technologies generated by  

in-house scientists

Open innovation (part of ICD)
(cid:116)(cid:1) Leverages our global network of research institutions, 

start-ups and universities

(cid:116)(cid:1) Provides route to market for technologies or products 

close to commercial launch 

Tate & Lyle venture funds
(cid:116)(cid:1) Invests in early-stage speciality food ingredients concepts 

by partnering with research institutions, other venture 
funds, universities and entrepreneurs.

Progress

2015 Priorities 

   Addition of PromOat® Beta 
Glucan, PrOatein™ Oat Protein 
and PULPIZ® Pulp Extender  
to our speciality food  
ingredients portfolio

    Commercialisation of recent 
innovations such as SODA-LO® 
Salt Microspheres

    Continued to progress projects 
through the innovation pipeline 
which remains robust

   Launch new products from 
within our innovation pipeline

    Increase sales from recently 
launched products

    Continue to leverage  
open innovation network  
and partnerships

Expanding in new markets
(cid:116)(cid:1) Building dedicated speciality food ingredients businesses 

in both Asia Pacific and Latin America.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Forming direct selling relationships with local food and 

beverage manufacturers as well as multinationals.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Investing in local infrastructure with the opening of satellite 

applications and technical services facilities in the 
emerging markets.

SMEs and private label
(cid:116)(cid:1) Changing the way we access and work with SMEs  
and private label customers by developing more  
direct relationships.

Progress

   Continued strong organic 
growth in Asia Pacific and  
Latin America

2015 Priorities 

   Deliver another year of 
strong organic growth  
in emerging markets

    Expanded presence in Asia 
Pacific through Tate & Lyle 
Howbetter and agreement to 
acquire Winway Biotechnology

    Established new applications 
and technical services facilities 
in Singapore and direct sales 
presence in Japan

    Complete acquisition of 
Winway Biotechnology and 
continue to expand our 
presence in emerging markets

    Leverage dedicated resources 
to develop relationships  
with both SMEs and food 
service customers

We aim to achieve sustained cash generation by:
(cid:116)(cid:1) Dampening earnings volatility by diversifying our income 

streams into new areas

(cid:116)(cid:1)  Optimising margins by gradually moving the corn  

that we grind away from markets that are in  
long-term structural decline into higher margin  
speciality food ingredients 

(cid:116)(cid:1)  Ensuring the security of our supply of raw materials
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Reducing costs and continuing to improve  

operational efficiency.

Progress

2015 Priorities 

   Bulk Ingredients performance 
held back by challenges  
posed by a soft beverage 
season, severe and prolonged 
winter weather and lower 
co-product returns

    Further investment in corn 
storage capacity for security  
of supply

   Optimise margins by improving 
product mix and delivering 
further operational efficiencies

    Further divert corn grind to 
Speciality Food Ingredients 
division

    Further investment in 
strengthening security of raw 
material supply

    Leverage fermentation assets 
and expertise to drive 
diversification

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Strategic Report 

OUR STRATEGY IN ACTION

Deep customer engagement

Innovation

We continued to see an increase in customer interaction 
through our global Commercial and Food Innovation Centre  
in Chicago, USA and our global network of applications  
and technical services facilities. 

Customer visits to the Centre increased by 10% in the  
year, while just under one-fifth of all customer visits to our  
six main customer-facing laboratories took place in the 
emerging markets. We also saw an increase in the number  
of visitors from the key areas of marketing, R&D and senior 
management leading to growth in the number of customer 
projects being generated.

As the level of customer interaction has increased so too has 
customers’ perception of our capabilities, with the results from 
a survey carried out during the year revealing that 63% of our 
customers believe we are ‘exceeding their expectations’.  
This level of satisfaction is approaching ‘best in class’  
and is a positive lead indicator for future growth.

Our innovation pipeline remains strong, and as at 31 March 
2014 comprised a total of 35 projects, including ten in the final 
stages. The composition of the pipeline is well balanced across 
our three Speciality Food Ingredients platforms, including 36% 
in health and wellness, reflecting our focus on increasing our 
presence in this area. 

During the year, we brought PULPIZ® Pulp Extender to  
market, a texturant used to replace tomato paste in a range  
of applications. In May 2013, we acquired Biovelop, the 
manufacturer of PromOat® Beta Glucan, which has also 
brought a new, high value, speciality fibre PrOateinTM  
Oat Protein into our portfolio.

We continue to see strong customer interest in our novel 
salt-reduction ingredient SODA-LO® Salt Microspheres with our 
focus now turning to converting customer projects into sales 
and broadening the range of applications in which SODA-LO® 
Salt Microspheres can be used.

Impact of visiting Commercial and Food Innovation Centre in Chicago, 
USA on customer satisfaction*

Innovation pipeline by stage of development (number of projects) 
At 31 March 2014

  Exceeds expectations
   As expected
  Almost as expected

10%

48%

42%

8%
29%

63%

All customers
in survey

Customers in survey collaborating at the global 
Commercial and Food Innovation Centre

* 

 Survey conducted between October and December 2012,  
and March and April 2013.

16 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

  Sweeteners
  Texturants

  Health and wellness
  Bulk Ingredients

13

8

7

4

3

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

New markets and customer channels

Sustained cash generation

Tate & Lyle Howbetter’s Food Systems blending facility

Grain elevator at Fowler, Indiana, USA

We delivered another strong performance in the emerging 
markets of Asia Pacific and Latin America with double-digit 
volume growth in the period. The investment we have made to 
increase sales coverage and in our applications and technical 
services facilities in these regions, including the opening of a 
new facility in Singapore during the year, is providing an 
excellent platform to attract new customers and engage 
directly with them in the local market, share ideas and develop 
new projects. 

The creation of Tate & Lyle Howbetter and the agreement to 
acquire Winway Biotechnology, a manufacturer of polydextrose 
speciality fibre, strengthens our presence in Asia Pacific as we 
continue to invest in growing our speciality food ingredients 
business in these faster growing markets.

As envisaged when we started our business transformation 
programme four years ago, we are developing a more 
geographically diverse company with a reduced reliance  
on the developed markets and an improved risk profile.

While a number of challenges held back the performance of 
our Bulk Ingredients division during the year, including the 
very cold spring and extremely cold and prolonged winter in 
the US, overall we have delivered a steady performance from 
this part of the business over the last four years.

This has been achieved against a backdrop of very significant 
volatility in the corn market through:

(cid:116)(cid:1)a relentless focus on efficiency and cost reduction
(cid:116)(cid:1)trading up to higher margin products
(cid:116)(cid:1)diverting the corn that we grind to new areas like  

green chemistry

(cid:116)(cid:1)investing in projects to help dampen risk within the  
division, such as expanding our network of corn  
elevators to enhance the security of supply. 

We will maintain this same disciplined approach as we look to 
deliver a steady performance from this division and to ensure 
it continues to generate a sustained source of cash to grow 
our Speciality Food Ingredients division.

SFI sales by region 2014*

Bulk Ingredients adjusted operating profit (£m) 

1  52% North America
2  24%  Europe & Middle East

3  19% Emerging markets
4   5% Rest of world

172

182

172

157

3

4

1

2

* 

 Calculated based on SFI’s Latin America and Asia Pacific sales  
of single ingredients (excluding Japan, Australia and New Zealand).

2011

2012

2013

2014

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Strategic Report 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Measuring our success against our strategy

Performance
We focus on a number of 
financial performance measures 
to ensure that our strategy 
successfully delivers increased 
value for our shareholders.

What we measure

Why we measure it

Sales of speciality food 
ingredients

To ensure we are successful in growing the division  
which is the key area of strategic focus for the business.

Performance metric for the Group Bonus Plan.

Adjusted operating profit2

To track the underlying performance of the business and to 
ensure sales growth translates into increased profits.

Performance metric for the Group Bonus Plan.

Return on capital employed2:  
adjusted profit before interest, 
tax and exceptional items 
divided by adjusted average 
invested operating capital3 for 
continuing operations.

Cash conversion cycle4: 
controllable working capital 
divided by quarterly sales, 
multiplied by the number of days 
in the quarter.

Net debt to EBITDA 
multiple5: the number of times 
the Group’s net borrowing 
exceeds its trading cash flow. 
EBITDA is earnings before 
exceptional items, interest, tax, 
depreciation and amortisation.

Interest cover5: the number  
of times the profit of the Group 
exceeds interest payments 
made to service its debt.

To ensure that we continue to generate a strong rate  
of return on the assets that we employ and have  
a disciplined approach to capital investment.

Performance metric for the Performance Share Plan.

To track how efficient we are in turning increased  
sales into cash and to ensure that working capital  
is managed effectively.

Performance metric for the Group Bonus Plan.

To ensure that we have the appropriate level of financial 
gearing and that we generate sufficient profits to service 
our debt. These measures are a key focus for banks  
and providers of both debt and equity capital.

Chief Executive’s Review 
Pages 7 to 9

Financial strength
We look at measures of financial 
strength to ensure that we 
maintain the financial flexibility 
to grow the business whilst 
maintaining investment-grade 
credit ratings.

Group Financial Results 
Pages 24 to 28

Corporate responsibility1
It is important that we act 
responsibly and consider carefully 
the impact our activities have on 
all stakeholders including 
employees, customers and the 
communities in which we operate.

Corporate Responsibility 
Pages 32 to 37

Recordable incident rate: the 
number of injuries per 200,000 
hours that require more than 
first aid, for employees and 
contractors.

Lost-work case rate: the 
number of injuries that resulted 
in lost-work days per 200,000 
hours, for employees and 
contractors.

The safety of our employees and contractors is of 
paramount importance. Ensuring safe and healthy 
conditions at all our locations is essential to our  
operation as a successful business.

Safety performance is a specific consideration that  
the Remuneration Committee may factor into decisions  
on pay.

1   Measured on a calendar year basis.
2  Prior year numbers restated for IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee Benefits’.
3   Defined as shareholders’ equity excluding net debt, net tax assets/liabilities and net retirement benefit obligations.
4   Defined as controllable working capital divided by quarterly sales, multiplied by the number of days in the quarter on a four-quarter rolling basis  

(a reduction in the number of days represents an improvement).

18 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
  
How we have performed

Comment

£887m £947m £983m

2012

2013

2014

£346m

£356m £349m

2012

2013

2014

21.4%

19.7% 19.2%

2012

2013

2014

36
days

42
days

39
days

2012

2013

2014

1.1x

1.0x

0.8x

2012

2013

2014

11.1x

11.1x

11.6x

2012

2013

2014

0.85

0.85

0.58

2011

2012

2013

0.21

0.26

0.13

2011

2012

2013

Volume growth of 4% in SFI with value sales growth held back by 
lower prices for SPLENDA® Sucralose and lower corn prices.

Growth of 1% in Speciality Food Ingredients with a good performance 
in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America offset by a lower 
contribution from the US and SPLENDA® Sucralose. A reduction  
in Bulk Ingredients of 4% as a result of weakened demand for bulk 
sweeteners and lower co-product returns.

Reduction in adjusted operating profit combined with slight increase 
in operating assets.

Lower finished goods inventories in the US, and significantly lower 
corn prices in the US.

Ratio remains well inside our internal maximum threshold of 2.0x.  
The improvement reflects the reduction in net debt during the year.

Ratio remains well above our internal minimum threshold of 5.0x.

Change
+4%
(constant currency)6

Change
-1%
(constant currency)6

Change
-50bps7

Change
Improved  
by 3 days

Change
Improved  
0.2x

Change
Improved  
0.5x

While our safety KPIs were the lowest levels recorded, we are 
saddened to report that our Group safety performance this year was 
completely overshadowed by three fatal accidents: two during and 
one after the end of the reporting year. Further details are provided  
in the Chairman’s Statement on page 4, the Chief Executive’s Review 
on page 8 and the Corporate Responsibility section on page 33.

5   Net debt, EBITDA, profit and interest are defined under the Group’s bank covenant conditions and are based on unrounded numbers.  

Net debt is calculated using average rates of exchange.

6   Changes in constant currency are calculated by retranslating comparative period results at current period exchange rates.
7   Basis points (one hundred basis points equates to one percentage point).

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Strategic Report 

SPECIALITY FOOD INGREDIENTS

Performance overview

Growth in Speciality Food Ingredients through 
focus and depth
Speciality Food Ingredients develops, produces and markets 
distinctive, high-quality ingredients for food and beverage 
customers across the world. By leveraging our manufacturing 
facilities, innovative technology and formulation expertise,  
we help them create more cost-effective, better tasting  
products for consumers.

Speciality Food Ingredients works closely with our Innovation  
and Commercial Development group to develop a pipeline  
of new products.

Sales

£983m
2013 – £947m

Adjusted operating profit

£213m
2013 – £213m

Sales
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted operating margin

“We delivered another strong 
performance in emerging 
markets which are becoming  
a more meaningful part of the 
division. While we face a 
headwind from lower 
SPLENDA® Sucralose prices, 
we are well placed to capitalise 
on strong consumer trends as 
we leverage the investment  
we have made to diversify the 
business both geographically 
and through innovation.”

Olivier Rigaud

20 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
947
213
22.5%

2014
£m
983
213
21.7%

Reported
+4%
0%
-80bps

Change
Constant
currency
+4%
+1%
-70bps

Market conditions and trends
The global market for speciality food 
ingredients, and particularly those areas of 
the market where we operate, continues to 
benefit from a number of strong underlying 
consumer trends: health and wellness, 
convenience and ‘clean label’.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the 
link between diet and health. The rising 
incidence of diabetes and obesity in both 
developed and developing markets is 
driving consumers, manufacturers and 
governments to focus on ‘healthier’ 
products. In addition to products which 
address calorie and weight management, 
consumers are also increasingly seeking 
solutions for heart health, including lower 
sodium products, and digestive health, 
including fibre-enhanced products. The 
number of global product launches 
containing fibres or making a low sodium 
claim increased by 47%1 and 37%1 
respectively in calendar year 2013, with 
growth across both developed and 
developing markets. 

Changes in consumer lifestyles continue to 
increase the demand for packaged and 
convenience foods, for consumption both 
at home and ‘on the go’. Product launches 
with a ‘convenient’ claim increased globally 
by 25%1 in calendar year 2013 and, whilst 
demand continues to grow in developed 
markets, increasing levels of urbanisation 
are driving demand for convenience 
products in developing markets as well. 
Demand for convenience is a key driver for 
speciality ingredients that provide added 
functionality such as stability, texture and 
extended shelf-life.

Food and beverage manufacturers are 
launching more ‘clean label’ products in 
response to increasing consumer demand 
for more natural products across a broad 
range of categories. Global ‘clean label’ 
product launches increased by 27%1  
in calendar year 2013, responding  
to increasing consumer awareness of food 
processing, origination of finished and 
unfinished goods, and ingredient labelling.

Against the backdrop of continuing tough 
macroeconomic conditions in many 
countries and tighter household budgets, 
coupled with high raw materials prices, 
cost-optimisation continues to be a theme 
with food and beverage customers looking 
at ways to reduce costs and provide more 
value-based alternatives for consumers 
without compromising on taste.

Financial performance
Within Speciality Food Ingredients, volumes 
grew by 4% and sales increased by 4% 
(also up 4% in constant currency) to £983 
million (2013 – £947 million) with good 
volume growth in Asia, Europe and Latin 
America, held back by a softer 
performance in the US where volumes 
were slightly lower than the comparative 
period. Adjusted operating profit was in line 
with the prior year (up 1% in constant 
currency) at £213 million (2013 – £213 
million) as a result of lower selling prices  
for SPLENDA® Sucralose and a lower 
contribution from the US. This result 
includes the majority of the £6 million  
one-off gain from the purchase, sale  
and leaseback of our building in Hoffman 
Estates, US, and £7 million representing 

1  Source: Innova Market Insights.

the final annual payment received from 
McNeil Nutritionals as part of the 
realignment of the sucralose business  
back in 2004. Operating margins reduced 
by 80 basis points to 21.7% (2013 – 22.5%). 
The effect of currency translation was to 
decrease adjusted operating profit by  
£2 million.

This division comprises three broad 
product categories: starch-based speciality 
ingredients, high intensity sweeteners and 
Food Systems.

Starch-based speciality ingredients 
Sales increased by 7% (7% in constant 
currency) to £595 million (2013 – £559 
million) with volume growth of 5%. While 
percentage operating margins were slightly 
lower, operating profit was ahead of the 
prior year. While we expect to deliver 
another year of good volume growth in 
financial year 2015, the level of sales value 
growth is expected to be lower as a result 
of the significant reduction in corn prices.

In food starches, we saw volume growth 
across all regions with particularly strong 
growth in Latin America and Europe.  
In Europe, our strong innovation capability 
and new products, such as CREAMIZTM 
and PULPIZ® Pulp Extender, helped  
us maintain a healthy leadership position  
in speciality starches in the region, 
particularly within the convenience  
food and dairy categories.

In speciality corn sweeteners, we saw 
growth across all regions outside the  
US including very strong growth as in  
the previous year in Latin America, where 
we continued to expand our business  
in the beverage and dairy categories.  
Our success in this region over the past 
few years is a good example of how we  
are steadily broadening the geographic  
mix of the business and reducing our 
reliance on developed markets. 

Our fibres range continues to benefit  
from the strong consumer interest in health 
and wellness, and we saw volume growth 
across all regions during the period, with 
particularly strong growth once again in 
Asia. The planned acquisition of Winway 
Biotechnology will provide us with an 
excellent platform from which to accelerate 
the growth of our specialty fibres business 
not only in China but across Asia as a whole.

High intensity sweeteners 
Sales in this category, which comprises 
SPLENDA® Sucralose and our no-calorie, 
natural sweeteners, were in line with the 
comparative period (up 1% in constant 
currency) at £198 million (2013 – £198 
million), with volumes 5% higher. 

Engaging with customers

Launch of TASTEVA® Stevia 
Sweetener in Latin America
TASTEVA® Stevia Sweetener is our new, 
natural-source, stevia-based sweetener. 
Launched in 25 countries in just 18 
months, it is making excellent progress in 
the market, in particular in Latin America 
where it has already exceeded its sales 
targets for the first year. TASTEVA® Stevia 
Sweetener is tapping into consumer 
demand for natural, low-calorie 
ingredients, particularly sweeteners – 
and is being recognised by customers 
for its superior taste compared with other 
stevia-based sweeteners. TASTEVA® 
Stevia Sweetener allows customers to 
replace more sugar than they could with 
other competing stevia products (which 
retain a bitter taste if used in high 
quantities), without using masking or 
modifying agents, thus improving the 
nutritional profile and consumer appeal 
of their brands.

In SPLENDA® Sucralose, the renewal  
of a number of large customer contracts 
during the final quarter, including some  
on a multi-year basis, against the backdrop 
of an intensely competitive market 
environment, resulted in an increase  
in the rate of price decline in SPLENDA® 
Sucralose during the final quarter with  
the reduction in price for the full year 
outweighing volume growth. 

Demand for no-calorie natural sweeteners 
continues to grow with 2,860 product 
launches during calendar year 2013 
incorporating stevia, an increase of 56%  
on the prior year. Against this backdrop,  
we continued to see good volume growth 
in our natural no-calorie sweeteners, 
particularly our stevia-based, natural-
source sweetener TASTEVA® Stevia 
Sweetener, with a number of customer 
product launches during the year. While  
we continue to see good opportunities  
for further growth and a strong pipeline  
for our natural no-calorie sweeteners,  
the overall contribution to this product 
category remains relatively small.

Food Systems 
Sales were in line with last year (down  
1% in constant currency) at £190 million 
(2013 – £190 million), with volumes 6% 
lower, reflecting our decision to focus  
on higher margin blends, which more than 
offset good volume growth in developing 
markets. Despite the lower volumes,  

Fruit juice containing TASTEVA® Stevia Sweetener  
with stevia leaf

we delivered good operating profit  
growth driven by improved product mix, 
tight cost control and lower prices for  
some raw materials.

Our recently opened technical and 
commercial facility in Roggenhorst, 
Germany is helping us work more closely 
with customers and strengthen our  
pipeline of new products.

The creation of Tate & Lyle Howbetter 
provides us with a solid platform from 
which to expand our Food Systems 
business in China and more broadly  
across the region. As well as bringing new 
customers, its high quality local blending 
capabilities are helping to strengthen  
our offering to existing customers. It also 
enables us to leverage additional know-
how and expertise across our network  
of Food Systems businesses globally.

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Strategic Report 

BULK INGREDIENTS

Performance overview

Stable long-term cash flows to fuel our growth
Bulk Ingredients manufactures and markets a range of products 
including sweeteners, industrial starches, ethanol, acidulants and 
animal feed, for food and beverage, industrial and agricultural 
customers around the world.

Bulk Ingredients also partners with a number of bio-based 
materials companies seeking expertise in the commercialisation 
of green chemistry fermentation. One such partnership is our joint 
venture with DuPont which manufactures Bio-PDO®, a bio-based 
ingredient used in the textile and plastics industries.

Sales

£2,164m
2013 – £2,309m

Adjusted operating profit

£172m
2013 – £182m

Sales
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted operating margin

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
2 309
182
7.9%

2014
£m
2 164
172
7.9%

Reported
-6%
-5%
0 bps

Change
Constant
currency
-6%
-4%
+10 bps

“We coped well with a number  
of challenges during the year as 
we continue to provide a steady 
source of cash to support growth 
in Speciality Food Ingredients. 
Looking ahead, our focus 
remains on optimising margins, 
maintaining efficient assets and 
seeking to further dampen the 
risk profile of the division.”

Market conditions
A good corn harvest in the US with 
production increasing by around 30% 
compared with the previous year and  
a recovery in the stocks-to-use ratio to 
more normal levels, resulted in a significant 
reduction in corn prices in the summer. 
However, during the last quarter of the 
financial year, corn prices increased 
steadily, driven by rising demand from  
US ethanol and exports. The latest 
production estimate from the USDA1  
for the 2014/15 harvest is broadly in line 
with the prior year at 13.9 billion bushels.   

The unusually cold spring in the US in 
2013, constrained demand for carbonated 
soft drinks, a key end market for bulk liquid 
corn sweeteners. In the three-month period 
to the end of June 2013, US carbonated 
soft drinks sales volume declined by 6.3%2 
against the comparative period, with sales 
volume over the whole year 3% lower. In 
addition to softer domestic demand, lower 
Mexican sugar prices resulted in a 24%3 
reduction in exports of US HFCS to 
Mexico. The protracted severe cold winter 
weather in the US also created operational 
and supply chain challenges across the 
industry, particularly during the quarter 
ended 31 March 2014. 

World sugar prices, which provide a 
reference price for some of our products, 
continued to decline steadily during 2013 
as supply was increased following 
consecutive years of surplus. However, 
towards the end of the financial year, prices 
stabilised reflecting ongoing weather risks 
and the potential impact of these on the 
Brazilian crop. In Europe, sugar prices 
started to decline in the second half of the 
financial year, reflecting an increase in stock 
levels following the steps taken by the 
European Union in the 2012/13 sugar year 
to increase imports, and lower consumer 
demand due to the cold spring.

The paper industry, which provides a major 
source of demand for industrial starches in 
the US, saw a reduction in operating rates 
during the 2013 calendar year as a result of 
lower demand. In Europe, additional starch 
capacity reduced industrial starch prices, 
putting pressure on margins.

Conditions in the US ethanol industry 
improved steadily during the year, following 
a boost from the large corn crop which 
drove production costs down and made 
US ethanol a more cost competitive fuel. 
Increased demand, which tightened 
ethanol inventories, combined with 
logistical difficulties impacting the  
supply side in the second half of the 
financial year caused by the severe cold 
weather, also helped improve ethanol 
pricing fundamentals.  

Matt Wineinger

22 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

1  USDA is the US Department of Agriculture.
2   Source: IRI Infoscan Reviews, Total US  

Multi-Outlet and Convenience (FDM, WMT,  
Dollar, Club, Convenience Stores).

3  Source: US Census Bureau, HTS Export data.

A combination of tight supplies, reflecting 
the limited availability of good quality corn 
in the lead up to the new harvest last year 
and increased demand, kept prices high 
for corn gluten feed particularly during  
the second half of the financial year. 
Conversely, corn oil prices were lower  
as a result of the increased supply of  
corn distillers’ oil from the dry mill  
ethanol industry.

Financial performance
Bulk Ingredients volumes decreased by  
1% and sales were 6% lower (6% lower  
in constant currency) at £2,164 million  
(2013 – £2,309 million) largely due to the 
pass through of lower corn prices. Adjusted 
operating profit was 5% lower (4% lower  
in constant currency) at £172 million (2013 
– £182 million) as a result of the soft US 
beverage season, which reduced demand 
for liquid corn sweeteners, lower returns 
from co-products and, in the final quarter, 
the impact of the protracted severe cold 
winter in the US. This result includes a 
one-off gain of £3.5 million in the first  
half from the on-sale of Orsan China  
(a monosodium glutamate producer in 
which Tate & Lyle previously held a stake 
and which was sold in 2009). The effect  
of currency translation was to decrease 
adjusted operating profit by £2 million.

This division comprises three broad 
product categories: sweeteners; industrial 
starches, acidulants and ethanol;  
and co-products. 

Sweeteners 
In the Americas, bulk corn sweetener 
volumes decreased by 2% largely as  
a result of lower HFCS volumes caused  
by the cold spring which reduced demand 
for carbonated soft drinks during the 
second quarter. Sales decreased by 6% 
(down 6% in constant currency) to £889 
million (2013 – £942 million) as a result of 
the lower volumes and the reduction in 
corn prices following the large corn crop. 
Despite lower volumes, profits were ahead 
of the comparative period as a result of the 
modest increase in HFCS unit margins 
secured in the 2013 calendar year 
contracting round.

Operating profits from Almex, our  
Mexican joint venture, were lower than  
the comparative period reflecting reduced 
volumes and lower margins as a result of 
greater competition from Mexican sugar.

In Europe, sales of bulk corn sweeteners 
increased by 1% (flat in constant currency) 
to £148 million (2013 – £146 million), with 
volumes 1% higher than the prior year.  
We saw the benefit of higher unit margins 
throughout the year, driven in the first half 
by sugar prices (which provide the 

Security of supply

Investment in grain elevators
Our network of 14 grain elevators (silos), 
located in the US corn belt, makes an 
essential contribution to ensuring we 
have a reliable, high-quality source of 
corn for our US plants. Corn can 
deteriorate if not stored well, so there is 
an advantage to keeping the storage in 
our own hands; moreover many of our 
elevators have forged long-term 
relationships with producers who 
provide a consistent supply of locally-
produced corn each year. Over the last 
few years we have been adding capacity 
at existing elevators as well as acquiring 
new ones, and with that, increasing the 
number of farmers we buy corn from 
each year.

reference price for isoglucose (HFCS)  
in the EU) staying high for longer than 
expected and, in the second half, lower  
raw material costs following a good corn 
crop. As a result, overall profits for the full 
year were ahead of the comparative period.

Industrial starches, acidulants  
and ethanol 
Sales decreased by 5% (3% in constant 
currency) to £635 million (2013 – £667 
million).

In industrial starches, volumes were 2% 
higher. In the US, where we contract for 
longer periods than in Europe, profit was 
ahead of the prior year as a result of firmer 
pricing and slightly higher volumes. In 
Europe, lower prices, reflecting the pass 
through of lower corn costs and increased 
competition, put pressure on margins and 
reduced profits compared with last year. 
This part of the business remains 
particularly sensitive to changes in  
the macroeconomic environment.

In US ethanol, which represents a small 
part of our business, the improvement  
in market conditions, particularly during  
the second half, resulted in a better 
performance and a reduction in  
operating losses. 

Grain elevator at Francesville, Indiana, USA

Profit in our citric acid business was lower 
than the prior year, with reduced volumes 
more than offsetting lower raw material 
costs. Our Bio-PDO® joint venture delivered 
an improved performance during the 
period as a result of slightly higher volumes 
and lower corn costs.

Co-products 
Sales of co-products decreased by 11% 
(down 11% in constant currency) to £492 
million (2013 – £554 million). Overall returns 
from co-products were £7 million lower 
than our expectations at the start of the 
year, driven by corn gluten feed and corn oil 
which more than offset higher returns from 
corn gluten meal. Since over 80% of our 
US corn grind is utilised to produce Bulk 
Ingredients, the majority of this impact is 
recorded within this product category. 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 23

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Strategic Report 

GROUP FINANCIAL RESULTS

“ Our robust balance  
sheet provides us with  
a solid platform allowing  
us to invest a further  
£100 million in Speciality 
Food Ingredients growth 
over the next two years.”

  Tim Lodge

24 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Highlights

   Strong free cash flow generation  
of £227 million

   Balance sheet remains strong with  
£126 million reduction in net debt  
to £353 million

   Investment of £100 million over the next 
two years in expansion and cost reduction 
projects within Speciality Food Ingredients

   Additional steps taken to reduce pension 
risk including buy-in of liabilities of the 
Amylum UK Pension Scheme

Sales from continuing operations of £3,147 
million (2013 – £3,256 million) were 3% 
lower than the prior year (3% in constant 
currency). Sales in Speciality Food 
Ingredients increased by 4% (4% in 
constant currency) to £983 million (2013 
– £947 million), with sales volumes 
increasing by 4%. Sales in Bulk Ingredients 
decreased by 6% (6% in constant currency) 
to £2,164 million (2013 – £2,309 million), 
with volumes 1% lower. 

Adjusted operating profit decreased by  
2% (1% in constant currency) to £349 
million (2013 – £356 million). In Speciality 
Food Ingredients, adjusted operating  
profit was in line (up 1% in constant 
currency) with the prior year at £213 million 
(2013 – £213 million). Bulk Ingredients 
adjusted operating profit decreased by  
5% (4% in constant currency) to £172 
million (2013 – £182 million). 

Adjusted net finance expense (excluding 
net retirement benefit interest) decreased 
from £29 million to £27 million, largely 
driven by the repayment of our £100 million 
bond in June 2012 and lower interest rates 
on our floating rate debt.

Both adjusted profit before tax and 
adjusted diluted earnings per share 
decreased by 2% (flat in constant currency) 
to £322 million (2013 – £327 million) and 
55.7p (2013 – 56.6p) respectively.

On a statutory basis, profit before tax from 
continuing operations decreased by 4% 
(down 2% in constant currency) to £290 
million (2013 – £301 million) and profit for 
the year from total operations was in line at 
£273 million (2013 – £273 million), with the 

current period benefiting from an 
exceptional income tax credit of £28 million 
following the favourable resolution of 
outstanding tax matters in Spain. 

Basis of preparation 
At the beginning of the year, the Group 
adopted IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee 
Benefits’ which introduced a change to the 
way the Group accounts for defined benefit 
pension plans. The change modifies the 
basis on which the financing charge is 
calculated by applying the discount rate  
to the net defined benefit obligation and 
requires the recognition of scheme 
administration costs within operating profit. 
Comparative information for 2013 has been 
restated on a consistent basis and an 
explanation and analysis of the effect of  
the changes is presented in Note 43.

For the year ended 31 March 2014, the  
new requirements increased statutory net 
finance costs by £8 million (31 March 2013 
– £6 million) and reduced operating profit 
by £2 million (31 March 2013 – £2 million).

With the exception of the changes arising 
from the adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) 
the Group’s principal accounting policies 
are unchanged compared with the year 
ended 31 March 2013.

Adjusted performance measures
We report adjusted performance measures 
because they provide both management 
and investors with valuable additional 
information on the performance of the 
business. The following items are excluded 
from these adjusted measures:

(cid:116)(cid:1)exceptional items (Note 7) 
(cid:116)(cid:1)amortisation of intangible assets acquired 
through business combinations (Note 15)

(cid:116)(cid:1)net retirement benefit interest (Note 30)
(cid:116)(cid:1)tax on adjusting items
(cid:116)(cid:1)results of discontinued operations  

(Note 12).

This adjusted information is used internally 
for analysing the performance of the 
business. A reconciliation of reported and 
adjusted information is included in Note 42.

Impact of changes in exchange rates
In comparison to the prior year, the Group’s 
reported financial performance was 
adversely affected by currency translation. 
A weakening of the average US dollar 
exchange rate against sterling was only 
partially offset by the strengthening of other 
currencies, which has slightly reduced 
profits. The movement in period-end 
exchange rates, particularly the weaker  
US dollar, led to a reduction in net debt  
as a result of the translation of dollar-
denominated debt. 

Summary of financial results

Year ended 31 March
Continuing operations
Sales
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted net finance expense
Adjusted profit before tax
Exceptional items

Amortisation of acquired intangible assets 
Net retirement benefit interest
Profit before tax
Income tax expense
Profit for the year from continuing operations
Profit for the year from discontinued

operations
Profit for the year
Earnings per share – continuing 
operations
Basic
Diluted
Adjusted earnings per share – 
continuing operations
Basic
Diluted
Dividends per share
Interim paid
Final proposed

Net debt
At 31 March

2013

Restated1 

£m

Change
(reported)
%

Change
(constant
currency)
%

3 256
356
(29)
327
(12)

(10)
(4)
301
(46)
255

18
273

54.9p
53.8p

57.7p
56.6p

7.4p
18.8p
26.2p

-3%
-2%

-2%

-4%

-4%

-3%
-1%

0%

-2%

-2%

0%

2%

-3%

-2%

0%

-2%

5.4%
5.3%
5.3%

2014
£m

3 147
349
(27)
322
(14)

(10)
(8)
290
(45)
245

28
273

52.8p
52.1p

56.5p
55.7p

7.8p
19.8p
27.6p

353

479

26.3%

1  Restated for the adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee Benefits’.

The average and closing exchange rates 
used to translate reported results were as 
follows:

US dollar:sterling
Euro:sterling

Average rates Closing rates

2014
2013
1.59 1.57
1.19 1.24

2014
2013
1.67 1.52
1.21
1.18

Central costs
Central costs, which include head office, 
treasury and reinsurance activities, 
decreased by £3 million to £36 million, 
largely as a result of lower staff-related 
costs.

Energy costs 
Energy costs were higher than the prior 
year at £177 million (2013 – £170 million),  
as a result of the increased price of energy 
used in many regions, in particular the US, 
which more than offset positive variances 
relating to efficiency and input mix. We 
have covered approximately 66% of our 
estimated energy needs for financial year 
2015, albeit at higher prices than in financial 
year 2014 which we will look to mitigate 
through further efficiencies.

Exceptional items from continuing 
operations

Year ended 31 March
2014
2013
£m
£m
(14)
(20)

Business transformation costs
Gain on disposal of joint venture 
– Sucromiles
Net exceptional charge

–
(14)

8
(12)

During the year ended 31 March 2014, an 
exceptional charge of £14 million (see Note 
7) was recognised in continuing operations, 
relating to business transformation costs, 
specifically the implementation of the 
common global IS/IT platform. This 
compares to a net exceptional charge in 
the comparative year of £12 million, with 
£20 million of business transformation 
costs partially offset by a credit of £8 million 
from the disposal of our share in 
Sucromiles SA, our former Colombian 
citric-acid joint venture. 

The tax impact of net exceptional items 
within continuing operations was a £9 
million credit (2013 – £5 million credit).

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Strategic Report 

ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Net finance expense
After excluding net retirement benefit 
interest, net finance expense from 
continuing operations decreased to £27 
million (2013 – £29 million) with a reduction 
in underlying net interest expense driven by 
the repayment of our £100 million bond in 
June 2012 and lower interest rates on our 
floating rate debt.

The effective tax rate on adjusted profit of 
18.5% (2013 – 18.0%) includes tax credits 
in relation to prior year adjustments in the 
US. As a result of these tax benefits in 
financial year 2014, and our expectation  
of further changes in the geographic mix  
of profits, we anticipate the effective tax 
rate will be higher in financial year 2015  
at a little over 20%. 

Taxation
Our tax policy is to manage our obligations 
in compliance with all relevant tax laws, 
disclosure requirements and regulations. 
We seek to ensure that our approach to  
tax and the tax payments we make in all 
territories in which we have operations  
are fully consistent with local requirements, 
taking into account available tax incentives 
and allowances, and are aligned with the 
Group’s wider business strategy. 

Discontinued operations  
and legacy issues
During the year, the Group recognised  
a profit from discontinued operations of 
£28 million which wholly comprised a 
non-cash exceptional income tax credit 
arising from the favourable resolution of 
outstanding tax matters associated with 
the starch facilities which formed part  
of the Group’s former Food & Industrial 
Ingredients, Europe segment.

During the prior year, the Group recognised 
a profit of £18 million from discontinued 
operations which comprised: an exceptional 
gain of £26 million on the completion of the 
sale of its Vietnam Sugar operations, its 
remaining Israel Sugar assets and other 
assets, all of which related to the Group’s 
former Sugars segment; partially offset by 
an operating loss of £8 million that was 
incurred by these businesses.

Earnings per share 
Adjusted diluted earnings per share from 
continuing operations at 55.7p (2013 – 
56.6p) were 2% lower (flat in constant 
currency). Adjusted basic earnings per 
share from continuing operations 
decreased by 2% (down 1% in constant 
currency) to 56.5p. Total basic earnings  
per share were flat at 58.8p (2013 – 58.6p) 
with the discontinued operations result 
reflecting the one-off benefit from the 
aforementioned £28 million exceptional  
tax credit.

Dividend 
The Board is recommending a 5.3% 
increase in the final dividend to 19.8p  
(2013 – 18.8p) per share making a full  
year dividend of 27.6p (2013 – 26.2p) per 
share, up 5.3% on the prior year. Subject  
to shareholder approval, the proposed  
final dividend will be due and payable  
on 1 August 2014 to all shareholders  
on the Register of Members on 27 June 
2014. In addition to the cash dividend 
option, shareholders will continue to be 
offered a Dividend Reinvestment Plan 
(DRIP) alternative.

We seek to develop good, open working 
relationships with tax authorities and to 
engage with them proactively, recognising 
that tax legislation can be complex and 
may be subject to differing interpretations. 
In instances where this might arise, we 
seek to engage with the relevant tax 
authorities in open discussion of any such 
differences as early as possible to remove 
uncertainty and obtain resolution.

Tate & Lyle’s tax strategy and the 
management of tax risk is primarily the 
responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer 
and the Vice President, Group Tax and  
is reviewed by the Board and the Audit 
Committee to ensure responsible tax 
practices are maintained across the 
Group’s businesses.

Our tax rate is sensitive to the geographic 
mix of profits and reflects a combination of 
higher rates in certain jurisdictions such as 
the US, nil effective rates in Singapore (due 
to pioneer status which we were granted in 
2008 to reflect our investment in innovative 
technology) and the UK, and rates that lie 
somewhere in between, for example,  
in certain East European countries. 

Our UK earnings are now relatively small 
following the sale of our sugars and 
molasses businesses. Less than 1% of total 
Group sales (2014 – £22 million) are derived 
from our UK operations which are offset by 
our corporate costs, primarily the interest 
we pay on our borrowings. As a result, we 
pay no corporation tax in the UK. We do, 
however, pay and collect other taxes in  
the UK, including payroll taxes, VAT and 
business rates. Our total tax contribution  
to the UK Exchequer was in excess  
of £21 million during the year ended  
31 March 2014.

26 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Assets 
Gross assets of £2,527 million at 31 March 
2014 were £260 million lower than the prior 
year principally driven by a weakening of 
the US dollar which reduced the sterling 
value of assets and a reduction in working 
capital. Net assets increased by £14 million 
to £1,050 million with profits generated in 
the year being largely offset by dividend 
payments, foreign exchange losses on the 
translation of overseas subsidiaries, the 
post-tax effect of retirement benefits and 
share repurchases.

Retirement benefits 
We maintain pension plans for our 
employees in a number of countries. Some 
of these arrangements are defined benefit 
pension schemes and, although we have 
now closed the main UK scheme and US 
salaried scheme to future accrual, certain 
obligations remain. In the US, we also 
provide medical benefits as part of the 
retirement package. 

During the year, we took further steps to 
reduce our pension risk. In September,  
the trustees of the Amylum UK Pension 
Scheme agreed a buy-in of the liabilities  
of the scheme. In addition, the assets and 
liabilities of the defined benefit pension plan 
in the Netherlands were transferred to a 
new collective defined contribution plan 
and the defined benefit plan was closed  
to future accrual. This transfer was treated 
as a settlement on which the Group 
recognised a gain of £4 million.

The net deficit on our retirement benefit 
plans decreased by £45 million to £220 
million (2013 – £265 million). The net deficit 
on the Group’s pension plans decreased 
by £19 million to £166 million (2013 – £185 
million), with an increase in the underlying 
deficit more than offset by employer’s 
contributions of £43 million and favourable 
currency movements. The liabilities 
associated with unfunded retirement 
medical plans in the US decreased by  
£26 million to £54 million (2013 – £80 
million), principally due to a favourable 
claims experience, an increase in the 
applicable discount rate and favourable 
currency movements.

Net debt (£m)

(479)

391

17

(29)

35

(124)

(353)

(159)

(5)

2013

PBIT/
Other
operating

Working
capital 
including
pensions

Capex

Dividends

Other

Exchange

2014

Share 
issue/
purchase

Net interest paid decreased by £4 million  
to £31 million principally as a result of the 
repayment of our £100 million bond in June 
2012 and lower interest rates on our floating 
rate debt. Net income tax payments were 
£23 million (2013 – £18 million).

Free cash inflow (representing cash 
generated from continuing operations  
after working capital, interest, taxation and 
capital expenditure) at £227 million was 
£117 million higher than the prior year 
largely as a result of the working capital 
inflow of £38 million during the period  
(2013 – outflow of £107 million).

During the year we spent £29 million on  
the repurchase of ordinary shares to satisfy 
share option schemes. Parent company 
cash dividends paid were £124 million, 
£7 million higher than the prior year. 

Financial risk factors 
Our key financial risk factors are market 
risks, such as foreign exchange, 
transaction and translation exposures,  
and credit and liquidity risks. Please refer  
to Note 21 of the Financial Statements for  
a discussion of these risk factors.

Off balance sheet arrangements 
In the ordinary course of business, to 
manage our operations and financing,  
we enter into certain performance 
guarantees and commitments for capital 
and other expenditure. The aggregate 
amount of indemnities and other 
performance guarantees, on which no 
material loss has arisen, including those 
related to joint ventures and associates, 
was £1 million at 31 March 2014 (2013 –  
£2 million). We aim to optimise financing 
costs in respect of all financing 
transactions. Where it is economically 
beneficial, we choose to lease rather than 
purchase assets. Leases for property, plant 
and equipment where the lessor assumes 
substantially all the risks and rewards of 
ownership are treated as operating leases, 
with annual rentals charged to the income 
statement over the term of the lease. 
Commitments under operating leases  
to pay rentals in future years totalled £174 
million (2013 – £189 million) and related 
primarily to railcar leases in the USA. Rental 
charges for the year ended 31 March 2014 
in respect of continuing operations were 
£17 million (2013 – £19 million).

Net debt 
Net debt was lower than the prior year  
at £353 million (2013 – £479 million).  
Free cash flow from continuing businesses  
of £227 million was partially offset by 
dividend payments of £124 million and  
the repurchase of £29 million of ordinary 
shares to satisfy the Group’s share option 
schemes. There was a favourable 
exchange rate impact on net debt of  
£35 million principally as a result of the 
weakening of the US dollar against sterling. 
The Group’s $500 million 5% bond matures 
in November 2014 and has therefore  
been reclassified from non-current to 
current borrowings.

During the year, net debt peaked at £497 
million in April 2013. The average net debt 
was £372 million, a reduction of £61 million 
from £433 million in the prior year.

Cash flow 
Operating cash flow from continuing 
operations was £440 million (2013 – £297 
million). An inflow within working capital  
of £38 million was mainly driven by lower 
finished goods inventories and lower corn 
prices in the US. The cash flow impact  
of the Group’s retirement benefit plans 
amounted to £43 million (2013 – £42 million).

Year ended 31 March
2014
2013
£m
£m

Adjusted operating profit from  
  continuing operations
Depreciation/amortisation
Share based payments
Other non-cash items
Working capital before retirement 

 benefits and exceptional  
cash items

Net retirement benefit obligations
Cash expenditure on  
  exceptional items
Operating cash flow
Capital expenditure
Operating cash flow less capital 
  expenditure
Net interest and tax paid
Free cash flow

349
108
8
(6)

356
98
13
– 

38
(43)

(107)
(42)

(14)
440
(159)

281
(54)
227

(21)
297
(134)

163
(53)
110

Capital expenditure of £159 million, 
including a £45 million investment in 
intangible assets, was 1.5 times the 
depreciation and amortisation charge  
of £108 million and, as in the prior year, 
includes expenditure on our business 
transformation initiatives and, in particular, 
the implementation of the global IS/IT 
system. We expect the ratio of capital 
expenditure to depreciation/amortisation  
in the financial year 2015 to approach  
2.0 times reflecting an additional £100 
million of capital investment over the  
next two years in our Speciality Food 
Ingredients division.

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Strategic Report 

ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION | CONTINUED

Use and fair value of financial
instruments
In the normal course of business we use 
both derivative and non-derivative financial 
instruments. The fair value of Group net 
borrowings at the year end was £387 
million against a book value of £353 million  
(2013 – fair value £529 million; book value 
£479 million). Derivative financial 
instruments used to manage the interest 
rate and currency of borrowings had a fair 
value of £29 million asset (2013 – £38 
million asset).

The main types of instrument used are 
interest rate swaps, interest rate options 
(caps or floors) and cross-currency interest 
rate swaps. The fair value of other derivative 
financial instruments hedging future 
currency and commodity transactions was 
£1 million asset (2013 – £nil). When 
managing currency exposure, we use spot 
and forward purchases and sales, and 
options. The fair value of other derivative 
financial instruments accounted for as held 
for trading was a £20 million asset  
(2013 – £21 million asset).

As set out in the sections and note 
referenced above, the market conditions  
of the areas in which the Group operates 
have been affected, and are likely to 
continue to be affected, by large 
movements in input prices. However,  
with some 70% of revenues from food  
and beverage ingredients, the Group has  
a measure of resilience (although not 
immunity) to economic challenges.  
In addition, the Group has access to 
considerable financial resources through  
its facilities as described in Note 21 to  
the Financial Statements. In making their 
assessment of the going concern basis, 
the Directors have reviewed the maturities 
of these facilities, the headroom available 
from them and the Group’s ability to meet 
the covenant requirements of certain of 
them. As a consequence, the Directors 
believe that the Group is well placed to 
manage its business risks successfully.

After making enquiries, the Directors have  
a reasonable expectation that the Company 
and the Group have adequate resources  
to continue in operational existence for  
the foreseeable future. Accordingly, they 
continue to adopt the going concern basis 
in preparing the Annual Report.

Fair value estimation
The fair value of derivative financial 
instruments is based on the market price of 
comparable instruments at the balance 
sheet date if they are publicly traded. The 
fair value of the forward currency contracts 
was determined based on market forward 
exchange rates at the balance sheet date. 
The fair values of short-term deposits, 
receivables, payables, loans and overdrafts 
with a maturity of less than one year are 
assumed to approximate their book values. 
The fair values of bonds, bank and other 
loans, including finance lease liabilities due 
in more than one year, are estimated by 
discounting the future contractual cash 
flows at the current market interest rate 
available to the Group for similar financial 
instruments, adjusted for the fair valuation 
effects of currency and interest rate risk 
exposures, where those instruments form 
part of related hedging relationship 
agreements, financial and commodity 
forward contracts and options, and 
commodity futures. The values of certain 
items of merchandisable agricultural 
commodities that are included in 
inventories are based on market prices.

Going concern
The Group’s business activities, together 
with the factors likely to affect its future 
development, performance and position are 
set out in this Strategic Report. The financial 
position of the Group, its cash flows, 
liquidity position and borrowing facilities are 
described in the same sections. In addition, 
Note 21 to the Financial Statements 
includes the Group’s objectives, policies 
and processes for managing its capital; its 
financial risk management objectives; 
details of its financial instruments and 
hedging activities; and its exposures to 
credit risk and liquidity risk.

28 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

RISKS

Our risk framework

Effectively managing 
the risks we face
Tate & Lyle is exposed to a number  
of risks which might have a material  
adverse effect on our reputation,  
operations and financial performance.

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Review  
and monitor 
risks

1

Identify risks

4

Respond  
to risks

Our risk 
framework

2

Assess  
risks and 
interactions

3

Prioritise  
risks

The Board has overall responsibility for the 
Group’s system of risk management and 
internal control. The schedule of matters 
reserved to the Board ensures that the 
Directors control, among other matters,  
all significant strategic, financial and 
organisational risks.

Approach
The Group’s enterprise-wide risk 
management and reporting process helps 
management to identify, assess, prioritise 
and mitigate risk. This bottom-up process 
involves a rolling programme of workshops, 
facilitated by the risk management team, 
held around the Group. The current and 
forward-looking risks identified are collated 
and reported through functional and 
divisional levels to the Group Executive 
Committee. These risks are also reviewed 
by the Board on a top-down basis to 
assess the key risks facing Tate & Lyle. This 
dual approach culminates in the 
identification of the Group’s key business, 
financial, operational and compliance risks 
with associated action plans and controls 
to mitigate them where possible (and to the 
extent deemed appropriate taking account 
of costs and benefits). This output is 
reviewed by the Board. As part of the 
annual risk assessment process, the Board 
also reviews emerging and ‘black swan’ 
risks facing the Group.

Responsibility for managing each key risk 
and the associated mitigating controls is 
allocated to an individual executive within 
each division. As part of the process, 
senior executive management formally 
confirms once a year that these key risks 
are being managed appropriately within 
their operations and that controls have 
been examined and are effective. The 
confirmations and any exceptions are 
discussed at the Audit Committee and 
Corporate Responsibility Committee, and, 
where appropriate, reported to the Board.

Key risks
Key risks and uncertainties identified  
as part of the risk management process 
undertaken during the year, together with 
some of the mitigating actions we are 
taking, are set out on pages 30 and 31.  
It is not possible to identify or anticipate 
every risk that may affect the Group.  
Our overall success as a global business 
depends, in part, upon our ability to 
succeed in different economic, social  
and political environments and to manage 
and to mitigate these risks.

During the year ended 31 March 2014, the 
Board and the Group Executive Committee 
undertook an exercise to consider the 
nature and extent of the Group’s risk 
appetite. The results of this exercise, which 
includes a retrospective review of how the 
prior year risk appetite has been applied in 
practice, are used as part of the Group’s 
strategic planning activities, and in 
considering ongoing mitigating actions. 

The Group’s risk management process 
continues to follow the Committee of 
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway 
Commission (COSO) Enterprise Risk 
framework. The COSO framework provides 
a process to manage the risk of failure to 
achieve business objectives and assurance 
against material loss or mis-statement.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 29

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Strategic Report 

RISKS | CONTINUED

Risks

Impact and description

Examples of mitigating actions

Safety
Failure to act  
safely and to  
maintain the safe  
and continuous 
operation of  
our facilities.

Strategy
Failure to grow  
in speciality  
food ingredients.

Innovation
Failure to innovate  
and commercialise 
new products.

The safety of our employees, 
contractors, suppliers, and the 
communities in which we operate is 
paramount. We must operate within 
local laws, regulations, rules and 
ordinances relating to health, safety and 
the environment, including emissions. 
The operation of plants involves many 
risks, which could cause a temporary or 
permanent stoppage in production and 
could have a material adverse effect on 
the Group.

The Group’s strategy is to become the 
leading global provider of speciality food 
ingredients and solutions. The ability to 
deliver the strategy may be impacted by a 
number of factors such as delivering 
growth in emerging markets, acquisitions, 
customer readiness to adopt new 
ingredients and launch products using 
them, competitor actions, and growing 
key product or product families. Failure to 
deliver on this strategy over the longer 
term would negatively affect the Group’s 
credibility and reputation.

Failure to identify important consumer 
trends and provide innovative solutions, 
and the inability to successfully 
commercialise new products, could 
impact the delivery of the Group’s 
strategy. This would affect its 
performance and reputation.

Quality
Failure to maintain the 
quality of our products 
and high standards of 
customer service.

The safety of consumers of our products 
is critical. Poor quality or sub-standard 
products or poor customer service could 
have a negative impact on our reputation 
and relationships with customers.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Health and safety policies and procedures at all facilities with 
dedicated staff to ensure they are embedded and measured
(cid:116)(cid:1) Regular review of performance and policies by the Corporate 

Responsibility Committee

(cid:116)(cid:1) Business continuity capabilities in place to enable supply, as quickly  
as practicable, of product to customers from alternative sources in  
the event of a natural disaster or major equipment or plant failure 
(cid:116)(cid:1) Maintain suitable insurance programme against customary risks
(cid:116)(cid:1) Programme of global compliance audits; senior executives also 
undertake annual executive audits at the majority of our sites

(cid:116)(cid:1) Investments are being made to increase the Group’s sales 
and technical resources, including in emerging markets

(cid:116)(cid:1) New staff recruited and existing staff developed to upgrade skill 

sets particularly in customer-facing areas and innovation

(cid:116)(cid:1) Internal capabilities have been enhanced to help promote growth 

through acquisition

(cid:116)(cid:1) Global programme has been established to enhance customer 

account management, planning and execution

(cid:116)(cid:1) Three platforms have been established in Innovation and 

Commercial Development – sweeteners, texturants and health  
and wellness – to drive new product development and innovation 
in speciality food ingredients

(cid:116)(cid:1) Innovation and Commercial Development team works closely with 
customers and other external organisations to identify emerging trends

(cid:116)(cid:1) Open innovation team actively scouts for breakthrough 

technologies and opportunities across industries and universities
(cid:116)(cid:1) Global marketing organisation established to provide launch support 

for new product initiatives as well as base business expansion
(cid:116)(cid:1) Prioritise ‘partnership’ opportunities with customers to accelerate 

development cycles and time to market for new ingredients

(cid:116)(cid:1) Multiple steps in process testing in all product lines and strict quality 
control procedures to prevent release of product without full quality 
control clearance

(cid:116)(cid:1) Policies, procedures and performance reviewed regularly by the 

Corporate Responsibility Committee

(cid:116)(cid:1) Third-party audit programme in place, supplemented by internal 

global compliance audits

(cid:116)(cid:1) Recall simulation exercises undertaken

People
Failure to attract, 
develop and retain 
key personnel.

Performance, knowledge and skills  
of employees are central to success.  
We must attract, integrate and retain  
the talent required to fulfil our ambitions 
and deliver the Group’s strategy. Inability 
to retain key knowledge and adequately 
plan for succession could have a negative 
impact on Company performance.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Remuneration policies designed to attract, retain and reward 

employees with ability and experience to execute Group strategy

(cid:116)(cid:1) Talent development strategy to provide opportunities for 

employees, as well as training to close skill gaps

(cid:116)(cid:1) Single global performance appraisal and talent planning processes 

and system in place

(cid:116)(cid:1) Increased Board-level focus on succession planning for business-

critical roles

Legal and 
regulatory
Failure to comply  
with legislation  
and regulation.

The Group operates in diverse markets 
and therefore is exposed to a wide range 
of legal and regulatory frameworks.  
We must understand and comply with  
all applicable legislation. Any breach 
could have a financial impact and 
damage our reputation.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Regular monitoring and review of changes in law and regulation in 
such areas as health and safety, environment, quality, food safety 
and corporate governance

(cid:116)(cid:1) Global regulatory team, supported by external consultants, 

monitors local regulatory requirements affecting our products  
and how these change over time

(cid:116)(cid:1) Legal teams maintain compliance policies in areas such as anti-trust 
and anti-corruption law; and provide ongoing training to employees

30 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Risks

Impact and description

Examples of mitigating actions

Raw 
materials
Fluctuations in prices 
and availability of raw 
materials, energy, 
freight and other 
operating inputs.

Margins may be affected by fluctuations 
in crop prices due to factors such as 
variations in local or regional harvest and 
weather conditions, crop disease, 
climate change, crop yields, alternative 
crops and co-product values. In some 
cases, due to the basis for pricing in 
sales contracts, or due to competitive 
markets, we may not be able to pass on 
to customers the full increase in raw 
material prices or higher energy, freight 
or other operating costs. Additionally, 
margins may be affected by customers 
not taking expected volumes.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Strategic relationships with suppliers and trading companies 

including multi-year agreements

(cid:116)(cid:1) Balanced portfolio of supply and tolling contracts in operation with 
customers to manage balance of raw material prices and product 
sales prices and volume risks

(cid:116)(cid:1) Raw material and energy purchasing policies to provide security 

of supply

(cid:116)(cid:1) Expanding network of corn elevators to enhance security of supply
(cid:116)(cid:1) Putting in place new or back-up supply sources in case primary 

suppliers face localised challenges 

Key projects
Failure to implement 
the Group’s programme 
to transform its 
operational capabilities.

The Group has committed to a 
programme to transform its operational 
capabilities, primarily by implementing 
common ways of working supported by 
a global IS/IT platform and global shared 
services. Issues arising in the 
implementation of this project would 
have an adverse impact on the Group’s 
ability to achieve its strategy.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Ongoing refinements to programme based on lessons learnt  
in the process (e.g. phased go-live approach to mitigate the 
deployment risk)

(cid:116)(cid:1) Dedicated internal resources allocated to the project, working in 

conjunction with business teams

(cid:116)(cid:1) Formal steering committee (executive management) and Board/
Audit Committee review of project progress against agreed 
milestones and timelines

(cid:116)(cid:1) Appointment of a highly experienced programme manager

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Failure to counter 
negative perceptions of 
the Group’s products.

We must be fully prepared to counter 
unexpected/unfounded negative 
publicity about our products and seek  
to ensure the science behind our 
ingredients is supported by credible 
sources and is clearly communicated. 
Failure to do so would have a negative 
impact on the Group’s performance  
and reputation.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Innovation and Commercial Development and regulatory experts 

substantiate relevant product claims prior to launch

(cid:116)(cid:1) Media relations advisors monitor coverage in both print and 
electronic media of the Group and its products and develop  
action plans to deal with any negative publicity

(cid:116)(cid:1) Participation in trade organisations and industry-wide initiatives  

to promote and protect our products

Finance
Failure to manage  
the balance sheet, 
particularly during 
periods of economic 
uncertainty.

We must manage our finances within 
strictly controlled parameters, particularly 
when external financial conditions are 
uncertain and highly changeable. The 
change programme currently being 
undertaken by the Group consists of a 
number of capital expenditure projects 
which, if not delivered successfully, could 
negatively affect the Group’s performance 
and reputation.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Capital expenditure procedures to control and monitor allocation 

and spend

(cid:116)(cid:1) All new investments are evaluated against clear strategic and 

financial criteria; those approved are subject to greater scrutiny  
and have clear execution milestones

(cid:116)(cid:1) External resources and expertise used where required
(cid:116)(cid:1) Exposure to liquidity risk is managed by ensuring we maintain 
access to a wide range of funding sources, and by effective 
management of our cash resources

Finance
Failure to maintain an 
effective system of 
internal financial 
controls.

Without effective internal financial controls, 
we could be exposed to financial 
irregularities and losses from acts which 
could have a significant impact on the 
ability of the business to operate. We must 
safeguard business assets and ensure 
accuracy and reliability of records and 
financial reporting.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Policies to ensure that key tasks are segregated to safeguard assets
(cid:116)(cid:1) Finance and capital expenditure manuals set out procedure
(cid:116)(cid:1) Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer undertake detailed 

quarterly business and financial reviews

(cid:116)(cid:1) Additional control processes put in place in recognition of the 
elevated risks posed by the implementation of the new global  
IS/IT system 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 31

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Strategic Report 

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Our sustainability journey
We approach corporate responsibility (CR) from a stakeholder perspective; in terms of our workplace, 
the environment, our marketplace and the communities of which we are a part. We seek to continually 
improve the way that we manage, perform in and report on CR matters.

Corporate responsibility governance

Management and performance

Reporting and communication 

Workplace
We deeply regret three fatal accidents 
that occurred at our sites during the last 
year: these tragic accidents and our 
response are reported on pages 4,  
8 and 33.

Environment
We were included in the FTSE 350 
Climate Disclosure Leadership Index for 
the second year running in 2013, having 
scored once again in the top 10% of the 
FTSE 350 companies responding.

Marketplace
We implement controls to promote and 
ensure responsible and ethical conduct 
by our employees, business partners 
and in our supply chain (see pages  
36 and 37). 

Community
We have expanded community 
involvement in the year providing 
support locally and globally in the areas 
of well-being, education and 
environment (see page 37).

Engagement
This year we have engaged with 
customers and other key stakeholders 
and used this feedback to review how 
we report on and communicate about 
CR matters.

Reporting
The scope, principles and 
methodologies we use in reporting  
CR performance are provided in ‘CR 
Reporting Criteria Annual Report 2014’ 
available at www.tateandlyle.com/
CR2014. 

Our internal audit function reviewed the 
CR information and data in this Annual 
Report to confirm its accuracy.

We gained independent external 
assurance over selected environmental 
data on pages 35 and 36 in this Annual 
Report from Bureau Veritas UK Ltd. 
Their assurance statement can be found 
at www.tateandlyle.com/CR2014.

Employees by division
as at 31 March 2014

1  49% Bulk Ingredients
2  42% Speciality Food Ingredients
3  9% Central functions

Employees by geography 
as at 31 March 2014

1  46% North America
2   37% Europe, Middle 

3  10% Latin America
4   7% Asia Pacific

East & Africa

3

1

2

4

1

3

2

Governance of CR matters is overseen 
by the Board’s Corporate Responsibility 
Committee (see page 51). 

The Chief Executive is the director with 
specific responsibility for CR matters.

CR matters are part of the Group’s risk 
management and reporting processes 
(see page 29).

Our policies and control arrangements 
addressing human rights include:

(cid:116)(cid:1)our Code of Ethics and the internal 
and external communication and 
training undertaken around it

(cid:116)(cid:1)the Company’s position and practices 
on equal opportunities and diversity

(cid:116)(cid:1)the Company’s Speak Up 

(whistleblowing) arrangements  
(see page 45)

(cid:116)(cid:1)our controls for managing standards in 

the supply chain (see page 37).

Workplace
Our employees are critical in delivering our 
strategy. The key CR considerations for us 
in terms of our workplace are safety and 
how we manage our relationship with 
employees. In line with our Values, we 
believe that everyone should be safe at 
work and be treated fairly and with respect.

Employee profile
At 31 March 2014, Tate & Lyle employed 
4,523 people (2013 – 4,326). Our employee 
base has increased in the last year primarily 
due to the formation of Tate & Lyle 
Howbetter in China, and the acquisition  
of Biovelop, the Swedish oat beta  
glucan manufacturer.

32 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Safety
We have no higher priority than safety,  
for our employees and for everyone who 
comes to our sites. Our ultimate goal  
is to have no accidents and no injuries.

Our Executive Safety Steering  
Committee, chaired by our Chief  
Executive, met throughout the year  
to review our safety performance  
and improvement programmes. 

Our senior executives are personally 
involved in safety management and 
undertake annual executive audits at  
the majority of our sites around the world.

Performance
We deeply regret the deaths during the last 
year of an employee at our manufacturing 
facility in the Netherlands who fell from 
height, an external truck driver working  
at our joint-venture site in Hungary who 
died in an industrial accident, and a 
contractor in Singapore who died from 
burns after a hot water escape in April 
2014. A further contractor remains in a 
critical condition in hospital in Singapore.

These tragic accidents were thoroughly 
investigated, both internally and externally. 
Actions, based on preliminary findings, 
have been taken to prevent this type of 
accident reoccurring and so that we may 
learn from these tragic events. Further 
details are provided in the Chairman’s 
Statement on page 4 and the Chief 
Executive’s Review on page 8.

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Safety performance²

Recordable incident rate 
Number of injuries requiring treatment beyond first aid per 200,000 hours

Number of incidents combined (2013)

44

  Tate & Lyle employees
  Contractors

1.55

1.43

0.55

0.63

0.94

0.43

2011

2012

2013

US industry sector employee averages 20123 and Tate & Lyle employees 2013 

6.5

Beverage and tobacco

5.4

Food manufacturing

3.7

Construction

3.4

Private industry

2.3

Chemical manufacturing

1.5

Energy products manufacturing

0.43

Tate & Lyle

Lost-work case rate 
Number of injuries that resulted in lost-work days per 200,000 hours

Fatalities

2013
21

2012
0

2011
0

10

Number of cases combined (2013)

  Tate & Lyle employees
  Contractors

1   One employee and one external truck driver.  
One of our contractors also had a fatality in  
April 2014.

The safety performance indicators, 
recordable incident rate and lost-work case 
rate, saw a 32% and 49% reduction 
respectively during the year, to reach our 
lowest levels ever recorded. However, 
safety is about people, not just numbers, 
and we can never do too much to keep 
ourselves and our colleagues safe.

Recordable 
incident rate

Lost-work 
case rate

Change
versus
2012

Change
versus
2013
2012
0.43 -32% 0.09 -53%
0.94 -34% 0.22 -49%
0.58 -32% 0.13 -49%

2013

Employees
Contractors
Combined

External benchmarking
To put our safety performance in context 
and because many of our employees are 
located in the US, we compare our results 
with US industry averages, as shown in the 
graphs opposite.

0.43

0.31

0.17

0.19

0.22

0.09

2011

2012

2013

US industry sector employee averages 20123 and Tate & Lyle employees 2013 

1.9

Beverage and tobacco

1.4

Construction

1.3

Food manufacturing

1.0

Private industry

0.7

Chemical manufacturing

0.5

Energy products manufacturing

0.09

Tate & Lyle

2   We report safety performance by calendar year.
3  Source: US Department of Labor, November 2013.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 33

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Strategic Report 

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY | CONTINUED

Safety milestones
Five of our US plants between them won 
15 US Corn Refiners Association (CRA) 
Safety Awards during the year.

Twenty-five of our facilities did not 
experience a recordable injury in 2013, 
compared to 20 in 2012. 

Safety initiatives
Safety projects and activities progressed 
during the year included:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Contractor safety programme:  
we improved contractors’ safety by 
increased monitoring, sharing best 
practices, and closer relationships
(cid:116)(cid:1)Safety competency: we trained 

managers and supervisors on safety 
leadership and ownership; training for 
safety representatives included courses 
on scaffolding and excavation

(cid:116)(cid:1)Hand safety: a third party conducted 
glove surveys; we purchased additional 
cut-resistant gloves and knives with 
retractable blades; and installed  
glove-type awareness boards

(cid:116)(cid:1)Safety awareness: we held our  
annual Global Safety Week where  
many employees and their families,  
and contractors, took part in activities  
across our sites worldwide.

Occupational health and well-being 
We contract with external occupational 
health professionals to monitor and 
safeguard the health of employees at work, 
and to provide information, advice and 
support to them on general health and 
wellness matters.

Relationship with employees
Our Values define what we stand for and 
how we behave with our customers, 
suppliers, investors, the communities we 
operate in and with each other. We believe 
in equal opportunities for all, regardless  
of gender, sexual orientation, age, marital 
status, disability, race, religion or other 
beliefs and ethnic or national origin.

Our policies, practices and procedures  
for recruitment, training and career 
development promote equality of 
opportunity. We are committed to treating 
people with disabilities fairly in all respects, 
including regarding applications, training, 
promotion and career development. An 
employee who becomes disabled would, 
where appropriate, be offered retraining  
for a more suitable role.

Diversity and inclusion
We believe in a culture where all employees 
contribute to the performance of the 
Company and have the opportunity to 
develop fully according to their individual 
abilities. We aim to attract a diverse 
workforce that reflects the communities  
in which we operate. In 2011 we 

34 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Our Values

ntability              P

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Core 
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established a Diversity and Inclusion 
Council. It works on creating awareness  
of diversity and inclusion issues, tracking 
inclusion metrics, and championing our 
diversity and inclusion programme across 
the Company.

Progress during the year included:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Continued increase in awareness  

among senior managers of diversity  
and inclusion issues, having included 
consideration of these issues in their 
annual performance objectives
(cid:116)(cid:1)Embedding a focus on diversity  

in our recruitment practices

(cid:116)(cid:1)Enhanced cultural diversity from the 
acquisition of Biovelop, the Swedish  
oat beta glucan manufacturer, and  
the formation of Tate & Lyle Howbetter  
in China.

Employee engagement
We believe that employees who are 
engaged (by which we mean committed  
to the Group, its goals, values and strategy, 
and to each other) are happier and 
ultimately deliver better results. 

Good internal communication is essential 
to this. We communicate with our 
employees in a number of ways, from 
Company-wide media including our 
intranet and our quarterly employee 
magazine which is published in 13 
languages, to face-to-face dialogue such 
as site-wide meetings, functional meetings 
and small group or team meetings. 

We continue to invest in helping employees 
and managers stay up to date with the 
latest requirements of their roles; courses 
provided during the year included a 
supervisors’ development programme, 
people management development 
programme, stakeholder management  
and influencing, and sales training.

In 2013 we conducted our second 
employee survey to obtain employees’ 

Gender diversity
as at 31 March 2014

Board of Directors

1  7 (70%) Men
2  3 ( 30%) Women

1

2

Senior managers and 
statutory directors1

1  117 (81%) Men
2  27 ( 19%) Women

1

2

All employees2

1  2,860 (73%) Men
2   1,035 (27%) Women

1

2

1   Gender diversity for senior managers, excluding 

statutory directors, is 43 (77%) men and 13 (23%) 
women.

2   Excludes joint-venture employees.

candid opinions about Tate & Lyle and to 
facilitate conversations about how we can 
make the Company a better place to work.

Participation increased to 84%, while the 
overall survey score was just above 3.6 on 
a scale of 1 to 5 (where 5 is the best score), 
also an increase compared to the prior 
year. The results highlighted areas of 
progress and strength as well as areas 
where we can improve. These have been 
translated into action plans for individual 
teams as well as the Company as a whole.

            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Environment
We aim to operate our business with  
a strong regard for environmental 
sustainability. By using resources such  
as energy and water more efficiently,  
and reducing waste, we aim to improve  
our environmental sustainability while  
also controlling operating costs.

Implementing our business strategy, by 
growing our Speciality Food Ingredients 
division, is gradually changing the shape  
of our manufacturing operations to produce 
more speciality products (see page 20) 
which typically involve additional 
manufacturing steps compared with our 
Bulk Ingredients division. This can drive 
some increase in resource use and waste, 
which we are working to mitigate through 
efficiency and waste reduction projects  
and programmes.

Environmental performance¹

We work to address environmental 
considerations across the life cycle of  
our products, from our agricultural supply 
chain to how our products are packaged 
and transported.

and health and safety management 
standards. Additionally, our rolling 
programme of external, independent 
environmental compliance audits assures 
compliance with regulatory requirements.

Our environmental policy and standards 
apply to all our activities globally and  
we aim to integrate environmental 
considerations into all major decisions.

Our facilities operate under local 
environmental authorisations and permits 
and we require strict compliance with these 
at all times. If a site breaches an operating 
limit we seek to take steps immediately  
to resolve the issue and prevent 
reoccurrence.

Our internal global compliance audit 
programme confirms compliance with  
our environmental and food safety, quality 

Within our own operations and joint 
ventures we focus on those aspects  
of our activities that have the greatest 
potential impact on the environment, 
namely the use of energy (and consequent 
air emissions and carbon footprint), water 
use, and waste management.

Beyond our own operations we focus  
our attention on our agricultural raw 
material and ingredient supply chain,  
the transportation of our products to our 
customers, and our product packaging.

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Energy use 
GJ per tonne production

Primary carbon footprint3 
Tonnes CO2e per tonne production

Water use 
Cubic metres per tonne production

Waste to landfill 
Tonnes per 1,000 tonnes production

4.562

0.3752

4.302

7.212

4.42

4.49

4.562

0.373

0.368

0.3752

4.27

4.18

4.302

7.92

7.05

7.212

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2011

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2013

2011

2012

2013

1   We report environmental performance by calendar year.
2   Refers to 2013 data that has been externally assured by Bureau Veritas UK Ltd. Their assurance statement is at www.tateandlyle.com/CR2014.
3   Previously we have reported carbon footprint in tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2); we now report in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) across all years.

Environmental sustainability targets and achievements
We have four medium-term environmental sustainability targets.

Target by end of 2016
Reduce CO2e emissions from energy use  
by 12.5% per tonne of production  
(baseline year 2008)4

Calendar year 2013 status
10% reduction in CO2e emissions per tonne  
of production versus 2008

Implement packaging reduction  
programmes with customers representing  
>50% of sales (£)

Programmes initiated with customers 
representing >20% of sales (£)

Implement transport efficiency  
programmes with customers representing  
>50% of sales (£)

Programmes initiated with customers 
representing >25% of sales (£)

Implement sustainable agricultural 
sourcing programmes for our top 20 
agricultural raw materials and ingredients  
by volume

Overall, we are currently working on sustainable 
agricultural sourcing across 30 raw materials/
ingredients. During the year we established new 
sustainable sourcing criteria for four agricultural 
raw materials/ingredients

Example
In calendar year 2014, we will be implementing 
an energy project at our Sagamore, Indiana, US 
plant that will reduce our greenhouse gas 
emissions by up to 56,000 tonnes CO2e per year
In 2013 we changed from a paper-foil-paper 
sack to a paper-plastic-paper sack for several 
products that improves recyclability (and 
thereby reduces resource use)
Four high-efficiency, low emission ‘methane 
diesel’ trucks are dedicated to our central 
European distribution, utilising liquefied natural/
bio gas
We utilise an externally conducted 
sustainability risk assessment of our 
agricultural raw materials/ingredients to  
help us decide how to focus our work on 
sustainable agriculture

4   We recognise that installing new air emissions control equipment at several locations over the next few years and the manufacture of more speciality products will 

make it more challenging to reduce our energy use and CO2e emissions in the medium term.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 35

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Strategic Report 

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY | CONTINUED

Operational performance
During the year we saw the impact of:

(cid:116)(cid:1)some of our Bulk Ingredients plants 

running below capacity – which reduces 
their environmental efficiency, due  
to lower demand for carbonated soft 
drinks caused by unusually cold  
and wet weather

(cid:116)(cid:1)changes in our production mix – with the 
manufacture of more speciality products

(cid:116)(cid:1)some site-specific factors causing 
temporary environmental efficiency 
impacts, such as works to implement  
a new process sequence at Loudon,  
US and from taking equipment off-line at 
Decatur, US for scheduled replacement.
In calendar year 2013, compared with 2012 
our performance was as follows:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Energy use per tonne of production 

increased by 1.6%. Since 2008 we have 
reduced energy use per tonne of 
production by 8%.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Carbon footprint from energy use 

increased by 1.9% per tonne of 
production. Since 2008 we have reduced 
CO2e emissions per tonne of production 
by 10%. In calendar year 2014 we will  
be implementing an energy project  
at our Sagamore, Indiana, US which  
we anticipate will reduce our emissions  
by up to 56,000 tonnes CO2e per year.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Water use per tonne of production 

increased by 2.8%. Since 2008 we have 
reduced water use per tonne of 
production by 6%. Water re-use and 
recycling projects implemented at 
Dayton, Ohio, US during the last two 
years are saving more than 500,000 
cubic meters of water annually.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Waste to landfill increased by 2.2% per 
tonne of production. Since 2008 we have 
reduced waste to landfill per tonne of 
production by 25%.

We are working to improve our 
environmental performance by focusing on:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Capital projects and operational  
practices to reduce our impact

(cid:116)(cid:1)Working with our suppliers and others to 

promote sustainable agriculture

(cid:116)(cid:1)Working with our customers on reducing 

our combined environmental impact 
associated with transport and packaging.

Group greenhouse gas (GHG) 
emissions for the period 1 January to  
31 December 2013 in tonnes of carbon 
dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) were:

(cid:116)(cid:1)From combustion of fuel and operation of 

facilities (Scope 1) 2,270,489 tCO2e1

(cid:116)(cid:1)From electricity, heat, steam and cooling 
purchased (Scope 2) 1,224,731 tCO2e1

(cid:116)(cid:1)In total (Scope 1 and 2) 3,495,220 tCO2e1 
which equates to an intensity of 0.375 
tCO2e1 per tonne of production.

We have reported on all of the material 
emission sources required under The 
Companies Act 2006 (Strategic Report  
and Directors’ Report) Regulations 2013. 
We report GHG emissions in line with the 
GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and 
Reporting Standard. The scope, principles 
and methodology we use are provided in 
‘CR Reporting Criteria Annual Report 2014’ 
at www.tateandlyle.com/CR2014.

Marketplace
The food and beverage industry is our 
largest market sector and comprises over 
70% of Group sales. Other industry sectors 
we sell into include industrial, animal feed 
and personal care.

CR in the marketplace for us is about: the 
safety, integrity and functionality of our 
products; the origin of our agricultural raw 
materials; the conduct of our commercial 
relationships; and the standards within our 
supply chain.

Product safety and quality 
Our products adhere to the highest 
standards of food safety, quality and 
traceability. Products that are safe and to 
the correct specification are of the utmost 
importance to us. To ensure this, all of our 
manufacturing facilities are externally 
certified to the Global Food Safety Initiative 
each year and we have well-established 
processes and procedures globally to 
ensure that we comply with this standard. 
Our control arrangements include in-
process testing, an annual global 
compliance audit programme, and 
independent food safety audits of every 
manufacturing site. The ability to trace and 
recall product is tested annually both 
globally and locally at each facility.

Developing sustainable products
Our aim is to help our customers provide 
consumers with healthy, nutritious foods 
and beverages as part of a normal 
balanced diet. We aim to ensure that our 
ingredients, and any claims we make 
regarding their benefits or efficacy, are 
supported by clear, demonstrated science.

In line with our strategy, we focus 
particularly on growing our Speciality Food 
Ingredients division, and as such the 
majority of our new product development  
is in this area. Many of our speciality 
sweeteners and fibres improve stability, 
thereby helping to extend consumer 
product shelf life and assist in avoiding food 
waste, which is an important food industry 
sustainability issue. Our health and 

wellness platform delivers innovative 
ingredients with substantiated health 
benefits to customers worldwide.  
For example, PromOat® Beta Glucan,  
a product we acquired in 2013, is a natural 
component of wholegrain Swedish oats 
that allows foods and beverages to help 
lower cholesterol levels and promote 
digestive and intestinal health.

Our raw materials and ingredients are 
largely derived from renewable agricultural 
sources, principally corn, and in addition 
we consider sustainability matters 
throughout the product lifecycle. To this 
end, for our innovation pipeline, we use  
a sustainability evaluation tool to:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Undertake a sustainability risk 

assessment at an early stage in the 
product development process, to identify 
any potential concerns

(cid:116)(cid:1)Evaluate sustainability issues as we 
proceed with product development,  
to avoid or reduce any potential adverse 
impacts such as the use of energy and 
non-renewable resources, and to 
leverage positive impacts such as 
product health and wellness benefits.
Conduct of commercial relationships
We are committed to ensuring a safe,  
open and responsible culture in all our 
business dealings wherever we operate,  
in line with our Code of Ethics. The Code  
is made available in 13 languages and is 
communicated internally via our intranet, 
through local ‘Ethics Ambassadors’ across 
the business, and through training 
programmes. Externally, the Code is 
integrated into our supplier and business 
partner relationships.

We support our employees and business 
partners in coming forward with any 
information concerning actual or alleged 
breaches of the Code of Ethics. As part of 
our Speak Up process, we provide access 
to an independent, anonymous third-party 
reporting service, through free phone 
numbers in 47 countries and by email. 
Information on accessing this service is 
communicated across the Company,  
and externally via our corporate website. 
Any issues reported are investigated by 
members of our Speak Up Committee,  
a group of senior Tate & Lyle executives 
who are responsible for ensuring that any 
concerns are investigated and that 
appropriate action is taken.

1  Refers to data that has been externally assured by Bureau Veritas UK Ltd. Their assurance statement can be found at www.tateandlyle.com/CR2014.

36 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Standards in our supply chain 
We operate a tiered, risk-based approach 
to CR matters in our supply chain.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Our Code of Ethics sets out the ethical 
standards and behaviours we require  
our employees and business partners  
to follow in conducting the Company’s 
business. It is communicated to our 
suppliers through our contracts and  
other engagement with them.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Our purchase contract terms and 

conditions include: the requirement  
for our suppliers to uphold international 
business standards and to be fully 
compliant with all applicable laws and 
regulations, including but not limited to 
those regarding freedom of association 
and collective bargaining, non-
discrimination, anti-corruption/anti-
bribery, and the prevention of child  
or forced labour; that they comply  
with the standards, expectations and 
commitments in our Code of Ethics;  
and that they require comparable 
compliance of their own suppliers.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Our Procurement function has in place  

a global procedure whereby the 
environmental, social and governance 
risks associated with supply contracts 
are evaluated, based on: firstly, the 
source country, where independent 
ratings of human rights risk are applied; 
and secondly, the items being supplied, 
with reference to an external sustainability 
risk assessment of our agricultural raw 
materials/ingredients. If the source 
country is identified as being of high  
or medium risk for human rights,  
or the contract is for a higher risk item, 
enhanced control arrangements are  
put in place.

Our sustainable agriculture programme 
specifically addresses environmental,  
social and governance matters in our 
agricultural raw materials/ingredient  
supply chain (see page 35).

In addition, having used the ‘Sedex’  
social and ethical compliance system 
(www.sedexglobal.com) across our own 
manufacturing facilities for a number of 
years, we are now starting to use it in our 
supply chain as one of the tools to promote 
and assure good CR practices.

Tate & Lyle is a member of the FTSE4Good 
indices of companies meeting global 
corporate responsibility standards; the 
screening criteria for which include supply 
chain risks and control arrangements.

Community
We have a strong history of community 
involvement and during the year we 
continued to support communities local  
to our operations and globally.

Our approach
For Tate & Lyle, community involvement  
is about having a positive and lasting 
relationship with the community: changing 
lives for the better. We focus on three 
specific areas:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Well-being: to provide practical 

assistance in the area of well-being  
from health issues including nutrition  
to general welfare, such as supporting 
food banks

(cid:116)(cid:1)Education: to develop young people’s 

knowledge and understanding of 
science, technology, engineering and 
mathematics (STEM subjects), and their 
preparedness for a career in a STEM- 
based discipline, either academically  
or vocationally

(cid:116)(cid:1)Environment: to promote environmental 
sustainability and good environmental 
management, addressing issues  
of climate change, natural resources  
and conservation

Overview of the year
In the year ended 31 March 2014, 
charitable donations were £501,000  
(2013 – £376,000). We aim to increase our 
investment in community involvement each 
year, in line with the growth of our business.

Local programmes/partnerships
We seek to engage with local communities 
where our principal manufacturing, R&D 
and office facilities are located. Employees 
at each location can make their own 
decision as to the specific projects they 
support and the partnerships that they 
develop. As a result we support a range  
of initiatives and organisations in our  
local communities.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Well-being: we supported a wide variety 
of local health and well-being initiatives 
this year, including United Way 
community programmes at several 
locations in the US. For the second year 
running, our e-Christmas card supported 
the homeless charity Crisis at Christmas 
in London, UK and the Northern Illinois 
Food Bank in Chicago, USA: both 
organisations provided practical, 
immediate assistance to those in need 
over the holiday period.

Community spend by area 
Year ended 31 March 2014

1  39% Well-being
2  34% Education

3  18% Environment
4  9% Other

4

1

3

2

(cid:116)(cid:1)Education: this year we supported  

local schools, colleges and universities. 
For example: by assisting with new 
equipment purchases, running a road 
safety event for children at local schools, 
and providing scholarship funds to help 
students access higher education.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Environment: this year we supported  
a number of environmental initiatives, 
including improvement works to local 
park and conservation areas, and  
tree planting.

Global partnerships
We have made good progress in 
developing our global partnership 
programmes during the year. 

On well-being, we have continued to  
be a partner with the Global Alliance  
for Improved Nutrition (GAIN –  
www.gainhealth.org), and we contributed 
$50,000 to disaster relief by the Red Cross 
following the Philippines typhoon in 
November 2013. 

For education, we are implementing an 
undergraduate bursary/scholarship 
programme across selected universities 
internationally, assisting undergraduates  
to access courses in STEM disciplines.

For environment, we are a corporate 
partner of the environmental research  
and engagement charity Earthwatch  
(http://eu.earthwatch.org), with which we 
have established a project on the ecology, 
conservation and sustainable harvesting  
of seaweed.

The Strategic Report from page 1 to 
page 37 of this Annual Report was 
approved by the Board on 28 May 2014.

On behalf of the Board

Lucie Gilbert
Company Secretary
28 May 2014

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 37

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Governance

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sir Peter Gershon CBE 
Chairman and Chairman of  
the Nominations Committee

Liz Airey 
Non-Executive Director and 
Chairman of the Audit Committee

Joined the Board as an independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman 
Designate in February 2009. Appointed Chairman in July 2009. Aged 67.

Skills and experience
Sir Peter has broad business experience gained in large and complex 
international organisations and has held various leadership roles in the 
UK private and public sector. He was formerly Chairman of Premier 
Farnell plc; Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce; 
Managing Director of Marconi Electronic Systems; and a member  
of the UK Defence Academy Advisory Board.

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Chairman of National Grid plc
(cid:116)(cid:1) Member of HM Government Efficiency and Reform Board
(cid:116)(cid:1) Chairman of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance
(cid:116)(cid:1) Member of the advisory board of The Sutton Trust

Joined the Board in January 2007. Aged 55.

Skills and experience 
Liz was an investment banker and has extensive financial experience 
in the UK and internationally. She was formerly Finance Director of 
Monument Oil and Gas plc. 

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Chairman of the Unilever UK Pension Fund
(cid:116)(cid:1) Senior Independent Director of Jupiter Fund Management PLC
(cid:116)(cid:1) Senior Independent Director of Dunedin Enterprise Investment 

Trust PLC

Javed Ahmed 
Chief Executive

William Camp 
Non-Executive Director and Chairman of 
the Corporate Responsibility Committee

Joined the Board as Chief Executive in October 2009. Aged 54.

Joined the Board in May 2010. Aged 65.

Skills and experience
Javed has extensive international experience from a wide variety of 
senior management roles. He started his career with Procter & Gamble 
and then spent five years with Bain & Co. before joining Benckiser (later 
Reckitt Benckiser plc) in 1992 where he gained significant experience 
of international consumer goods markets and held positions including 
Senior Vice President, Northern Europe; President, North America; 
Executive Vice President, North America, Australia and New Zealand; 
and Executive Vice President, Europe.

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Member of Mosaic Advisory Board

Skills and experience
Bill worked for 22 years for Archer Daniels Midland Company, before 
retiring in 2007, and held a variety of management positions including 
Executive Vice President, Asia Strategy; Executive Vice President, 
Processing; and Senior Vice President, Global Oil Seeds, Cocoa 
and Wheat Milling. 

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Senior Advisor, Naxos Capital
(cid:116)(cid:1) Director of Culligan International

Tim Lodge
Chief Financial Officer

Douglas Hurt 
Non-Executive Director

Joined the Board in December 2008 as Group Finance Director. 
Aged 49.

Skills and experience
Tim joined the Group in 1988 and has held a number of senior 
operational and financial roles, both in the UK and internationally, 
including Managing Director of Zambia Sugar; Group Financial 
Controller; Finance Director of the Food & Industrial Ingredients, 
Europe division; and Director of Investor Relations. He is a Fellow 
of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. 

Other directorships
None

Joined the Board in March 2010. Aged 57.

Skills and experience
Douglas is a Chartered Accountant. He held a number of financial 
and operational roles, including US and European senior management 
positions, at GlaxoSmithKline before joining IMI plc as Finance Director 
in 2006.

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Finance Director of IMI plc

Our governance structure
Certain responsibilities are 
delegated to four Board 
Committees, details of which 
are provided on pages 47 to  
51 and on page 64. 

Audit Committee 
Liz Airey (Chairman) 
Douglas Hurt, Anne Minto 
Remuneration Committee
Robert Walker (Chairman)
William Camp, Sir Peter Gershon
Anne Minto, Dr Ajai Puri

Nominations Committee
Sir Peter Gershon (Chairman)
Javed Ahmed, Liz Airey,  
William Camp, Douglas Hurt, 
Virginia Kamsky, Anne Minto,  
Dr Ajai Puri, Robert Walker

Corporate Responsibility (CR) 
Committee
William Camp (Chairman)
Liz Airey, Sir Peter Gershon, 
Virginia Kamsky, Dr Ajai Puri

38 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
Virginia Kamsky
Non-Executive Director

Robert Walker 
Senior Independent Director and Chairman 
of the Remuneration Committee

Joined the Board in December 2012. Aged 60.

Joined the Board in January 2006. Aged 69.

Skills and experience
Ginny is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kamsky Associates, 
Inc. She also served as an Executive Vice President of Foamex 
International, Inc. and held a variety of leadership roles at Chase 
Manhattan Bank.

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Non-executive director of Dana Holding Corporation
(cid:116)(cid:1) Member of the US Secretary of the Navy Advisory Panel
(cid:116)(cid:1) Trustee of the China Institute in America

Skills and experience
Robert spent over 30 years with Procter & Gamble, McKinsey 
and finally, PepsiCo, where he was responsible for the company’s 
beverage operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Chairman of Travis Perkins plc
(cid:116)(cid:1) Chairman of Enterprise Inns plc

Anne Minto OBE
Non-Executive Director

Lucie Gilbert 
Company Secretary

Joined the Board in December 2012. Aged 60.

Appointed Company Secretary in August 2012. Aged 42.

Skills and experience
Anne was Group Director of Human Resources at Centrica plc from 2002 
until her retirement in 2011. She previously held senior management roles 
at Shell UK and Smiths Group plc and was Deputy Director-General  
of the Engineering Employers’ Federation.

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Non-executive director and Chairman of the Remuneration 

Committee of Shire PLC

(cid:116)(cid:1) Trustee of the University of Aberdeen Development Trust 
(cid:116)(cid:1) Non-executive director of ExlService Holdings, Inc.

Skills and experience
Lucie was appointed Deputy Company Secretary in 2008 and 
previously held senior company secretarial roles in several listed 
companies, including Experian PLC and Brit Insurance Holdings  
PLC. Lucie is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and 
Administrators and an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Directorships 
None

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Dr Ajai Puri 
Non-Executive Director

Joined the Board in April 2012. Chairman of the Research Advisory 
Group. Aged 60.

Skills and experience
Ajai has a PhD in Food Science from the University of Maryland, USA. 
He was President – Research, Development and Product Integrity and 
a member of the Executive Board of Koninklijke Numico N.V. from 2003 
to 2007. Prior to this, Ajai held various management positions with The 
Coca-Cola Company, culminating in Senior Vice President Technical, 
The Minute Maid Company. 

Other directorships
(cid:116)(cid:1) Member of the supervisory board of Nutreco N.V.
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Non-executive director of Barry Callebaut AG
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Non-executive director of Britannia Industries Limited

Our Group Executive Committee
The Group Executive Committee 
oversees the development and 
execution of the Group’s strategy, 
and has overall responsibility for 
achieving business results. The 
members of the Committee are 
listed opposite.

Javed Ahmed
Chief Executive
Tim Lodge 
Chief Financial Officer
Robert Gibber 
Executive Vice President,  
General Counsel 

Rob Luijten 
Executive Vice President,  
Human Resources
Gabriella Parisse 
President, Innovation and 
Commercial Development 

Olivier Rigaud 
President, Speciality  
Food Ingredients

Matt Wineinger 
President, Bulk Ingredients

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 39

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Governance

STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The governance arrangements we  
have in place have proven to be sound, 
as evidenced in the external Board 
effectiveness review

Introduction

Dear shareholder
Effective governance is a key component 
of the way Tate & Lyle manages its 
business and risks. The governance 
arrangements we have in place have 
proven to be sound, as evidenced in the 
external Board effectiveness review. 

Board composition
Robert Walker, our Senior Independent 
Director, joined the Board at the start of 
2006 and we anticipate that he will retire 
from the Board after serving a full nine 
years. In preparation for this, we have 
commenced work on planning for his 
successor as Senior Independent Director 
and as Chairman of the Remuneration 
Committee. In addition, the Nominations 
Committee has recommended that an 
additional non-executive director join the 
Board, ideally prior to Robert’s departure. 
To this end, a clear specification has been 
drawn up and shared with the appointed 
search consultants, Spencer Stuart. We 
will of course announce any changes to 
the Board and specific roles as soon as 
the process has concluded and the Board 
reaches a decision. 

Board effectiveness review
The last external Board effectiveness 
review was conducted in 2011 and the 
Board agreed that the 2014 review  
should be externally facilitated. We felt  
that additional benefits could also be 
derived from a review which was 
undertaken from a diversity and inclusion 
perspective and chose Schneider Ross to 
facilitate the review. The review concluded 
that the Board and its Committees 
operate effectively and identified some 
areas for further action, details of which 
are set out on page 44.

Reporting to shareholders
The UK Government and other regulatory 
bodies have introduced a number of new 
reporting requirements which now apply 
to Tate & Lyle. These include a new edition 
of the UK Corporate Governance Code 
which provides that the Directors should 
state that they consider that the Annual 
Report and Accounts, taken as a whole,  
is ‘fair, balanced and understandable’.  
In preparation for this, we enhanced our 
processes for producing the Annual 
Report. Each of the directors has 
confirmed that he or she considers the 
Annual Report 2014 to be fair, balanced 
and understandable. 

Focus for 2015
We regularly review the Board’s areas  
of focus. The key areas to which we will 
continue to devote significant time at 
Board and Committee level are as follows:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Safety, including the effectiveness  
of new initiatives to improve hazard 
identification and accident prevention  
at all our sites

(cid:116)(cid:1)The performance of the Speciality Food 
Ingredients division and its products, 
including SPLENDA® Sucralose

(cid:116)(cid:1)Customer engagement
(cid:116)(cid:1)The Group’s innovation pipeline 
(cid:116)(cid:1)Strategic initiatives, including  

acquisition opportunities

(cid:116)(cid:1)Talent management, senior recruitment 

and succession planning activities.

Sir Peter Gershon 
Chairman
28 May 2014

40 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

  Sir Peter Gershon 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

UK Corporate Governance Code
The UK Corporate Governance Code, 
dated September 2012 (the Code) and 
issued by the Financial Reporting Council, 
is applicable to companies with a premium 
listing on the London Stock Exchange.  
As such, we are required to state how  
we have applied the principles contained  
in the Code and to disclose whether we 
have complied with the provisions of the 
Code during the year. Throughout the year 
from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 the 
Company has complied fully with the Code. 

This Governance section of the  
Annual Report, including the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report plus the disclosures 
contained in the Risks section on pages  
29 to 31, provide details of how the 
Company applies the principles and 
complies with the provisions of the Code. 

The Directors’ responsibilities for the 
preparation of financial statements are 
explained in the Directors’ Statement  
of Responsibilities on page 73. Their 
statement on going concern is on page 28.

Further information on the Code can be 
found on the Financial Reporting Council’s 
website, www.frc.org.uk.

The Board
The role of the Board 
The Board is collectively responsible for 
promoting the success of the Company 
and for providing entrepreneurial leadership 
within a framework of prudent and effective 
controls that enable risk to be assessed 
and managed. It sets the Company’s 
objectives, ensures that the Company  
has the necessary financial resources  
and people to meet them, and reviews 
management’s performance. The Board 
also sets the Company’s Values and 
ensures that its obligations to shareholders 
and others are met. 

There is a schedule of matters reserved  
to the Board for decision, which includes 
approval of: 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Group strategy
(cid:116)(cid:1)Annual budget and operating plans
(cid:116)(cid:1)Major capital expenditure, acquisitions  

or divestments
(cid:116)(cid:1)Interim dividends
(cid:116)(cid:1)Full-year and half-year results  

and interim management statements

(cid:116)(cid:1)Board and Company Secretary 

appointments

(cid:116)(cid:1)Senior management structure  

and responsibilities

(cid:116)(cid:1)Treasury policies
(cid:116)(cid:1)Directors’ conflicts of interest
(cid:116)(cid:1)Systems of internal control  

and risk management.

Board Committees
The Board has delegated certain responsibilities to Committees, details of which can be 
found on pages 47 to 51 and on page 64.

Governance structure

Board

Audit 
Committee

Corporate 
Responsibility
Committee

Nominations
Committee

Remuneration
Committee

Chief 
Executive

The Research Advisory Group (RAG)  
is chaired by Dr Ajai Puri and comprises 
external subject matter experts and senior 
Tate & Lyle managers. The RAG’s remit 
covers reviewing the innovation pipeline  
and providing insight into how leading-edge 
science and technology can be applied  
to enhance the Group’s speciality food 
ingredients portfolio. The RAG meets 
regularly, principally at the global 
Commercial and Food Innovation Centre  
in Chicago, USA and Dr Puri provides 
regular updates to the Board on the  
work of the RAG.

Operation of the Board
Board meetings 
The Board and its Committees meet 
regularly according to a schedule linked  
to key events in the Company’s corporate 
calendar. Ad hoc meetings are also 
arranged to consider matters requiring 
review and decision outside the scheduled 
meetings. Six scheduled Board meetings 
were held during the year ended 31 March 
2014, including one held at the global 
Commercial and Food Innovation Centre  
in Chicago, USA and one at the Group’s 
offices in Shanghai, China. Three additional 
Board meetings were also held to consider 
proposals relating to the Group’s business 
transformation programme and to review 
operational performance. The Board also 
met offsite for one day to focus on strategy.

The rolling programme of items for 
discussion by the Board is reviewed at 
each Board meeting and updated to reflect 
topical matters. All substantive agenda 
items have comprehensive briefing papers 
which are distributed via the electronic 
Board portal, generally five working days 
before the meeting. In the few instances 
where a director is unable to attend a 
meeting, his or her comments on the 
briefing papers are given in advance  
to the Chairman. 

Research 
Advisory 
Group

Executive 
Committee

Meetings are structured to facilitate open 
debate, and all directors participate  
in discussing safety, strategy, trading, 
financial performance and risk 
management. Members of executive 
management attend Board meetings  
and regularly make presentations. 

The Chairman continued to hold a short 
discussion with the non-executive directors 
collectively both immediately before and 
after each scheduled Board meeting.

Directors’ attendance at Board meetings

Directors as at 
31 March 2014
Sir Peter Gershon
Javed Ahmed
Tim Lodge
Liz Airey
William Camp
Douglas Hurt
Virginia Kamsky
Anne Minto
Dr Ajai Puri
Robert Walker

 Number of
 meetings
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9

Number of
meetings
attended
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
8
9

During the year, Dr Ajai Puri was unable  
to attend a meeting that was held outside 
the usual schedule due to unavoidable 
business commitments and he provided 
input on the agenda items to the Chairman 
prior to the meeting.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 41

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Governance

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | CONTINUED

Summary of the Board’s work during 
the year
During the year, the Board continued  
to oversee the ongoing transformation  
of the Group’s culture and business  
and considered all matters within its remit, 
focusing in particular on the following:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Safety
(cid:116)(cid:1)The performance of the Speciality Food 

Ingredients (SFI) and Bulk Ingredients (BI) 
divisions and the Innovation and 
Commercial Development group (ICD), 
including the impact of the global 
Commercial and Food Innovation Centre

The Chief Executive
Key responsibilities include:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Proposing strategy to the Board  

and delivering it

(cid:116)(cid:1)Running the business
(cid:116)(cid:1)Communicating the Board’s  

expectations with regard to culture, 
values and behaviours

(cid:116)(cid:1)Ensuring the Board is aware  

of the executive directors’ views  
on business issues.

The Senior Independent Director
Key responsibilities include:

(cid:116)(cid:1)The Group’s approach to customer 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Acting as a sounding board  

engagement and collaboration

for the Chairman

(cid:116)(cid:1)The ongoing implementation of the 

project to create one global IS/IT platform

(cid:116)(cid:1)Talent management and succession 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Conducting an annual review  
of the Chairman’s performance
(cid:116)(cid:1)Being available to shareholders  

planning activities.

In the 2015 financial year, the Board  
will focus in particular on the areas listed  
on page 40.

Board allocation of time
The chart below shows the approximate 
time the Board has spent discussing 
agenda items during the year, separated 
into broad categories.

Board allocation of time

1  34% Strategy
2   24% Execution  

of strategy

3  18% Risk
4  13% Business results
5  11% Governance

1

5

4

3

2

Division of responsibilities
The roles of the Chairman, Chief Executive 
and Senior Independent Director are 
separated and their responsibilities are set 
out in writing and agreed by the Board.

The Chairman
Key responsibilities include:

(cid:116)(cid:1)The effective operation, leadership and 

governance of the Board

(cid:116)(cid:1)Ensuring the effectiveness of the Board, 

and each director individually

(cid:116)(cid:1)Setting the style and tone of Board 

discussions

(cid:116)(cid:1)Ensuring the directors receive accurate, 

timely and clear information.

if they have any concerns that they  
have been unable to resolve through  
the normal channels.

Board effectiveness
Board diversity
As set out in the Board’s statement on 
diversity, published on the Group’s website, 
the Directors believe that Board 
composition is a key element of Board 
effectiveness and each member, and 
potential member, of the Board must be 
able to demonstrate the skills, experience 
and knowledge required to contribute to 
the effectiveness of the Board. Subject to 
that overriding principle, the Directors 
believe that the Board’s perspective and 
approach can be greatly enhanced through 
gender, age and cultural diversity. It is the 
Board’s policy to consider overall Board 
balance and diversity when appointing  
new directors. 

Board composition
At the date of this Annual Report, the 
Board comprised ten directors with deep 
knowledge and experience in diverse 
business sectors within global markets:  
the Chairman, who has no executive 
responsibilities; two executive directors; 
and seven non-executive directors.  
The names and biographies of the  
directors are on pages 38 and 39.

Tenure of non-executive directors

1  0 to 3 years – 3 directors
2  4 to 6 years – 2 directors
3  7 to 9 years – 2 directors

3

1

2

Independence
With the exception of the Chairman,  
who is presumed under the Code not to be 
independent, the Board considers all the 
non-executive directors to be independent. 
The Senior Independent Director, Robert 
Walker, is available to shareholders if they 
have any issues or concerns which they 
have not resolved through the usual 
channels, and leads the annual review  
of the Chairman’s performance. 

The non-executive directors have a wide 
range of skills and knowledge and combine 
broad business and commercial experience 
with independent and objective judgement. 
The terms and conditions of appointment  
of the non-executive directors can be 
inspected at the Company’s registered 
office and will be available for inspection  
at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). 

As part of the annual Board effectiveness 
review, each director goes through a formal 
performance review process. All directors 
completed this process during the year 
and, in line with the Code, Robert Walker 
and Liz Airey, who have served for over six 
years, have both been subject to a 
particularly rigorous review.

Time commitment
All directors have disclosed any significant 
external commitments to the Board and 
confirmed that they continue to have 
sufficient time to discharge their duties  
to Tate & Lyle. The other significant 
commitments of the Directors are set out 
on pages 38 and 39. The time commitment 
of all non-executive directors and the 
Chairman is reviewed annually and the 
Board is comfortable that all Directors 
continue to devote the necessary time  
to the Company. 

During the year, the Board met without the 
Chairman present to consider his request 
to chair the Aircraft Carrier Alliance. The 
Chairman assured the Board that he would 
continue to be able to devote sufficient time 
to his duties at Tate & Lyle and the Board 
unanimously agreed to his request.

Advice and support
The appointment and removal of the 
Company Secretary is a matter for the 
Board as a whole. All directors have access 
to the advice and services of the Company 
Secretary, Lucie Gilbert, who is responsible 
for ensuring that Board processes are 
followed and that applicable rules and 
regulations are complied with. 

There is also a formal procedure whereby 
directors can obtain independent 
professional advice, if necessary,  
at the Company’s expense.

42 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Information and professional 
development 
The Chairman, assisted by the Company 
Secretary, is responsible for ensuring that 
the directors receive accurate, timely and 
clear information on all relevant matters.

Directors receive ongoing training and 
updates on relevant issues as appropriate, 
taking into account their individual 
qualifications and experience. Bespoke 
training sessions were held during the  
year, including sessions on the speciality 
food ingredients market in Asia Pacific.  
The Company Secretary helps directors 
undertake any other professional 
development they consider necessary  
to assist them in carrying out their duties. 
Visits to external events, including the  
Food Ingredients Europe Exhibition,  
were also arranged to help non-executive 
directors in particular to gain a deeper 
insight into the Group’s operating 
environment. During the year, in addition  
to the Board’s visits to Chicago, Shanghai 
and Singapore, the Chairman and the 
non-executive directors visited 13 of the 
Group’s sites in Europe and the USA  
as part of their independent site visit 
programme. These visits provide directors 
with the opportunity to interact with local 
management and gain in-depth knowledge 
about the challenges being faced by the 
Group’s operations across the world.  
Over the past three years, the Chairman 
and non-executive directors have visited  
21 of the Group’s principal locations as  
part of this programme.

Asia Pacific is a key growth region for the Group and 
in January 2014 the Board visited the SFI facilities in 
Shanghai and Singapore. The visit enabled directors 
to increase their understanding of the challenges and 
opportunities of the local markets and to meet staff 
based at these locations.

Directors’ induction programme
On appointment to the Board, directors 
receive background reading about the 
Group and details of Board procedures  
and other matters related to governance. 
The Company Secretary then works with 
each of the new directors to deliver a 
tailored induction programme. No new 
directors joined the Board during the 
financial year. A detailed summary of  
the induction programme undertaken  
by directors in the previous financial year  
is included in the Annual Report 2013.

Performance evaluation
A review of the Board’s effectiveness is undertaken each year. The process is led either 
internally or by an external facilitator. Following an external review in 2011, the Chairman 
led the process in 2012 and 2013. 

2013 Board effectiveness review
The progress made since the 2013 evaluation is summarised below.

Recommendations

Update on actions

Increase the amount of time spent on 
understanding the market and how 
customer relationships are managed.

Enhance knowledge of the  
innovation pipeline.

Increase the Directors’ focus on talent 
management and succession planning.

Identify and implement improvements  
to Board reporting in respect of the 
performance of SFI.

Two Global Enterprise Account Directors 
have presented to the Board and additional 
time is allocated to reviewing customer 
engagement.

The Board undertook a review of the 
innovation pipeline and key ICD processes 
during its visit to the global Commercial 
and Food Innovation Centre.

The Board delegated this action to the 
Nominations Committee which focused on 
this at each of its subsequent meetings 
during the year.

Board reporting has been enhanced.

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2014 Board effectiveness review
The Board agreed that the 2014 review 
should be externally facilitated. Given the 
importance of inclusive leadership and  
the changes to the Board in the previous 
financial year, the Directors felt that it would 
be particularly beneficial for the review  
to reflect on diversity and inclusion.  
After careful consideration of providers, 
Schneider Ross, an independent external 
consultancy firm specialising in diversity 
and inclusion, was retained to undertake 
the review. 

Schneider Ross held confidential one-to-
one interviews with directors and members 
of the leadership team who regularly attend 
Board and/or Committee meetings plus 
three external advisers. The discussions 
focused on the behavioural aspects of 
Board effectiveness including how the 
Board works together, the quality of inputs, 
discussions and decision-making, and 
specific themes such as succession 
planning. Following the interviews and, 
working in conjunction with the Company 
Secretary, questionnaires were produced 
to solicit further feedback on the overall 
effectiveness, performance and processes 
of the Board and each of its Committees. 
Thirty individuals, including regular 
attendees and four external advisors,  
were invited to complete these 
questionnaires anonymously.

The key results and recommendations 
were presented to the Board by  
Schneider Ross. 

The results were grouped into three  
broad areas:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Mechanics: for instance processes, 
structure, membership and operation  
of the Board and its Committees

(cid:116)(cid:1)Dynamics: including leadership, the  
Tate & Lyle Values in practice in the 
boardroom, quality of discussions, 
debate and decision-making 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Specifics: including strategy, customer 
engagement, talent management and 
succession planning, and risk appetite.

The Board deliberated each of Schneider 
Ross’s recommendations and an action 
plan was agreed; examples are provided  
in the table on page 44. 

In addition, each Committee considered 
the output from Schneider Ross’s review  
of the Committees. Each of the reviews 
indicated that the Committees were 
operating effectively and made a number  
of recommendations for further 
consideration. Examples of the agreed 
actions are set out in each of the separate 
reports of the Audit Committee and the 
Corporate Responsibility (CR) Committee. 
With regard to the Remuneration 
Committee, following consideration of  
the report from Schneider Ross, that 
Committee agreed a number of actions 
including increased communication with  
all Remuneration Committee members 
prior to Committee meetings and 
refinements to the Remuneration 
Committee’s programme of activity  
for the year ending 31 March 2015. 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 43

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Governance

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | CONTINUED

2014 Board effectiveness review

Area

Agreed actions

Mechanics

(cid:116)(cid:1) Ways to further improve the support for incoming presenters to be 

considered and implemented.

(cid:116)(cid:1) A working party to be established to identify ways to enhance site visits.

Dynamics

(cid:116)(cid:1) Chief Executive to meet with executives who attend Board meetings 

immediately afterwards to discuss how the Board operated as a whole 
and to reflect on any learnings. 

(cid:116)(cid:1) Thinking styles of candidates for the Board and Executive Committee to 

be taken into consideration once skill set and experience has been 
confirmed.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Undertake an externally-facilitated session for the Board focusing on 

boardroom dynamics, relationships and how to make even better use of 
Board diversity.

Specifics

(cid:116)(cid:1) Building on the progress made in 2013, further proposals to be 

developed to drive customer centricity in the boardroom.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Board Committees to oversee the executive focus on building an 

inclusive culture.

(cid:116)(cid:1) Revisit the timing and location of the scheduled Board meetings,  

in particular the timing of the annual Board strategy day.

Progress will be monitored by the 
Chairman and Company Secretary 
throughout the 2015 financial year  
and regular updates will be provided  
to the Board. 

With regard to the performance of 
individual directors, the review concluded 
that all directors continued to make an 
effective contribution to the Board’s work, 
were well prepared and informed about 
issues they needed to consider, and that 
their commitment remained strong. The 
Chairman also provided individual 
feedback to each director and the Senior 
Independent Director provided feedback  
to the Chairman.

The performance of the Chief Executive and 
Chief Financial Officer was also considered 
by the Nominations Committee, in line with 
its terms of reference. During the year, the 
non-executive directors met without the 
Chairman, under the chairmanship of the 
Senior Independent Director, to discuss the 
Chairman’s performance. 

These reviews also concluded that both the 
Chairman and Chief Executive continued to 
fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

Re-election of directors
The Company’s Articles of Association 
require all directors to seek re-election by 
shareholders at least once every three 
years. In addition, any directors appointed 
by the Board must stand for re-election at 
the first AGM following his or her 
appointment. Any non-executive directors 
who have served for more than nine years 
are subject to annual re-election.

The Code provides that all directors should 
seek re-election on an annual basis and all 
directors will seek re-election at the 
forthcoming AGM. The directors standing 
for re-election, with the exception of Javed 
Ahmed and Tim Lodge, do not have 
service contracts.

At no time during the year has any director 
had any material interest in a contract with 
the Group, being a contract of significance 
in relation to the Group’s business.  
A statement of directors’ interests in 
Company shares is set out on page 71.

Directors’ conflicts of interest
As permitted under the Companies Act 
2006, the Company’s Articles of 
Association allow directors to authorise 
conflicts of interest and the Board has a 
policy and procedures for managing and, 
where appropriate, authorising, actual or 
potential conflicts of interest. Under those 
procedures, directors are required to 
declare all directorships or other 
appointments to organisations that are not 
part of the Group and which could result in 
actual or potential conflicts of interest, as 
well as other situations which could result 
in a potential conflict of interest. The Board 
is required to review directors’ actual or 
potential conflicts of interest at least 
annually. Directors are required to disclose 
proposed new appointments to the 
Chairman before taking them on, to ensure 
that any potential conflicts of interest can 
be identified and addressed appropriately. 
Any potential conflicts of interest in relation 
to proposed directors are considered by 
the Board prior to their appointment.

44 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Directors’ indemnities and  
insurance cover
As at the date of this Annual Report, 
indemnities are in force under which  
the Company has agreed to indemnify  
the directors, to the extent permitted by  
the Companies Act 2006, against claims 
from third parties in respect of certain 
liabilities arising out of, or in connection 
with, the execution of their powers,  
duties and responsibilities as directors  
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. 
The directors are also indemnified against 
the cost of defending a criminal 
prosecution or a claim by the Company,  
its subsidiaries or a regulator provided  
that where the defence is unsuccessful  
the director must repay those defence 
costs. These indemnities are qualifying 
indemnity provisions for the purposes  
of Sections 232 to 234 of the Companies 
Act 2006 and copies are available for 
inspection at the registered office of  
the Company during business hours on 
any weekday except UK public holidays. 

The Company also maintains directors’  
and officers’ liability insurance cover,  
the level of which is reviewed annually.

Accountability
Internal control
The Board has overall responsibility  
for the Group’s system of internal control 
and risk management and for reviewing  
its effectiveness. The objective of internal 
control within Tate & Lyle is to support 
efficient implementation of the Group’s 
strategy and effective operations whilst 
enabling it to respond appropriately to 
significant business, operational, financial, 
compliance and other risks to achieving  
the Company’s objectives. The system  
of internal controls is designed to safeguard 
the assets of the Group and to ensure  
the reliability of financial information for  
both internal use and external publication 
and to comply with guidance published  
by the Financial Reporting Council, ‘Internal 
Control: Revised Guidance for Directors’ 
(formerly the Turnbull Guidance). The Board 
recognises that internal control systems are 
designed to identify and manage, rather 
than eliminate, the risk of failure to achieve 
business objectives, and can only provide 
reasonable and not absolute assurance 
against material mis-statement or losses 
and the breach of laws and regulations. 

Internal control system
The Board determines the level of risk  
that it is prepared to accept in the business 
(risk appetite) and oversees the strategies 
for significant risks that have been 
identified. Executive management works 
within the risk appetite and develops the 
mechanisms and processes to direct  
the organisation, through setting the tone 
and expectations from the top, delegating 
authority and monitoring compliance. Line 
management has primary responsibility for 
compliance with Group policies, principles 
and compliance requirements. In certain 
functions, notably safety and product 
quality, executive management has also 
established separate assurance teams to 
oversee the effective execution of controls.

The risk management function works with 
executive management and the divisions to 
help identify, measure, monitor and report 
significant risks. The units report regularly 
on progress with the implementation of the 
Group’s strategy, including its impact on the 
risk environment. Key risks are reviewed 
regularly by the Board. Further information 
on the Group’s risk management process 
can be found on page 29. 

The internal audit function provides 
independent and objective assessment  
of the appropriateness and effectiveness  
of the Group’s internal control systems to 
the Audit and CR Committees, and to the 
Board. It has the authority to review any 
relevant aspect of the business and a duty 
to report on any material weaknesses. The 
Group has a risk-based internal audit plan 
which is approved by the Audit and CR 
Committees. It is updated regularly to 
reflect changes to the control environment.

The findings from audits are discussed with 
executive management and action plans 
put in place where appropriate. Progress 
against these plans is monitored regularly 
by the internal audit function. Summaries  
of both audits and progress on any actions 
are discussed regularly at meetings of the 
Audit and CR Committees.

The Board also commissions external 
specialists to supplement internal 
processes as appropriate. Given the 
ongoing significant business transformation 
activity, in addition to regular reports from 
the internal audit function, the Board 
continued to receive reports from external 
specialists retained to review key elements 
of the transformation programme. 

Key features of the internal  
control system
The Group’s internal control system has a 
number of key features which ensure that 
risk is monitored and managed throughout 
the year, including those listed below.

(cid:116)(cid:1)The schedule of matters reserved to  
the Board ensures that the Directors 
control, among other matters, all 
significant strategic, financial and 
organisational issues.

(cid:116)(cid:1)A clear organisational structure  
and limits of authority in respect  
of items such as capital expenditure, 
pricing and contract authorisation.

(cid:116)(cid:1)A comprehensive planning and 
budgeting system for all items of 
expenditure with an annual budget 
approved by the Board. Performance  
is reported monthly against budget and 
prior year results; significant variances 
are investigated; and revised forecasts  
for the current financial year and financial 
projections for future years are  
prepared regularly.

(cid:116)(cid:1)The Group has comprehensive  

safety, product quality assurance  
and environmental management 
systems. Where appropriate, these are 
independently certified to internationally 
recognised standards; they are also 
subject to a regular independent  
audit process.

(cid:116)(cid:1)The Audit and CR Committees oversee 
the operation of controls and report 
regularly to the Board. If a failure  
of control has a material impact, then  
a detailed investigation, analysis and 
action plan would be provided to and 
considered by the Audit Committee,  
the CR Committee and the Board  
(as appropriate).

Speak Up (whistleblowing)
Speak Up, the Group’s whistleblowing 
programme, has been in place for a 
number of years in all operations controlled 
by the Group. This programme, which is 
monitored by the Audit and CR 
Committees, is designed to enable 
employees, contractors, customers, 
suppliers or other stakeholders to raise 
concerns confidentially in cases where 
conduct is deemed to be contrary to the 
Group’s Values. It may include, for 
example, actions that may endanger safety; 
unethical practices; or criminal offences.

The Speak Up programme provides  
a number of alternative ways to raise 
concerns including a telephone reporting 
line, email, and a web-based reporting 
facility. The multilingual communication 
facilities are operated by independent 
service providers who submit a report to 
the Speak Up Committee for investigation.

Reports received during the year were kept 
strictly confidential and the concerns 
identified were referred to appropriate 
managers within the Group for resolution. 
Where appropriate, action was taken to 
address the issues raised. The reports 
were analysed and monitored to ensure  
the process continued to be effective. 

Controls over financial reporting
The financial reporting control system 
covers the financial reporting process and 
the Group’s process for preparing 
consolidated accounts, and includes 
policies and procedures which provide for: 

(cid:116)(cid:1)The maintenance of records that, in 

reasonable detail, accurately and fairly 
reflect transactions including the 
acquisition and disposal of assets

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reasonable assurance that transactions 
are recorded as necessary to permit 
preparation of financial statements in 
accordance with International Financial 
Reporting Standards 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reasonable assurance regarding the 

prevention or timely detection of 
unauthorised use of the Group’s assets.

In addition, specific disclosure controls  
and procedures are in place to support  
the approval of the Group’s financial 
statements. Twice a year, representatives 
from SFI and BI certify that their reported 
information provides a true and fair view  
of the state of the financial affairs of their 
division and its results for the period. The 
results of this financial disclosure process 
are reported to the Audit Committee.

Joint ventures
All material joint ventures follow either the 
Group’s formal systems of internal control, 
or their own internal control procedures. 
These separate procedures are subject  
to review by the Group’s internal audit 
function, and the Group works with its 
partners to ensure that action plans are  
in place to address any issues identified 
during those reviews. 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 45

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Governance

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | CONTINUED

2014 review of the effectiveness of internal controls

Values and behaviours

Financial controls

Compliance controls

Operational controls

Risk management  
process

Responses to questionnaires reviewed by  
Global Ethics Director and internal audit function

Output discussed by Audit Committee  
in April and May

Output discussed by Corporate Responsibility 
Committee in March and May

Responses reviewed by Global Ethics Director and internal audit function

Annual General Meeting
The 2014 AGM will be held at The Queen 
Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London 
on Thursday 24 July 2014 at 11.00 am. Full 
details are set out in the Notice of Meeting.

Shareholders have the opportunity to put 
questions to the Board at the AGM on 
matters relating to the Group’s operations 
and performance. Resolutions are decided 
by means of a poll and the votes received 
in respect of each Resolution, together with 
the level of abstentions, are notified to the 
London Stock Exchange and published on 
the Company’s website. Shareholders are 
offered the choice of receiving shareholder 
documentation, including the Annual 
Report, electronically or in paper format,  
as well as the choice of submitting proxy 
votes either electronically or by post.

Relations with shareholders
Shareholder communications
The Chief Executive, Chief Financial  
Officer and Group VP, Investor and Media 
Relations maintain a regular programme  
of visits and presentations to institutional 
shareholders both in the UK and overseas. 
The Chairman also undertook separate 
visits to institutional shareholders and the 
Senior Independent Director met with  
a number of institutional shareholders. 
Feedback on interaction with institutional 
shareholders is provided to all directors. 

The Investor Relations team provides the 
Board with a report on any meetings with 
major institutional shareholders at each 
scheduled Board meeting. All directors 
receive copies of analysts’ reports on  
the Company. In addition, the Company’s 
external advisors give an annual briefing  
on investors’ perceptions of Tate & Lyle  
and its investor relations activities.  
The non-executive directors are 
encouraged to attend the full-year  
and half-year results presentations. 

The Company aims to present  
a balanced and clear assessment  
in all its communications with shareholders.  
Key announcements, financial reports  
and other information about the Group  
can be found on the Company’s website,  
www.tateandlyle.com.

2014 review of the effectiveness  
of the system of internal control
The effectiveness of the Group’s internal 
control system is monitored throughout  
the year and once a year the Board, with 
the assistance of the Audit and CR 
Committees, conducts its own review  
of the effectiveness of the systems of risk 
management and internal control. In 2014, 
this review was once again facilitated by  
the internal audit function and covered  
the period from the start of the financial 
year to the date of this Annual Report. 
The process included a two-stage review 
to facilitate discussion with the Audit and 
CR Committees discussing the results  
of the two-stage review at their meetings  
in March, April and May 2014 and the 
Board then discussed the output at its 
meeting in May 2014.

The 2014 review covered financial, 
operational and compliance controls, 
Values and behaviours and the risk 
management process, and included 
questionnaires and representation letters 
completed by management. The internal 
audit function monitored and selectively 
checked the results of this review, ensuring 
that the responses from management were 
consistent with the results of its work 
during the year. As part of this process, 
areas for enhancements to internal 
controls, and associated action plans  
to deliver them, were identified. Delivery  
of these enhancements is being monitored 
by the Audit Committee or CR Committee 
as appropriate. The Board considers that 
none of the areas identified for 
enhancement in relation to the review 
constituted a significant weakness.

Remuneration
The Board has delegated to the 
Remuneration Committee responsibility  
for agreeing the remuneration policy for the 
Chairman, Chief Executive, Chief Financial 
Officer and senior executives. The Chairman 
is a member of the Remuneration Committee 
but is not involved in any aspect of his own 
remuneration. The Directors’ Remuneration 
Report on pages 52 to 71 sets out 
the remuneration policy and the way  
in which the established policy has  
been implemented.

46 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

Introduction

Dear shareholder
I am pleased to report on the activities  
of the Audit Committee.

Members of the Committee take an active 
role in understanding aspects of the 
business and the challenges it faces and, 
as part of this, the Committee visited the 
global Shared Service Centre in Łód´z, 
Poland during the year. This provided us 
with an opportunity to meet with the local 
leadership team and conduct a detailed 
review of operations.

In addition to our usual matters, including 
the financial results for the full year and  
half year and the interim management 
statements, applicable accounting policies 
and going concern assumptions, we 
continued to undertake in-depth reviews  
of key topics. These included risk 
management processes, the management 
of commodities risk and, together with the 
members of the Corporate Responsibility 
Committee, IT security. 

We also considered the timing of the 
tender of the external audit contract. As 
explained in the Chief Executive’s Review, 
implementation of the global IS/IT platform 
is ongoing and the Committee believes 

that continuity of the external auditors 
plays a very important role in managing 
risk effectively during this transition to new 
systems, processes and ways of working. 
We have therefore agreed to undertake  
a tender after the Board considers that  
the platform is operating satisfactorily 
across all our material operations. In the 
meantime, we are undertaking preliminary 
work to prepare ourselves and the 
business for the tender. 

In preparation for this year’s audit,  
I attended part of PwC’s initial planning 
meeting where I was able to meet with 
members of the global audit team. The 
Committee collectively met the US audit 
partner as part of our annual programme.

I led a review of the Committee’s 
effectiveness, supplementing the activities 
s
undertaken as part of the external Board 
effectiveness review, explained on page 
43. Both of these reviews concluded that 
the Committee was functioning effectively 
y 
and identified a number of areas for 
further action. These include: increasing 
the membership of the Committee; 
reviewing detailed scoping documents for 
r 
the in-depth reviews to enhance the value 
e 

  Liz Airey

gained from them; and furthering 
interaction with divisional senior  
finance management.

I look forward to meeting with 
shareholders at the forthcoming AGM  
on 24 July 2014.

Liz Airey 
Chairman of the Audit Committee

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Composition and constitution

Main responsibilities of the Audit Committee

The Audit Committee, which comprises 
three non-executive directors, oversees 
the Group’s financial reporting and 
internal controls and provides a formal 
reporting link with the external auditors. 

The Committee’s terms of reference, 
which are reviewed annually, are 
available on the Company’s website,  
www.tateandlyle.com.

These include: 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Overseeing the Group’s financial 

reporting process and monitoring  
the integrity of the financial statements 
and formal announcements relating  
to the Group’s financial performance
(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing significant financial reporting 

issues and accounting policies  
and disclosures in financial reports
(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing the effectiveness of the 

Group’s internal control procedures  
and risk management systems

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing the effectiveness of the 

internal audit function

(cid:116)(cid:1)Overseeing the Group’s relationship 
with the external auditors including  
the level of fees

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing and monitoring the  

external auditors’ independence  
and objectivity and the effectiveness  
of the audit process

(cid:116)(cid:1)Making recommendations to the Board 
on the appointment or reappointment  
of the Group’s external auditors.

Meetings during the year ended  
31 March 2014
The Committee met six times during the 
year and the minutes of each meeting are 
made available to all directors via the Board 
portal. Membership of the Committee and 
attendance during the year were as follows:

Directors as at 
31 March 2014
Liz Airey1
Douglas Hurt
Anne Minto

 Number of
 meetings
6
6
6

Number of
meetings
attended
6
6
6

1  Committee Chairman.

All the Committee members have extensive 
management experience in large international 
organisations. It is a requirement of the Code 
that at least one Committee member has 
recent and relevant financial experience.  
Two members meet this requirement:  
Liz Airey was an investment banker and 
former finance director of Monument Oil  
and Gas plc, and Douglas Hurt is Finance 
Director at IMI plc and is a member of the 
Institute of Chartered Accountants in  
England and Wales.

The Chief Financial Officer; VP, Group Audit 
and Assurance; Group VP, Finance and 
Control; Executive VP, General Counsel;  

and representatives of the external auditors  
are normally invited to attend each meeting. 
The Chairman of the Board and Chief 
Executive attend meetings of the 
Committee by invitation. In addition,  
the Committee continues to enhance  
its exposure to the business through  
its programme of key topics for in-depth 
review, which involves operational and 
other key senior managers presenting  
to the Committee.

The VP, Group Audit and Assurance  
and the external auditors have direct 
access to, and meet regularly with,  
the Chairman of the Committee outside 
formal Committee meetings.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 47

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Governance

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT | CONTINUED

Independence of the external auditors
The Group’s external auditors are 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC)  
and the Committee operates a policy to 
safeguard its objectivity and independence. 
This policy sets out certain disclosure 
requirements by the external auditors to the 
Committee; restrictions on the employment 
of the external auditors’ former employees; 
and partner rotation. During the year,  
the Committee reviewed the processes 
that the external auditors have in place  
to safeguard their independence, and 
received a letter from the external auditors 
confirming that, in their opinion, they 
remained independent.

Work undertaken during the year
The Committee maintains a formal 
calendar of items for consideration at each 
meeting and within the annual audit cycle 
to ensure that its work is in line with the 
requirements of the Code. In addition to  
the activities outlined in the statement from 
the Committee Chairman, during the year 
and up to the date of this Annual Report, 
the work undertaken by the Committee  
fell under four main areas: financial 
reporting, oversight of the external auditors, 
oversight of the internal audit function, and 
internal control and risk management.  
The Committee’s work in each of these 
areas is described below.

The policy also sets out the circumstances 
in which the external auditors may be 
permitted to undertake non-audit services. 
The Chief Financial Officer and Chairman  
of the Committee have authority to approve 
the provision of certain services up to 
£100,000 or £250,000 respectively.  
The Committee must approve any 
proposed non-audit services that exceed 
those thresholds. Such proposals must  
be justified and, if appropriate, subject  
to tender. In addition, the policy specifies 
the services which are not permitted under 
any circumstances, such as the provision 
of remuneration advice and internal  
audit outsourcing.

The Committee reviews the policy on  
an annual basis and considers quarterly 
reports which set out the ongoing non-
audit services provided by the auditors  
and the fees incurred.

In April 2014, the European Parliament 
adopted proposals which include certain 
restrictions around the provision of 
non-audit services by the auditors and  
a 70% non-audit services fee cap. These 
proposals are likely to come into force at 
EU level during 2014 and the Committee 
will revise the policy to reflect the new 
requirements as they take effect in the UK.

A breakdown of the fees paid to the 
external auditors in respect of audit- and 
non-audit-related work is included in Note 
8. The total amount paid in respect of the 
Group audit, audit of subsidiaries and joint 
ventures and the half-year review was  
£2 million and £0.2 million was paid in 
respect of non-audit-related services.  
Fees paid in respect of non-audit-related 
services therefore comprised 9% of the 
total fees paid to PwC.

Financial reporting
At each of its meetings during the year, the 
Audit Committee reviewed accounting 
papers prepared by management and 
determined, with the perspective of the 
external auditors, the appropriateness of 
key accounting policies, estimates and 
judgments. The significant issues that the 
Committee considered in relation to the 
financial statements for the year ended  
31 March 2014 are listed below. 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reported and adjusted earnings: the 
Committee considered management’s 
review of reported and adjusted earnings, 
to ensure that significant one-off items of 
income and expense had been correctly 
classified, and that external disclosure of 
these items was appropriate. 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Commodity risk: the Group uses  

corn commodity contracts to manage 
and hedge its corn book in the US.  
The valuation of the corn book, which  
is underpinned by a number of 
judgments, has a material impact  
on the reported results of the Group.  
The Committee participated in a detailed 
information session led by both executive 
and local US management covering the 
key commodity risks and the risk 
management framework in place  
to mitigate these risks. In addition  
to this session, the Committee 
considered the work performed by the 
external auditors before concluding that 
the judgments made in determining the 
valuation were appropriate.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Retirement obligations: a number of 

judgments have to be made when 
calculating the fair value of the Group’s 
legacy retirement obligations. The 
Committee reviewed the assumptions 
proposed by management (reflecting 
advice from the Group’s external actuary) 

which have driven a reduction in the 
pension and healthcare net liability (see 
Note 30) and considered reports from  
the external auditors before agreeing  
that the assumptions were reasonable.  
In addition, the Committee reviewed  
and agreed management’s proposed 
accounting treatment for both the 
September 2013 full buy-in of the 
Amylum UK defined benefit pension 
scheme, having adopted the calculations 
performed by the external actuary  
and the December 2013 transfer of the 
defined benefit obligation of Tate & Lyle 
Netherlands BV.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Taxation: the Group operates in a 
number of tax jurisdictions and 
provisioning for potential direct tax 
exposures with local tax authorities is 
underpinned by a range of judgments. 
The Committee reviewed the Group’s 
principles and processes for managing 
tax risks during the year and reviewed  
the key judgments made in estimating  
the Group’s tax charge along with the key 
disclosures, including a statement of tax 
principles, proposed to be included in the 
Annual Report (set out on page 26 and  
in Notes 11 and 29). The Committee  
was satisfied that the judgments made  
in estimating the Group’s tax charge  
were reasonable, and that the tax 
disclosures to be made in the  
Annual Report were appropriate.

In addition to the above items, the 
Committee reviewed management’s annual 
goodwill impairment assessment paper, 
considering future performance of the 
underlying divisions, including discussion  
of the discount rates used and forecast 
assumptions and sensitivities.  
The Committee was satisfied that  
no impairment charges, or reversal  
of impairments, were required. Separate 
papers on the Group’s existing and 
emerging litigation risks were presented  
to the Committee and duly considered. 
There have been no substantive 
developments in any material case  
in the current year.

External audit
PwC (or its predecessor firms) has been 
the Company’s auditors since 1989. The 
lead audit partner is rotated on a five-yearly 
basis and, as set out in last year’s report, 
the lead audit partner changed with effect 
from the beginning of the 2014 financial 
year in line with this requirement. 

48 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Internal audit
Following a competitive tender process,  
the Committee retained Independent  
Audit Limited to conduct a review of the 
effectiveness of the internal audit function, 
the last external review having been 
undertaken in 2010. The review concluded 
that the internal audit function had 
continued to strengthen since that time  
and make a significant contribution to  
the internal governance of the Group.  
A number of areas for incremental 
improvement were agreed and implemented, 
including enhancements to the function’s 
charter and planning cycle.

Internal control and risk management
The Committee continued to receive and 
consider regular reports from management 
and the VP, Group Audit and Assurance on 
the effectiveness of the Group’s risk 
management system. The reports from the 
latter included the findings from reviews of 
internal financial controls and actions to 
address any weaknesses in those controls. 
Throughout the year, the Committee 
focused in particular on the impact of the 
implementation of the new IS/IT platform 
and associated changes to the control 
environment, together with any potential 
impact on financial reporting processes.  
It also reviewed controls to mitigate fraud 
risk and the Group assurance map 
outlining the key risks and associated 
assurance processes. In addition, the 
Committee reviewed the output from the 
annual review of the effectiveness of 
internal financial reporting controls and 
then reported to the Board on that review.

As set out on page 48, the Committee 
undertook a detailed review of the Group’s 
approach to managing corn and the 
associated hedging processes during the 
year. During this session the Committee 
considered the controls in place and how 
they are being enhanced with the 
implementation of the global IS/IT platform. 
The Committee will continue to keep these 
activities under review during the year 
ending 31 March 2015.

Following the conclusion of the audit  
for the year ended 31 March 2013, the 
Committee conducted an internal review  
of the effectiveness of the auditors (the  
last external review having been 
undertaken in 2010). As part of the 
process, the Committee reviewed the 
auditors’ performance against criteria  
set at the start of the audit, together with 
feedback from management at Group level 
and at divisional level and considered the 
most recent public report on the inspection 
of PwC which was issued by the FRC in 
May 2013. The Committee concluded that 
the external audit process was operating 
effectively and that PwC continued to 
provide effective and independent 
challenge to management. The review 
identified a number of areas for process 
enhancements which were implemented 
and incorporated into the criteria set for  
the audit in respect of the year ended  
31 March 2014.

The Code states that FTSE 350 companies 
should tender the provision of audit 
services at least every ten years or explain 
their approach, if different. The Competition 
Commission has published additional 
proposals that are expected to come into 
effect in October 2014. These require FTSE 
350 companies to put their statutory audit 
engagement out to tender at least every 
ten years. In addition to this, in April 2014 
the European Parliament adopted 
proposals which include the requirement 
that audit firms of all EU companies listed 
on a regulated market are subject to 
retender after ten years and rotate off after 
20 years. These proposals are likely to 
come into force at EU level during 2014. 
The Committee continues to consider legal 
and regulatory developments in this regard.

The Committee discussed the timing of a 
tender on a regular basis during the 
financial year ended 31 March 2014. In light 
of the output of the effectiveness review 
and the ongoing implementation of the 
global IS/IT platform, the Committee 
agreed to undertake a tender after the 
Board considers that the platform is 
operating satisfactorily across all material 
operations. The Committee has 
recommended to the Board that PwC 
continue to act as auditors to the Group. 
PwC has indicated its willingness to 
continue in office, and a resolution that 
PwC be reappointed will be proposed at 
the AGM. As explained in the letter from  
the Chairman of the Committee, activities 
are underway to prepare the Group  
for the tender.

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The global Shared Service Centre (the Centre) 
in Łódź, Poland is the principal location for 
handling the financial transactional activities  
and processes for Tate & Lyle. The Committee 
has monitored its development since its 
establishment in 2011. 
In October 2013, the Committee visited the 
Centre and met with senior managers to 
understand more about the control environment 
in place and the progress the Centre had made 
in achieving its other objectives, which include 
supporting decision making across the Group 
through the prompt delivery of centralised 
management information, and providing  
high quality, consistent advice, support  
and resolution.

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Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 49

 
 
 
 
 
Governance

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT

I look forward to meeting with 
shareholders at the forthcoming  
AGM on 24 July 2014.

Sir Peter Gershon
Chairman of the Nominations 
Committee

Introduction

Dear shareholder
One of the key areas of focus for the 
Committee is succession planning and 
during the year we focused on both Board 
succession plans and executive succession 
planning and talent management.

As explained in my statement on page  
40, Robert Walker, Senior Independent 
Director and Chairman of the 
Remuneration Committee, is expected to 
retire during the current financial year after 
serving a full nine years on the Board. In 
preparation for this, we commenced work 
on planning for his successor as Senior 
Independent Director and as Chairman  
of the Remuneration Committee. We also 
reviewed the needs of the Board in light  
of this imminent retirement and have 
drawn up a specification for an additional 
non-executive director. We have retained 
Spencer Stuart to assist with this search.

The Executive Vice President, HR 
presented to us at a number of our 
meetings to provide us with regular 
updates on the progress of the executive 
succession planning and talent 
management activities. We will continue  
to monitor progress for these two core 
activities during the financial year ending 
31 March 2015. 

Schneider Ross, who performed the 
external review of Board effectiveness, 
undertook a review of the Committee’s 
effectiveness. The review concluded that 
the Committee was functioning effectively 
and recommended that the Committee 
continue to maintain its clear focus on 
succession planning going forward.

  Sir Peter Gershon 

Composition and constitution

Main responsibilities of the Nominations Committee

The Nominations Committee comprises 
the Chairman of the Company, the Chief 
Executive and all of the non-executive 
directors. It ensures that the balance  
of skills and experience of the Board 
remains appropriate for the needs  
of the Group. 

The Committee’s terms of reference, 
which are reviewed annually, are 
available on the Company’s website,  
www.tateandlyle.com.

These include:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing the size and composition  
of the Board, including succession 
planning, and the leadership needs  
of the Group generally

(cid:116)(cid:1)Recommending candidates for 

appointment as executive and non-
executive directors and as Company 
Secretary, taking into account the 
balance of the Board and the required 

blend of skills and experience,  
bearing in mind the need for diversity

(cid:116)(cid:1)Making recommendations on the 

process for the appointment of the 
Chairman of the Board

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing annually the performance of 
each member of the Group Executive 
Committee and reporting on that review 
to the Remuneration Committee.

Work undertaken during the year
During the year and up to the date of  
this Annual Report, in addition to the work 
set out in the Chairman’s letter above,  
the work undertaken by the Nominations 
Committee included:

Succession planning 
The Committee reviewed succession  
plans for Executive Committee roles and 
the progress of action plans to address  
any gaps. The Committee continues to 
review progress on a regular basis. 

Performance evaluation
The Committee undertook a performance 
evaluation of each member of the Group 
Executive Committee and reported its 
conclusions to the Remuneration Committee.

Membership of Board Committees
The Committee reviewed the composition 
of each of the Board’s Committees in 
conjunction with recommendations from 
the relevant chairmen. The Committee 
agreed with the conclusions of the Audit 
Committee effectiveness review that an 
additional member should join that 
committee. To that end, the specification 
for the new non-executive director covers 
the experience and skills required by 
members of our Audit Committee. In 
addition, the Committee recommended 
that Virginia Kamsky join the CR 
Committee. The Board agreed with the 
recommendation and she joined the CR 
Committee with effect from 1 April 2014.

Meetings during the year ended  
31 March 2014
The Committee met three times during the 
year. Membership of the Committee and 
attendance during the year were as follows:

Directors as at 
31 March 2014
Sir Peter Gershon1
Javed Ahmed
Liz Airey
William Camp
Douglas Hurt
Virginia Kamsky
Anne Minto
Dr Ajai Puri
Robert Walker

1  Committee Chairman.

 Number of
 meetings
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

Number of
meetings
attended
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

The Committee has a formal calendar of 
items for consideration at each meeting 
and meets at least twice a year. 

50 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY COMMITTEE REPORT

Introduction

Dear shareholder
As explained in the Corporate 
Responsibility section on page 33, the 
Group has no higher priority than safety, 
so we were all shocked and saddened by 
the tragic fatalities at three of our plants 
over the last year. In each case, we 
investigated the circumstances 
surrounding the accidents and the actions 
taken by management based on the 
preliminary findings of these investigations 
immediately after the events, as well as 
ensuring all necessary co-operation was 
given to the local regulatory investigations. 
We also worked with management to 
ensure all necessary assistance was 
available to support the families and 
others affected by these incidents.
We are sponsoring a management 
initiative to refocus and refresh our 
approach to safety. The oversight of 
ongoing safety initiatives will continue to 
be a key focus for the Committee this year.

We undertook a detailed review of the 
Group’s approach to tackling cyber 
security and received a report on progress 
in this regard during the year. We will 
continue to monitor the ongoing efforts  
to mitigate this risk across the Group. 

The annual review of Committee 
effectiveness, undertaken by Schneider 
Ross, indicated that the Committee 
continues to operate effectively. It 
recommended some areas for process 
improvement, such as the timing of 
meetings where the discussion topics 
overlap with the interests of the Audit 
Committee, for example IT security. In 
addition, the review highlighted topics  
for increased focus, such as initiatives  
to drive and embed inclusion across the 
organisation, and we have adjusted our 
agenda to address these suggestions.

  William Camp

Last, but by no means least, we welcome 
Virginia Kamsky as an additional Committee 
member from 1 April 2014 and we have 
put in place an induction programme for 
her, reflecting our wide remit. 

I look forward to meeting with 
shareholders at the forthcoming AGM.

William Camp
Chairman of the CR Committee

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Composition and constitution

Main responsibilities of the Corporate Responsibility Committee

The Committee comprises four 
non-executive directors and the 
Chairman of the Company. The 
Committee oversees the Group’s 
processes and measures used to 
manage social, environmental and 
ethical risks and associated internal 
controls. 

The Committee’s terms of reference, 
which are reviewed annually, can be 
found on the Company’s website,  
www.tateandlyle.com.

These include: 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Monitoring the Group’s approach to 

corporate responsibility and ensuring  
it aligns with Group strategy

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing the effectiveness of the 
Group’s policies and procedures 
relating to a safe working environment

(cid:116)(cid:1)Approving, or recommending to the 

Board for approval, CR policies
(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing the implementation of 
appropriate environmental policies

(cid:116)(cid:1)Monitoring the effectiveness of 
workplace policies concerning 
employee relations, equal opportunities, 
travel, entertainment and conflicts  
of interest

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing whistleblowing arrangements
(cid:116)(cid:1)Satisfying itself that the Group has 
appropriate policies, systems and 
controls in place in respect of the risks 
falling within the Committee’s remit.

Meetings during the year ended  
31 March 2014 
The Committee met four times during the 
year. Membership of the Committee and 
attendance during the year were as follows:

Safety
The Committee discussed the Group’s 
initiatives to improve workplace safety 
performance and received regular reports 
from the VP, Global Safety.

Directors as at 
31 March 2014
William Camp1
Liz Airey
Sir Peter Gershon
Dr Ajai Puri

 Number of
 meetings
4
4
4
4

Number of
meetings
attended
4
4
4
4

1  Committee Chairman. 
Virginia Kamsky joined the committee on 1 April 
2014. As she did not serve during the year under 
review, she is excluded from the above analysis.

Work undertaken during the year
During the year and up to the date of this 
Annual Report, in addition to the work 
outlined in the Committee Chairman’s 
letter, the work undertaken by the CR 
Committee included the following:

Product safety continued to be an area of 
focus and the VP, Global Quality and Food 
Safety provided regular updates on the 
operation of the Group’s quality assurance 
processes.

Diversity and inclusion
The Committee received an update on the 
implementation of diversity and inclusion 
initiatives and agreed further refinements  
to the external reporting of the Group’s 
gender diversity.

Business practices
The Committee reviewed the effectiveness 
of the independent confidential reporting 
(whistleblowing) line. Further information  
on this is on page 45.

Charitable donations 
The Committee received an update on 
implementation of the global community 
involvement programme, and also 
approved a proposed education 
partnership strategy as set out on page 37.

Environment
The VP, Sustainability provided the 
Committee with updates on the Group’s 
environmental performance and initiatives 
on a regular basis.

Internal control
The Committee received regular reports 
from management and the VP, Group Audit 
and Assurance in respect of the policies, 
systems and controls in place in respect  
of the risks falling within the Committee’s 
remit. The Committee reviewed the output 
from the annual review of the effectiveness 
of controls falling within its terms of 
reference and then reported to the Board 
on this review.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 51

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT

Chairman’s introduction

Dear shareholder
The purpose of this introductory letter to 
the Directors’ Remuneration Report for 
the year ended 31 March 2014, is to 
provide some context for the Committee’s 
decision-making during the year, and  
to summarise the key points of the 
Report. Hopefully, this will make reading 
the detailed Report that follows 
somewhat easier.

Guiding principles
Our philosophy remains unchanged:  
the Company’s remuneration framework 
should be simple, and provide for  
a close alignment between executive 
remuneration and shareholders’ interests. 
We aim to achieve this primarily by 
making a significant proportion of 
pay conditional on the achievement  
of stretching performance conditions  
and by ensuring that executives maintain 
significant personal shareholdings  
in the Company.

We were ‘early adopters’ of features such 
as claw back provisions (which apply to 
both annual bonus and long-term share 
awards), and the ‘single-figure’ and ‘pay 
scenario’ disclosures that have now been 
adopted into standard reporting.

Business performance and 
remuneration outcomes for the year
The Committee judges that the Company 
made further progress in executing its 
strategy despite facing a number of 
challenges that held back financial 
performance. Profit growth in starch-based 
speciality ingredients and Food Systems 
and strong growth in emerging markets, 
were offset by the impact of cold weather, 
including the extremely cold and prolonged 
US winter, and an increasingly competitive 
market for sucralose. Good momentum in 
emerging markets, a robust innovation 
pipeline and a strong balance sheet, bodes 
well for the longer term.

With regard to the financial metrics used in 
our incentive plans:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Annual Bonus Plan. Growth in net sales 
(less cost of raw materials) of 2.0% and 
like-for-like profit growth of 0.5% (in 
constant currency) for the year ended  
31 March 2014 demonstrate continued 
progress in the context of significant year-
on-year profit growth over prior periods. 
The cash conversion cycle improved by 
4.8%. As a result, the Committee has 
approved annual bonus payments in the 
range of up to 3% of base salary for 
executive directors.

(cid:116)(cid:1)Performance Share Plan. Adjusted 
earnings per share has grown by 7.2% 
on a compound annual basis over the 
three financial years ended 31 March 
2014; and adjusted return on capital 
employed in the year to 31 March 2014 
is 19.2%, which is significantly above 
our cost of capital. As a result, the 
awards granted under the Performance 
Share Plan will vest at 63.4%.
In confirming these outcomes, the 
Committee discussed the Company’s 
health and safety performance during  
the past year.

Key committee activities  
during the year 
The last significant changes in the 
Company’s remuneration arrangements 
were made in 2010, to introduce the 
Annual Bonus Plan and the Performance 
Share Plan in their current forms, 
receiving significant support from 
shareholders at the 2010 Annual  
General Meeting (AGM). Four years on, 
the Committee felt it would now be 
appropriate to undertake a detailed 
review to test the continued 
appropriateness of the performance 
metrics used in our current incentive 
framework. This review confirmed that 
these metrics remain closely aligned with 

Net sales less raw materials change vs prior 
year – per bonus metric (%)

Adjusted diluted EPS long-term incentive 
metric (pence)

Tate & Lyle PLC adjusted closing share  
price (pence)

4.6

2.0

16.0

56.0

56.6

55.7

900
800
700
600
500
400
300

2012

2013

2014

2012

2013

2014

03-2009 03-2010 03-2011 03-2012 03-2013 03-2014

Adjusted PBTEA change vs prior year – per 
bonus metric (%)

Adjusted ROCE long-term incentive  
metric (%)

 28.0

3.9

0.5

21.4

19.7

19.2

2012

2013

2014

2012

2013

2014

52 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Approval of the remuneration policy 
for the year ahead
In view of the discussion above, we have 
made no changes to our remuneration 
design or framework at this time, and  
the report on remuneration policy, which 
we ask shareholders to support at the 
AGM, is consistent with our approach  
to date and the arrangements which 
shareholders have previously approved. 
I trust we can count on your support. 

Robert Walker
Chairman of the Remuneration 
Committee

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Chairman’s introduction continued

our strategic objectives and that 
remuneration outcomes have been 
closely aligned with business 
performance. The chart below illustrates 
this alignment in respect of the Annual 
Bonus Plan through to the end of the 
financial year to which this Report relates. 
The chart shows relative year-on-year 
growth in sales and profits (both key 
metrics in the Annual Bonus Plan) against 
a trend line in bonus outcomes over the 
same period:

Relative annual 
sales growth
Relative annual 
profit growth
Trend line in bonus
outcomes 

2011

2012

2013

2014

Based on this review, the Committee 
concluded that the choice of our financial 
metrics across the annual bonus and 
long-term share plan remain appropriate. 
Looking ahead, we will of course continue 
to review targets on an annual basis to 
ensure that these remain appropriately 
stretching and aligned with the business 
strategy and outlook. 

I can confirm that the Committee has  
made no change to the structure of the 
remuneration package for the year ahead, 
and executive directors’ salaries remain 
unchanged since 1 April 2012, the second 
year of no increase.

Engagement with shareholders
As part of our annual cycle of activity,  
in addition to the normal shareholder 
engagement activities which the  
Board undertakes, I write to our key 
institutional shareholders in my capacity  
as Remuneration Committee Chairman  
in order to offer a meeting to discuss  
any shareholder issues or concerns.  
This year, I have already written to our  
top 20 shareholders; this is a larger  
number than in the past to ensure that  
we consult on the widest possible basis. 

g

It is a reflection of the significant levels  
ort for our current 
of shareholder support for our current 
remuneration arrangements that 
ements that 
shareholders had no issues to raise with 
issues to raise with
me as part of that process. As a group, 
ocess. As a group,
ed their strong support
shareholders indicated their strong support 
for our approach, which was reflected in  
hich was reflected in 
a 96% vote to approve our remuneration 
ve our remuneration 
report resolution at the AGM in 2013.
he AGM in 2013.

  Robert Walker

About these Reports
The information regarding directors’ remuneration is presented in two Reports: the first relates to our remuneration policy (the Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy Report), and the second relates to the way in which our established policy has been implemented during the year 
under review (the Annual Report on Remuneration). 

Resolutions to approve each of these Reports will be proposed at the AGM. It is our intention that the policy approved by shareholders 
will apply for a period of three years, and will not be put to an annual shareholder vote, although we intend to report on both policy and 
implementation each year. 

These Reports have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (the Act) and Schedule 8 of the  
Large and Medium Sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (the Regulations), the Listing 
Rules of the UK Listing Authority and the UK Corporate Governance Code. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has audited such content  
as required by the Act (the information on pages 67 to 71 marked as ‘(audited)’). Resolutions to approve each Report will be proposed  
at the AGM on 24 July 2014.

Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report
Introduction
This Report sets out the Company’s policy in relation to directors’ remuneration. This approach was originally established in 2010  
in connection with the review of the business strategy following Javed Ahmed’s appointment as Chief Executive, and the policy  
is fundamentally unchanged from that set out in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Annual Reports. 

Subject to shareholder approval at the AGM on 24 July 2014, the Committee will operate within this policy from that date. 

The Committee will retain discretion on specific aspects of policy and implementation, as described in this report along with an overriding 
discretion to determine bonus outcomes and judge the level at which share awards vest, in order to ensure that payments are consistent 
with the underlying health and performance of the business, within the maximum opportunity stated in the policy tables.

The Committee may make minor changes to the policy without seeking shareholder approval, for example to benefit the administration  
of arrangements, or to take account of changes in legislation. Any such changes will be disclosed in the relevant Annual Report.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 53

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Remuneration strategy and key principles
The Company’s remuneration strategy, and supporting principles which apply consistently across employee, management and executive 
populations, is summarised in the table below.

Remuneration strategy Key principles

The Company’s 
remuneration strategy  
is to provide packages  
that enable the Company 
to recruit, retain and 
motivate high-calibre 
individuals in the  
markets in which  
we operate to deliver 
superior operational 
performance and 
outstanding  
financial results 

(cid:116)(cid:1) Base pay and benefits are generally positioned at local market ‘median’ levels
(cid:116)(cid:1) For all employees, our pay for performance framework provides for meaningful differentiation  

in salary progression and opportunities for career progression, based on each individual’s contribution

(cid:116)(cid:1) The total package opportunity should provide meaningful reward for superior performance and encourage  

the achievement of genuinely stretching short-term and long-term objectives

(cid:116)(cid:1) Below executive level, key individuals who have a specific accountability for driving annual and longer-term 
performance may be selected to participate variously in our sales incentive plan, the Annual Bonus Plan,  
and/or the Performance Share Plan

(cid:116)(cid:1) Alignment with shareholders’ long-term interests is carefully preserved, for example through: a significant  
proportion of pay being based on performance; effective governance around remuneration decisions;  
a considered approach to setting performance targets; the adoption of shareholding guidelines at senior  
executive levels; and claw back provisions on incentive awards

(cid:116)(cid:1) All aspects of remuneration are designed to encourage a focus on long-term, sustained performance  

and risk management

(cid:116)(cid:1) Our approach is intended to be equitable and transparent and operate across the Group, recognising  

that we recruit talented individuals and operate in an international market

(cid:116)(cid:1) Outcomes must be achieved in a way that is consistent with the Group’s core Values and Code of Ethics,  

and that fosters sustainable, profitable growth

The charts below illustrate the international nature of our business – although we are UK-listed and headquartered in London, a very 
significant proportion of our people, our shareholders, and our customers are based outside the UK. Accordingly, it is important that 
our remuneration arrangements are appropriately competitive in that international context.

Our sales1

1  2% UK
2  59% US

Our shareholders2

3   17% Other European 

countries

4  22% Rest of world

1  50% UK
2  40% US

3   4% Other European 

countries

4  6% Rest of world

Our people3

1  4% UK
2  46% US

3   35% Other European 

countries

4  15% Rest of world

1 2

4

3

3 4

1

2

1 2

4

3

1  Sales by destination (from continuing operations) as per Note 4 to the Financial Statements.  
2  Shareholders are represented by an analysis of the largest 20 institutional shareholdings (covering 48% of the register at 31 March 2014). 
3  Includes all joint-venture employees. 

A clear link between our strategy and directors’ remuneration
The Company’s remuneration arrangements place a clear emphasis on driving Company performance, through incentives that are 
directly linked to the key performance indicators (KPIs) which come from our business strategy. In this way, we maintain a keen focus 
on delivering long-term growth, thereby enhancing long-term value for shareholders.

The table opposite summarises the KPIs that we use to measure the Group’s success against our strategy. The right-hand column 
describes how these KPIs link directly to remuneration arrangements.

Key Performance Indicators 
Pages 18 and 19

54 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Key performance indicators

Link to directors’ remuneration

Financial results 

Adjusted operating profit 

This is a key determinant of awards under the Annual Bonus Plan.

Adjusted diluted EPS growth

Awards under the Performance Share Plan depend on this metric.

Dividend per share

Net debt 

The dividend has a direct impact through individual executive share ownership  
and dividend equivalents on deferred bonus awards.

Objectives are reflected in incentive plan target setting, but this metric does not directly 
impact remuneration.

Performance and financial strength (in addition to the above)

Speciality food ingredients sales growth

Informs the sales target in the Annual Bonus Plan that is set by the Committee each year.

Return on capital employed

Awards under the Performance Share Plan depend on this metric. 

Cash conversion cycle

This is a performance metric in the Annual Bonus Plan.

Net debt to EBITDA and interest cover

Objectives are reflected in Annual Bonus Plan targets, but this metric does not directly  
impact remuneration.

Corporate responsibility

Safety metrics

Safety and broader corporate responsibility matters are specific factors that the Committee 
may factor into decisions on pay and annual incentive plan outcomes. 

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Key components of directors’ remuneration
As a Committee, we believe that our approach to remuneration provides a relatively simple but effective overall framework that is 
aligned with long-term success and returns to shareholders.

The executive directors’ remuneration consists of base salary, annual bonus, long-term incentives, and retirement and other benefits as 
described in the table overleaf. Claw back provisions apply to incentive awards following release (as described in the policy table on 
pages 56 to 59), and a strong alignment with shareholders’ interests is maintained through significant personal shareholding 
requirements imposed on each director.

The key components of the remuneration framework for executive directors are summarised in the graphic below, and the full policy in 
relation to each item is described in the tables that follow.

Fixed

Variable (short-term)

Variable (long-term)

Base salary: providing fixed 
remuneration which reflects 
the market value of the role 

Annual bonus: to deliver 
the Company’s annual 
financial performance 
objectives

Long-term share incentive: to deliver shareholder value 
linked to efficient use of capital and profitable long-term growth

Employment / retirement 
benefits: consistent with 
local market practice

Claw back provisions mean cash and share incentives may be recouped in specific circumstances

Personal share ownership: strengthens alignment between executives and shareholders

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 55

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Executive directors’ remuneration policy table

Purpose and alignment with strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Base salary (short-term, fixed remuneration)

To provide fixed remuneration that reflects the 
market value of the individual, his or her skills 
and experience and performance

(cid:116)(cid:1) Base salaries are positioned at around the 
median of the relevant market based on 
company size and operations (for UK 
directors, the Committee currently has 
regard to the 50th to 130th largest UK-listed 
companies), and taking account of personal 
performance, as well as individual 
circumstances (e.g. following promotion into 
a new role)

(cid:116)(cid:1) Base salary reviews take into account 

increases awarded to employees below 
executive level, and the impact on pension 
and other consequences of increases
(cid:116)(cid:1) Increases arising from the normal annual 
review will normally be limited to the local 
market increase applicable to employees 
at the same location generally. However, 
the Committee may use its discretion  
to award a higher or lower increase to 
ensure that salaries remain appropriately 
aligned with the external market,  
and to reflect changes in experience,  
role or responsibility

Employment and retirement benefits (short-term, fixed remuneration)

To provide employment and retirement benefits 
in line with the relevant local market

(cid:116)(cid:1) Retirement benefits are provided by way  
of defined contribution arrangements,  
or an equivalent cash allowance

(cid:116)(cid:1) Other employment benefits include car  

(or car allowance), health insurance, group 
income protection and, where appropriate, 
life cover

(cid:116)(cid:1) The value of retirement and/or cash 
benefits in lieu of pension is set by 
reference to external market practice 
(using the same market reference point  
as for base salary), and is subject to 
periodic review

(cid:116)(cid:1) The value of non-cash benefits is 

determined by the cost of provision, e.g. 
third-party health insurance premiums

Annual bonus (short-term, performance-related remuneration)

To support the Company’s strategy by 
rewarding the achievement of the Company’s 
annual performance objectives 

(cid:116)(cid:1) The discretionary Annual Bonus Plan 

(cid:116)(cid:1) No bonus is payable if performance is 

rewards the achievement of financial and 
other objectives established by the 
Committee for the relevant financial year

(cid:116)(cid:1) The bonus award is made, subject to  

the Committee’s approval, following the  
end of the financial year and the audit  
of full-year results 

(cid:116)(cid:1) The bonus award may comprise cash and 
deferred shares, depending on the level of 
award that is made

below ‘threshold’, regardless of 
performance against other metrics

(cid:116)(cid:1) The ‘target’ bonus is 75% of base salary 
for the Chief Executive, and 50% of base 
salary for the Chief Financial Officer
(cid:116)(cid:1) The maximum cash bonus is 100%  

of base salary; any annual bonus above 
100% of base salary is delivered in  
Tate & Lyle PLC shares which are  
deferred for two years 

(cid:116)(cid:1) The maximum cash and share bonus  

is 175% of base salary

(cid:116)(cid:1) Deferred shares carry the right to receive 
a cash payment in lieu of the dividend that 
would have been paid on those shares 
between award and release 

56 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Performance framework

Commentary

(cid:116)(cid:1) Base salary is a fixed element of the remuneration package, paid monthly
(cid:116)(cid:1) Employees generally participate in a merit-based review, which means that the general market 
increase which applies will be sufficient to maintain competitiveness against the local market, 
while individual high performers may be rewarded with higher salary increases

(cid:116)(cid:1) Benefits are a fixed part of the remuneration package, and typically accrue monthly
(cid:116)(cid:1) Retirement benefits are defined contribution in nature, limiting the financial risk and potential 

costs to the Company

(cid:116)(cid:1) Performance is assessed over the relevant financial year
(cid:116)(cid:1) Performance metrics are selected by the Committee at the start of the relevant year,  
and are drawn from key financial metrics. Additionally, the Committee may select  
quantifiable metrics that are aligned with our strategic and/or operational objectives  
on a personal or collective basis 

(cid:116)(cid:1) Targets for each metric are set at the start of each financial year, taking account of the  

business strategy, performance in previous years, market expectations and the prevailing 
economic climate

(cid:116)(cid:1) The greatest weighting will be given to financial performance; specifically, a minimum profit 

hurdle applies before any bonus is payable against any of the metrics

(cid:116)(cid:1) The final bonus award is made at the Committee’s discretion. Subject to the overall maximum, 

the Committee may make appropriate adjustments to ensure that the bonus outcomes are a fair 
reflection of the underlying performance of the Company and may also take into account factors 
such as Group safety, operational performance, and personal performance

(cid:116)(cid:1) A consistent framework applies to 
employees generally – salaries are 
positioned by reference to the local 
market median, and salary reviews  
take into account local market  
increases, external benchmarking,  
and personal performance 

(cid:116)(cid:1) No changes to the policy for executive 
directors have been made in the year  
or are proposed for the year ahead

(cid:116)(cid:1) The provision of employment and 

retirement benefits to executive directors 
is consistent with our policy and approach 
for employees generally: appropriate 
benefits are provided in line with local 
competitive market practice 

(cid:116)(cid:1) No changes to the policy for executive 
directors have been made in the year  
or are proposed for the year ahead

(cid:116)(cid:1) Claw back provisions apply, which  

means cash and share elements may  
be recouped in specific circumstances 
during the two-year period following  
the end of the financial year to which  
the bonus relates

(cid:116)(cid:1) The discretionary Annual Bonus Plan 

applies to a broad population who have 
roles which allow them to contribute 
materially to the successful delivery  
of the Company’s annual performance 
objectives. The Annual Bonus Plan 
operates within a consistent framework 
for all participants, with financial targets 
typically set by reference to the business 
area that is most relevant to the 
employee’s role

(cid:116)(cid:1) No changes to the policy for executive 
directors have been made in the year  
or are proposed for the year ahead 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 57

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Executive directors’ remuneration policy table continued

Purpose and alignment with strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Performance Share Plan (long-term, performance-related remuneration)

To support the Company’s strategy  
by incentivising sustained profit growth  
and capital efficiency over successive 
three-year performance periods,  
and to help retain senior executive talent

(cid:116)(cid:1) Awards over Tate & Lyle PLC shares may be 
made, at the Committee’s discretion, on an 
annual basis taking an individual executive’s 
contribution and performance into account

(cid:116)(cid:1) Awards will only vest to participants if 
demanding financial performance 
requirements have been achieved over a 
period of at least three financial years 
commencing with the financial year in which 
the award is made

(cid:116)(cid:1) The Committee has the flexibility to make 
awards of up to 300% of base salary (at 
the time of award) if appropriate to ensure 
market competitiveness and taking 
account of the Company’s performance
(cid:116)(cid:1) The award will lapse entirely if threshold 
performance targets are not achieved

(cid:116)(cid:1) Only 15% of any award made to  

executive directors vests for achieving 
threshold performance

Personal share ownership requirements (this information is provided here to explain a key feature of the remuneration 
framework, but these requirements do not form part of the binding ‘policy’)

To strengthen long-term alignment  
of interests between senior executives  
and the Company’s shareholders

(cid:116)(cid:1) Executive directors are subject to individual 
minimum share ownership requirements
(cid:116)(cid:1) Specified holdings must be built up over an 
initial five-year period following the adoption 
of the policy (or appointment, if later) and 
retained for the duration of employment

(cid:116)(cid:1) Share ownership requirements for 
executive directors are as follows:
 – Chief Executive: four times base salary
 – Chief Financial Officer: three times base 

salary 

Other (potential) benefits

Operation

Opportunity

To address specific commercial or 
administrative situations, the following benefits 
may be provided:

(cid:116)(cid:1) Director relocation and associated benefits, 

including international healthcare

(cid:116)(cid:1) Payment in lieu of dividend on specific  

share awards

(cid:116)(cid:1) UK savings-related share options  

(Sharesave Plan)

(cid:116)(cid:1) If a director is required to relocate at the 
Company’s request, e.g. as a result of 
changing business requirements, additional 
benefits may arise in accordance with the 
Group relocation policy. Benefits may 
include (without limitation): relocation 
assistance; health cover; travel; 
accommodation; and tax equalisation
(cid:116)(cid:1) Certain share awards carry the right to 
receive a cash payment in lieu of the 
dividend that would have been paid on those 
shares pending delivery

(cid:116)(cid:1) The Company operates a Sharesave Plan 
which is open to all employees in the UK, 
and provides a mechanism for employees to 
purchase shares at a discounted price 
through savings that accumulate from 
monthly deductions from net salary

(cid:116)(cid:1) No directors currently receive relocation 

benefits

(cid:116)(cid:1) The cost of provision will be determined 
by the policy and will depend on the 
specific circumstances

(cid:116)(cid:1) Specific benefits and the cost of provision 
would be approved by the Remuneration 
Committee at the time

(cid:116)(cid:1) The value of any payment in lieu of 

dividend will depend on: the value of the 
relevant dividends paid over the relevant 
period, and the number of shares to which 
the participant is entitled 

(cid:116)(cid:1) The value of individual grants is capped by 
reference to maximum participant savings 
(monthly savings/deductions from salary 
may not exceed HMRC limits, and a 
savings contract may run for a three-  
or five-year period)

58 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Performance framework

Commentary

(cid:116)(cid:1) Long-term performance is assessed over three financial years, commencing with the year in 

(cid:116)(cid:1) Claw back provisions apply to awards 

which the award is made

(cid:116)(cid:1) Awards are subject to the achievement of financial performance metrics which are confirmed by 
the Committee in advance of each new grant. Two performance metrics have applied to awards 
made since 2010, and equal weight has been given to each: 
 – Growth in adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (EPS) over the 

three-year performance period 

 – Adjusted return on capital employed (ROCE) achieved at the end of the performance period
(cid:116)(cid:1) These metrics were selected because together they represent key determinants of shareholder 
value creation: measuring the effectiveness of strategic investment decisions and the quality of 
earnings generated. If material changes to the metrics or weightings are proposed, the 
Committee would consult with key shareholders in advance of making a new award

(cid:116)(cid:1) Targets for each new award are carefully considered by the Committee ahead of the grant of 

awards in any year, to ensure these remain appropriately stretching over the three-year 
performance period, taking into account: the business strategy and long-term financial plan, 
market expectations and the prevailing economic climate

made from 2013, which means they may 
be recouped in specific circumstances 
during the two-year period following the 
end of the performance period (as 
described on page 69)

(cid:116)(cid:1) Participation in the Performance Share 

Plan is extended to a targeted population 
of senior executives who are expected to 
make material individual contributions to 
the successful delivery of the Company’s 
strategy and long-term performance.  
All awards under the Performance Share 
Plan are subject to the same performance 
framework, ensuring alignment and focus 
on our financial goals

(cid:116)(cid:1) Before any shares are released at the end of the performance period, the Committee must also 
be satisfied that the level of vesting determined by performance against these targets is justified 
by the broader underlying financial performance of the Company

(cid:116)(cid:1) No changes to the policy for executive 
directors have been made in the year  
or are proposed for the year ahead

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(cid:116)(cid:1) The value of an individual director’s interests in shares is directly affected by share  

price performance

Performance framework

(cid:116)(cid:1) Relocation benefits are fixed in accordance with Group policy
(cid:116)(cid:1) The payment in lieu of dividend is a benefit attached to specific awards, where  
applicable conditions have been satisfied at vesting. Accordingly, no additional  
performance conditions apply

(cid:116)(cid:1) No performance conditions are attached to Sharesave awards because the Sharesave  

Plan is an all-employee scheme

(cid:116)(cid:1) Similar share ownership requirements 

extend to Executive Committee members 
(at three times base salary), and to a 
broader group of executives in senior 
leadership roles (at a level equal to their 
base salary)

(cid:116)(cid:1) No changes to the policy for executive 
directors have been made in the year  
or are proposed for the year ahead

Commentary

(cid:116)(cid:1) Any such benefits would be payable in 

accordance with policies applicable more 
generally to employees within the Group

(cid:116)(cid:1) The value of any payment in lieu  

of dividends will be included in the  
‘single figure’ table in the year the 
payment is made

(cid:116)(cid:1) Executive directors are entitled to 

participate in the Sharesave Plan because 
the plan must be open to all employees  
in the UK

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 59

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Service contracts
The Company’s policy regarding  
executive directors’ service contracts  
and appointment terms is to take account  
of market practice, and to ensure that 
provisions in relation to notice periods  
or termination payments are not excessive,  
as well as to ensure that contracts provide 
appropriate protection for the Company,  
for example in relation to restrictions on 
competition, solicitation of customers or 
employees, and the protection of 
intellectual property. 

Executive directors are employed under 
service contracts commencing on dates  
as follows: Javed Ahmed (Chief Executive) 
– 1 October 2009; Tim Lodge (Chief 
Financial Officer) – 4 December 2008;  
and provide for six months’ notice from  
the executive or 12 months’ notice from  
the Company. 

Service contracts for executive  
directors and letters of appointment for  
the Chairman and non-executive directors 
are available for inspection at the 
Company’s registered office. 

Beyond the items disclosed in this Report, 
there are no further obligations on the 
Company which could give rise to a 
remuneration or loss of office payment  
to a director.

Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Remuneration policy for the 
Chairman and non-executive 
directors

Terms of appointment

The Chairman and non-executive directors 
have letters of appointment and do not have 
service contracts or notice periods. Under 
the terms of their appointment, they are 
usually expected to serve on the Board for 
between three and nine years, subject to 
their re-election by shareholders. The 
Company Chairman and non-executive 
directors receive a fee for their services, and 
do not participate in the Group’s incentive or 
pension schemes, do not receive any other 
benefits, and have no right to compensation 
if their appointment is terminated.

Chairman and non-executive 
directors’ fees

Non-executive directors’ fees (excluding  
the Chairman) are reviewed annually by  
the Chairman and executive directors of  
the Board. The Chairman’s fee is reviewed 
annually by the Committee (excluding  
the Chairman).

Aggregate fees depend on the 
responsibilities assumed by each non-
executive director. A basic fee is paid to  
the Chairman, to the Senior Independent 
Director and to each non-executive director. 
In addition, supplemental fees are payable  
to each Committee chairman. Accordingly, 
supplemental fees are paid to the chairmen  
of the Audit, Corporate Responsibility, and 
Remuneration Committees as well as to the 
chairman of the Research Advisory Group,  
to reflect the extra responsibilities required  
by each of these positions. 

Increases in fees arising from the normal 
annual review will generally be limited to the 
market increase applicable to UK employees 
generally. However, a higher or lower increase 
may be awarded to ensure that fees paid are 
commensurate with those paid by other 
UK-listed companies over time and are set at 
a level to retain individuals with the necessary 
experience and ability to make a substantial 
contribution to the Group.

Status of previously approved 
remuneration policy statements
It is intended that provisions consistent  
with previously disclosed directors’ 
remuneration policies and/or incentive 
plans previously approved by shareholders 
will continue to apply after the resolution 
 to adopt the remuneration policy set out  
in this Policy Report is approved. Such 
provisions will allow, without limitation: 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Contractual commitments entered into 
before the policy takes effect, or before 
an individual was subject to this policy on 
directors’ remuneration, to be honoured 

(cid:116)(cid:1)The satisfaction of awards and/or 
commitments made in relation to 
short-term and long-term incentive plan 
awards (providing they were consistent 
with the policy in effect at the time the 
original award/commitment was made). 
Such arrangements shall remain in effect 
and be included in the current 
remuneration policy by reference, even if 
they are not specifically provided for within 
the policy set out in this Policy Report.

Executive directors’ external 
appointments 
The Board believes that the Company can 
benefit from executive directors holding 
external non-executive directorships. Such 
appointments are subject to approval by 
the Board and are normally restricted to 
one position for each executive director. 
Fees may be retained by the executive 
director concerned. 

Additional share plan disclosures
Potential impact of mergers and 
acquisitions or other corporate 
activity
In the context of a merger or acquisition,  
or other relevant corporate activity, any 
potential impact on the incentive plans 
would be specifically considered by the 
Committee. In such circumstances, the 
Committee retains the authority to vary the 
performance target or the vesting outcome 
to ensure that outcomes are equitable for 
both the participant and shareholders.

Change of control and voting
All of the Company’s share plans contain 
provisions relating to a change of control. 
Outstanding awards would normally vest 
and become exercisable on a change of 
control, subject to the satisfaction of any 
performance conditions at that time, and  
in proportion to the time served during  
the performance period.

60 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Policy on the terms of directors’ 
appointment
In order to ensure the continued growth 
and success of the business over time,  
the Company must have the flexibility to 
appoint new individuals to the Board, either 
by way of internal promotion or external 
appointment, on terms that are sufficient  
to attract and motivate individuals of the 
highest calibre.

The following key principles describe our 
intended approach in these circumstances 
(and are consistent with the principles that 
apply to the broader employee population).

(cid:116)(cid:1)The starting point for negotiating any 
package on appointment will be the 
structure of the annual package in the 
‘future policy on remuneration’ that has 
been approved by shareholders and is 
current at the time of the appointment.
(cid:116)(cid:1)We will review the appropriateness of the 
total package (both fixed and variable 
elements), to ensure that it is appropriate 
in the context of relevant external market 
practice, the complexity and scope of  
the role, the particular needs and 
requirements of the Company at the time, 
internal relativities, and the appointee’s 
skills, experience and qualifications.
(cid:116)(cid:1)To respond to specific circumstances 

and/or to allow for differences in practice 
over time and by location, the Committee 
accepts that employment benefits may 
need to be structured differently from the 
specific provisions in place for current 
directors. The Committee therefore 
retains flexibility to make appropriate 
adjustments in provision, as considered 
appropriate, to provide market-
referenced benefits which are necessary 
or appropriate in the proper performance 
of the role, for example in relation to: 
healthcare and insurance; transport  
and security; and provision for retirement. 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Where an appointment requires an 
individual to relocate, internationally  
or otherwise, the Company may agree  
to make payment(s) to offset certain 
expenses incurred as a consequence of 
relocation or may provide benefits in line 
with our global/domestic mobility policy, 
on appointment and on an ongoing 
basis, depending on the circumstances. 
Such benefits may include, without 
limitation: travel; relocation and tax-
related assistance; and similar benefits  
on repatriation at the end of the term.

(cid:116)(cid:1)The current policy provides for a 

maximum level of variable remuneration 
that is equivalent to 475% of base salary 
in the financial year of appointment. This 
is consistent with the aggregate current 
maximum award under the Annual Bonus 
Plan (including any deferred shares) and 
the maximum award value under our 
Performance Share Plan, although the 
balance between short-term and 
long-term elements may be different from 
the current policy, and awards may be 
made on different terms. 

(cid:116)(cid:1)Where an internal candidate is appointed, 
contractual commitments that have been 
made prior to appointment to the Board, 
along with any benefits and/or incentive 
awards that have been awarded at that 
time, may remain in effect and be 
honoured, even if they would not 
otherwise be consistent with the 
shareholder-approved remuneration 
policy in effect at the time. 

(cid:116)(cid:1)In order to secure the appointment  
of a suitable external candidate, the 
Committee retains the flexibility to provide 
additional compensation for the value of 
incentive awards or other benefits that 
are forfeited on leaving a former 
employer. In such circumstances, the 
Committee may make use of cash and/or 
shares, as it considers appropriate in  
the circumstances. The Committee will 
exercise careful judgment in formulating 
the terms on which such a compensatory 
award will be made, taking into account 
the form of award(s) that are forfeited,  
the timeframes over which they may 
otherwise have been earned and any 
performance conditions that would  
have applied. 

This policy is intended to enable the 
Committee to structure an offer on terms 
that it considers to be in the best interests 
of the Company and its shareholders. 
Depending on the circumstances, and  
any restrictions or requirements that may 
apply, the Company may consult with key 
shareholders as part of this process  
and/or disclose terms on which a  
new appointment is made through  
the Regulatory Information Service,  
or in the following Annual Report.

Policy on payments in connection  
with loss of office
It is the Company’s policy that executive 
directors are normally employed on 
contracts that provide for not more than  
12 months’ notice from the Company  
and at least six months’ notice from the 
executive. To protect the Company’s 
interests, restrictive covenants (non-
compete/non-solicitation) apply for a period 
of 12 months following termination, less  
any period of ‘garden leave’. The Chief 
Executive and Chief Financial Officer are 
each employed on contracts consistent 
with this policy.

The Committee’s policy in respect of the 
treatment of executive directors leaving the 
Company is summarised in this section. 
The key principles are that the framework is 
designed to support a smooth transition 
from the Company, encouraging an orderly 
transfer of responsibilities, and taking into 
account the interests of shareholders in 
securing the sustained performance of the 
business beyond the executive’s departure.

Termination for dishonesty or misconduct 
are circumstances in which the executive 
would retain the minimum contractual 
entitlements on departure (as described  
in column ‘A’ of the table on page 62), 
consistent with the need to avoid providing 
any element of reward for failure. An 
executive’s departure in compassionate 
circumstances such as death or permanent 
disability would generally result in the  
most beneficial terms being received  
(as described in column ‘B’ of the table  
on page 62). 

The terms that will apply if an executive 
departs from the Company in other 
circumstances would be considered at the 
Committee’s discretion and approved on  
a case-by-case basis, in keeping with the 
principles above. Such circumstances 
would potentially result in treatment that  
is more favourable than the minimum but 
no more generous than that which applies 
in the compassionate circumstances 
described above. 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 61

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Summary of policy on payments in connection with loss of office 

(A) Termination for dishonesty or misconduct

(B) Death or permanent disability

Fixed elements of 
remuneration:

(cid:116)(cid:1) Base salary
(cid:116)(cid:1) Pension
(cid:116)(cid:1) Benefits

Annual bonus 
awards

Cash elements, including accrued holiday pay, are 
paid pro rata to the termination date. Non-cash 
benefits may continue to be provided until the 
termination date, or paid as a cash equivalent (based 
on the cost of provision) on a pro rata basis. 

Cash elements, including accrued holiday pay, are paid  
pro rata to the end of the relevant notice period. Non-cash benefits 
may continue to be provided until the end of the notice period,  
or paid as a cash equivalent (based on the cost of provision)  
on a pro rata basis.

No discretionary bonus would be awarded in these 
circumstances. More generally, no discretionary 
bonus will normally be awarded unless an individual is 
in active employment on the payment date (for cash 
awards) and/or the award date (for deferred share 
awards).

Dishonesty or misconduct may lead to the operation 
of claw back provisions within the terms of the plan.

Any discretionary bonus that is payable will be approved on a 
case-by-case basis by the Committee.

Any bonus will normally be pro-rated to reflect the portion of the 
financial year prior to cessation, and would be paid at the normal 
time, reflecting the extent to which the original performance targets 
have been met. 

However, within a discretionary bonus framework, the Committee 
retains the flexibility to approve the timing and amount of the bonus 
on some other basis.

Deferred share 
awards

Unvested deferred shares will lapse.

Vested awards that have not been transferred/ 
released/exercised prior to cessation will lapse.

Previously vested but unexercised awards may be released  
in the normal way.

In respect of unvested awards: 

Dishonesty or misconduct may lead to the operation 
of claw back provisions within the terms of the plan.

(cid:116)(cid:1) If a participant dies, a deferred bonus award will vest in full  

on that date

Long-term share 
incentive 
(Performance 
Shares Plan)1

Unvested awards will lapse.

Vested awards that have not been transferred, 
released or exercised prior to cessation will lapse.

Dishonesty or misconduct may lead to the operation 
of claw back provisions within the terms of the plan.

(cid:116)(cid:1) In the event of permanent disability, a deferred bonus award  
will continue on its existing terms, unless the Committee 
exercises its discretion to approve the release of the award  
on an earlier date. 

In the event of a change of control, an award may, at the 
Committee’s discretion, be released on or prior to the event, or be 
exchanged for a replacement award with an acquiring company.

Previously vested but unexercised awards may be released during 
a period ending six months following cessation.

In respect of unvested awards:

(cid:116)(cid:1) Awards made in prior years will remain in effect and, unless the 
Committee determines that awards should vest on some other 
basis, an individual may receive a proportion of the potential 
award depending on the extent to which the original 
performance conditions have been achieved at the end of the 
normal performance period

(cid:116)(cid:1) Other than in the case of death or permanent disability, awards 

will generally be reduced to reflect the proportion of the 
performance period which has elapsed prior to cessation.

The same provisions apply in the event of a change of control, but 
for the fact that the achievement of performance conditions will be 
assessed when the change of control is effective.

Provision for 
payments in lieu of 
notice, and 
requirements for 
mitigation

The Company has the option to make a payment in lieu of notice in relation to the fixed elements of remuneration only (base 
salary, pension, and contractual benefits). Depending on the circumstances, such a payment may be subject to a duty of 
mitigation. The Chief Financial Officer’s contract gives the Company the contractual right to phase the payments and to 
reduce them if the executive mitigates his loss.

Other elements of remuneration described in the table are not affected by these provisions.

1   Savings-related share options granted under the HMRC-approved Sharesave Plan will vest or lapse in keeping with HMRC regulations applicable to the 

circumstances at the relevant date.

In addition to contractual rights to any payment on loss of office, any employee, including executive directors, may have statutory and/or 
common law or other rights to certain additional payments, for example in a redundancy situation. Similarly, additional consideration 
may be provided, if necessary, to secure specific agreements following separation (for example an enhanced non-compete provision) 
that protect the Company’s interests.

Depending on the role and circumstances of departure, a director who has been relocated may be repatriated in accordance  
with previously agreed terms. The Company may pay some or all of the costs incurred by the executive in respect of legal, financial, 
outplacement or other relevant personal advisory services and/or expenses in connection with relocation. The Committee will approve 
such arrangements on a case-by-case basis, with a view to maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and consistency  
with internal Company policies that may apply. 

62 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Application of remuneration policy
The tables and charts below illustrate the application of the remuneration policy described in this report, by showing the value that may 
be delivered from each element of the package under different performance scenarios.

Element/value (£000s)
Base salary
Pension allowance
Other benefits
Annual bonus1
Performance Share Plan2
Total potential value

Chief Executive

Chief Financial Officer

Below 
threshold
721
252
20
–
–
993

Threshold
721
252
20
–
324
1 317

Target
721
252
20
541
1 244
2 778

Stretch
721
252
20
1 262
2 163
4 418

Below 
threshold
406
102
14
–
–
522

Threshold
406
102
14
–
183
705

Target
406
102
14
203
700
1 425

Stretch
406
102
14
711
1 218
2 451

£5m

£4m

£3m

£2m

£1m

£0

100%

Below
threshold

49%

29%

22%

45%

19%
36%

25%
75%

Threshold

Target

Stretch

Composition of remuneration: 
  Performance Share Plan
  Annual Bonus Plan
   Base salary, pension  
and other benefits

26%

74%

49%
14%
37%

50%

29%

21%

Threshold

Target

Stretch

100%

Below
threshold

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1   Annual bonus shows cash and deferred shares. No bonus is paid at or below threshold; the target opportunity is 75% of base salary for the Chief Executive and 

50% for the Chief Financial Officer, while the maximum is 175%.

2   The maximum award is 300% of base salary. 15% vests at threshold, and the ‘target’ shown is half way between threshold and stretch (i.e. 57.5% of maximum).

Consideration of shareholder views
The remuneration strategy and policy described here were established in 2010 following a review and extensive consultation with major 
shareholders. Shareholders overwhelmingly approved the continuing use of the Performance Share Plan as our long-term incentive  
at the AGM in 2012. 

The Committee (led by the Committee Chairman) engages with our major institutional shareholders each year specifically  
on remuneration topics, alongside the Board’s wider-ranging shareholder engagement programme. 

The Committee also receives regular updates on investors’ views and corporate governance matters. These lines of communication 
ensure that emerging best practice principles are factored into the Committee’s decision making during the year.

Statement of consideration of employment conditions elsewhere in the Company
The principles on which we base remuneration decisions for executives (as described on page 54) are broadly consistent with  
those on which we base remuneration decisions for all employees. In particular, the Committee takes into account the general pay  
and employment conditions of other employees of the Company when making decisions on executive directors’ remuneration.  
This includes considering the levels of base salary increase for employees below executive level, and ensuring that the same principles 
apply in setting performance targets for executives’ incentives as for other employees of the Group. The Committee also reviews 
information on bonus payments and share awards made to the broader management of the Group when determining awards and 
outcomes at executive director level.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 63

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Annual Report on Remuneration
Introduction
As explained on page 53, this Report sets out how our established remuneration policy has been implemented during the year.  
The Report also covers details relating to the composition and key responsibilities of the Remuneration Committee and provides  
more information on how our incentive plans operate. 

Implementation of the remuneration policy in the financial year ending 31 March 2015
The Company intends to implement the approved directors’ remuneration policy for the financial year ending 31 March 2015.

Remuneration Committee consideration of matters relating to directors’ remuneration
The Remuneration Committee comprises independent non-executive directors and the Chairman of the Board. The Committee  
met four times during the year. Membership and attendance during the year were as follows:

Directors as at 31 March 2014
Robert Walker (Committee Chairman)
Sir Peter Gershon
William Camp
Anne Minto
Dr Ajai Puri

Number of meetings
4
4
4
4
4

Meetings attended
4
4
4
4
4

The Company Secretary serves as secretary to the Committee. The Chief Executive, the Executive Vice President, Human Resources, 
the Vice President, Global Compensation and Benefits and the Executive Vice President, General Counsel are normally invited to attend 
meetings to assist the Committee, although none is present or involved when his or her own remuneration is discussed.

Main responsibilities of the Remuneration Committee 
The main responsibilities of the Committee include:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Assessing the appropriateness of executive remuneration in the context of the Company’s strategy and priorities as well as overall 

competitiveness, taking into account data from independent, external sources

(cid:116)(cid:1)Setting the detailed remuneration of the executive directors, designated members of senior management, and the Company 

Chairman (in consultation with the Chief Executive), including: base salary or fees, annual bonus, long-term incentives, benefits  
and contract terms

(cid:116)(cid:1)Setting performance targets for awards made to senior executives under the Annual Bonus Plan and the long-term incentive plan  

and reviewing performance outcomes

(cid:116)(cid:1)Reviewing the broader operation of the Annual Bonus and Performance Share Plans, including participation and overall award levels.

The Committee has a formal calendar of items for consideration. The Committee’s terms of reference, which are reviewed annually,  
are available on the Company’s website, www.tateandlyle.com. 

Committee advisor
The Committee appointed Deloitte LLP as external advisor to the Committee, following a review and competitive tender process during 
2012. As part of its annual processes, the Committee considered and confirmed that advice received from Deloitte LLP is objective and 
independent. Deloitte LLP is a signatory to the Remuneration Consultants’ Code of Conduct, giving additional confidence to the 
Committee that the advice received is objective and independent of conflicts of interest.

Fees charged by Deloitte LLP for the provision of remuneration advice to the Committee amounted to £51,750 for the year ended  
31 March 2014 in accordance with standard terms of business and a work plan that primarily reflects the Committee’s planned 
activities during the year. During the year, Deloitte LLP also provided services to the rest of the Group on internal audit, corporate 
finance, systems, tax compliance and accounting.

Statement of shareholder voting 
A resolution to approve the Directors’ Remuneration Report was passed at the AGM on 24 July 2013. The voting outcome, which has 
previously been disclosed, was as follows:

Resolution 
Directors’ Remuneration Report 

Total for
Number of votes 
293 142 434 

% of vote 
95.92 

Total against 
Number of votes 
12 471 975 

% of vote
4.08 

Votes withheld1
Number of votes 
593 308 

1   Votes withheld are not counted in the calculation of the proportion of votes for or against a resolution. On 24 July 2013, there were 466,378,765 ordinary shares in 

issue (excluding treasury shares).

64 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
Chart showing total shareholder return and Chief Executive pay
The chart, as required under the Regulations, illustrates the cumulative total shareholder return (TSR) performance of Tate & Lyle  
PLC against the FTSE 100 Index over the past five years. The FTSE 100 Index is considered to be an appropriate benchmark for  
this purpose since it is a broad equity market index with constituents comparable in size to Tate & Lyle over the five-year period.  
The graph shows the value of £100 invested in the FTSE 100 Index and Tate & Lyle in the five years from 31 March 2009.

The table provides the accompanying statistics required by the Regulations: a total compensation figure (determined on the same  
basis as for the single figure) for amounts paid to the individual serving as Chief Executive, and the proportion of any annual bonus  
and long-term incentive (LTI) that vested in the year (as a percentage of the maximum opportunity).

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

Tate & Lyle PLC 
(ordinary shares)

FTSE 100

31 March 2009

31 March 2010

31 March 2011

31 March 2012

31 March 2013

31 March 2014

Chief Executive1 total remuneration  
(£000s per single figure)
Annual bonus (% of maximum)
LTI vesting (% of maximum)

Javed Ahmed
Iain Ferguson

977
1 312
86%
0%

3 277
nil
100%
81%

11 198
170
58%
100%

5 367
n/a
18%
100%

2 729
n/a
1.6%
67.7%

1   Javed Ahmed has served as Chief Executive since his appointment on 1 October 2009. Iain Ferguson was Chief Executive in the period until that date. The total 
remuneration figure shown for the year ended 31 March 2012 includes the value from a number of one-off compensatory awards made to Javed Ahmed on his 
appointment, as disclosed and explained in the 2009 and 2012 Annual Reports.

Comparison of movement in Chief Executive and broader employee remuneration

Change in value: year ended 31 March 2014 vs 31 March 2013
Chief Executive
Broader employee population2

Base salary
0%
+2.7%

Value of benefits
0%
+20%

Annual bonus3
-91%
-56%

2   The broader employee population refers to a global population of salaried employees for salary comparison and the UK employee population for the benefits 

comparison, reflecting the context in which executive directors’ salaries and benefits are determined; and refers to the global group of participants in the Annual 
Bonus Plan for the bonus comparison, so that the combination of business performance across our divisions that contributes to the Group’s results is appropriately 
represented.

3  Includes deferred shares where applicable.

Relative importance of spend on pay

Remuneration paid to or receivable by all employees of the Group
Distributions to shareholders (by way of dividend and purchase of ordinary shares into treasury)

Year ended
31 March 2013
£234m
£140m

Year ended
31 March 2014
£225m
£153m

% change
-3.8%
+9.3%

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 65

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

The sections that follow provide more information on remuneration decisions and the operation of incentive plans during the year ended 
31 March 2014.

Base salary
Executive directors’ salaries are reviewed annually, with effect from 1 April. At the 2014 review, the Committee agreed that no changes 
would be made to executive director salaries for the year ahead, taking current market positioning into account. The average increase 
awarded to other UK-based employees was approximately 2.7%.

Executive directors’ base salaries as at 1 April (£)
Javed Ahmed
Tim Lodge

2014
721 000
405 820

2013
721 000
405 820

% change
nil
nil

Chairman’s and non-executive directors’ fees
Fees are reviewed annually, in accordance with our stated policy, by the Committee (excluding the Chairman) in respect of the 
Chairman’s fee, and by the Chairman and the executive directors in respect of other non-executive directors’ fees. 

Taking into account the competitiveness of current fees against the comparable market position, and the time commitment required of 
each role, the adjustments in the table below were approved with effect from 1 April 2014. The aggregate increase is broadly in line with 
the rate of increase applicable to UK-based employees (being approximately 2.7%).

Fees (per annum) as at 1 April (£)

Basic fees
Chairman1
Non-executive director
Senior Independent Director
Supplemental fees (per annum)
Chairman of Audit Committee
Chairman of Remuneration Committee
Chairman of Corporate Responsibility Committee
Chairman of Research Advisory Group

2014

2013

% change

324 500
62 850
72 850

16 650
12 500
11 100
23 300

315 950
61 500
68 600

16 300
10 850
10 850
22 800

2.7%
2.1%
6.2%

2.2%
15.2%
2.3%
2.2%

1  The Chairman’s fee includes his role as Chairman of the Nominations Committee.

Annual bonus
The bonus structure described here applied to the year ended 31 March 2014; we propose to retain this structure for the coming year. 

The bonus focuses performance on three objectives: profitability; sales performance; and cash conversion. Before any bonus is 
payable, a minimum level of profit has to be achieved by the Company, regardless of performance against other metrics. 

For each performance metric, there is a corresponding multiplier, which varies between threshold, target and stretch levels of 
performance. Once the minimum profit threshold is achieved, bonuses are calculated by applying the multipliers which have the effect 
of increasing or decreasing the value of the bonus depending on performance against each metric in turn. To achieve the maximum 
payout, performance against all three metrics must be at or above the stretch level.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Target bonus 
(% of base salary)
Chief Executive 
(75%)
Chief Financial 
Officer (50%)

X

Profitability 
multiplier 
(once minimum 
threshold is 
achieved)

X

Sales performance 
multiplier

X

Cash conversion 
multiplier

=

Bonus achieved  
(as % of base salary)

Profit performance is the most important of the three metrics, so multipliers for the profitability factor are more heavily geared than for 
the other two metrics, that is, improvements in profitability have the greatest impact on bonus payments. All multipliers and their 
weightings are agreed by the Committee when targets are set at the start of the year, reflecting the importance of each of the metrics  
in the context of the progress made against the Company’s long-term business strategy.

66 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Annual bonus for the year ended 31 March 2014 (audited)
The table below provides further information on each metric. The Committee considers that bonus targets are commercially sensitive 
because they may reveal information about the business plan in the year ahead that may damage our competitive advantage, and 
accordingly does not disclose these on a prospective basis. However, we continue our practice of reporting the level of performance 
required to achieve maximum bonus for the year just ended relative to the prior year’s performance, and the level of performance 
actually achieved against those targets. 

Bonus objective

Profitability

Sales performance

Cash conversion

Metric

Definition

Rationale

PBTEA

Net sales less cost of raw materials

Cash conversion cycle

Adjusted profit before tax, exceptional 
items, amortisation and net retirement 
benefit interest

Gross sales net of associated selling 
costs, less the costs of raw materials 
used in production

Measures the underlying profit 
generated by the business and 
whether management is converting 
growth into profit effectively

Measures whether management is 
growing the business: by assessing 
growth after deducting the cost of raw 
materials, this metric better reflects 
the value added by the business

The number of days between cash 
expenditure and collection, taking 
account of inventory, payables and 
receivables; based on the average of 
the four quarter-end results

Measures whether the business is 
managing its working capital and 
converting profit into cash effectively

Performance required 
for maximum bonus

11.4% improvement vs prior year

8.0% improvement vs prior year

6.7% improvement vs prior year

Actual performance

0.5% improvement vs prior year

2.0% improvement vs prior year

4.8% improvement vs prior year

Bonus outcome

Between threshold and target

Between threshold and target 

Between target and stretch

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Comments on actual 
performance

Speciality Food Ingredients – 
operating profit growth of 1% with 
good volume growth in Asia Pacific, 
Europe and Latin America offset by 
slightly lower US volumes and lower 
SPLENDA® Sucralose prices; Bulk 
Ingredients – operating profit 4% 
lower as a result of soft US beverage 
season, lower returns from co-
products and the impact of the 
protracted severe cold winter in  
North America

Lower sales largely driven by the 
impact of pass through of significantly 
lower corn prices in Bulk Ingredients 
and starch-based speciality 
ingredients

This improved by three days as a 
result of lower inventory levels in the 
US and significantly lower corn prices

Performance is measured on the basis of constant exchange rates for the Group’s continuing operations. The Committee reviews and 
approves the performance outcomes, considers the Group’s safety performance and then may make adjustments on an exceptional 
basis to ensure that the results are a true reflection of the underlying strength and performance of the Company.

On the basis of these performance outcomes, an annual bonus was awarded by the Committee of 2.81% of base salary for the Chief 
Executive and 1.88% of base salary for the Chief Financial Officer for the year ended 31 March 2014.

Deferral and claw back provisions
Any bonus amount up to 100% of base salary is paid in cash. Any excess above 100% of base salary is paid in the form of deferred 
shares. The shares are released after two years subject to the executive remaining in service with the Company, and carry the right to 
receive a payment in lieu of dividend between award and release.

Both the cash and share elements are subject to claw back provisions, which mean that they may be recouped in whole or in part, at 
the discretion of the Committee in the exceptional event that results were found to have been misstated or if an executive commits an 
act of gross misconduct.

Long-term incentive – Performance Share Plan
The Performance Share Plan (PSP) was reviewed in 2010 to provide a long-term incentive that is consistent with the business strategy. 
We specifically consulted with shareholders in detail at that time and again when we renewed the PSP on the same key terms in 2012. 
The PSP closely aligns executive directors’ and senior executives’ interests with the strategy and with the interests of shareholders over 
the long term, and is therefore an important component of the overall package. At the 2012 AGM, 98% of shareholder votes were cast 
in support of the resolution to approve the PSP.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 67

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Maximum award level
Since the 2010 AGM, awards to the executive directors and other senior executives have been granted at the discretion of the 
Committee, with flexibility for the Committee to make awards of up to 300% of base salary where necessary to ensure market 
competitiveness, while taking into account Company performance.

Performance conditions
The release of awards depends on the Group’s performance during the three-year performance period beginning on 1 April in the  
year of the award. For awards made since 2010, the performance conditions comprised two elements, explained in the table below, 
consistent with the principles established following the review and consultation with shareholders at that time.

Metric

Definition

Weighting

Rationale

Vesting schedule

Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS)

Adjusted return on capital employed (ROCE)

Performance is measured by comparing the compound 
annual growth rate (CAGR) of the Company’s adjusted 
diluted EPS from continuing operations over the three-year 
performance period against pre-determined targets

Performance is measured by the adjusted ROCE  
on continuing operations achieved at the end of the 
three-year performance period against the pre-determined 
targets1

50% of the award depends on this metric

50% of the award depends on this metric

The Committee selected this metric as it is a key 
determinant of shareholder value creation

The Committee selected this metric as it is a good 
indicator of the effectiveness of strategic investment 
decisions and of the quality of earnings generated

EPS performance (CAGR)
Below 6%
6%
Between 6% and 15%

At or above 15%

Vesting outcome  
(% of maximum)
Nil
15%
On a straight line between 
15%2 and 100% 
100%

ROCE performance
Below 13.4%
13.4%
Between 13.4% and 16.4%

At or above 16.4%

Vesting outcome 
(% of maximum)
Nil
15%
On a straight line between 
15%2 and 100% 
100%

1   The ROCE outcome would be adjusted downward in the event of any asset impairment (adding this back into capital employed); this is to encourage a prudent 

investment strategy. For this reason, in the event of there being an impairment of assets during the performance period, the ROCE figure for PSP purposes can be 
significantly lower than the unadjusted ROCE number reported in the Company’s accounts.

2   Under the special arrangements that were agreed in 2009 on the Chief Executive’s appointment, 25% of his 2011 award vests at threshold performance. 

The Committee reviews the appropriateness of metrics and targets ahead of the grant of awards in any year to ensure these remain 
sufficiently stretching. In practice, no changes to the performance targets have been made since they were established in 2010, and 
accordingly shares awarded under the PSP in 2011, 2012 and 2013 vest in accordance with the schedule set out in the table above.

Before any shares are released, the Committee must also be satisfied that the level of vesting determined by performance against these 
targets is justified by the broader underlying financial performance of the Company.

2011 PSP awards vesting by reference to the period ended 31 March 2014 (audited)
PSP awards made in 2011 were dependent on EPS growth and ROCE targets as described above, with each condition applicable  
to half of the award. Performance against these conditions and the vesting outcome is indicated in the table below.

Performance 
condition

EPS growth

ROCE

Weighting

Performance 
outcome

Vesting outcome 
for this element

Combined vesting outcome

50%

50%

7.2% growth

18.9% 

26.8%

100%

Based on the combination of EPS and ROCE 
performance, the Committee has confirmed 
that 63.4% of the PSP awards made in 2011 
have vested

Under the arrangements agreed in 2009 on the Chief Executive’s appointment, 25% of the award made to Javed Ahmed in 2011  
vests at threshold. Accordingly, the EPS element vests at 35.4%, the ROCE element vests at 100%, and the overall combined  
award vests at 67.7%.

In confirming these outcomes, the Committee also considered the broader underlying financial performance of Tate & Lyle over the 
performance period, to ensure that vesting results based on these performance outcomes were consistent with a broader view of the 
financial health and performance of the business.

68 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Claw back provisions
Awards made under the PSP from 1 April 2013 are subject to claw back provisions for a period following the vesting date and extending 
to the fifth anniversary following the date of grant. During this period, the Committee may determine that an award will lapse wholly or in 
part (or may require that a participant shall repay up to 100% of the value of any award that has vested by virtue of performance), in the 
event of circumstances including the following: material misstatement of financial results; misconduct which justifies, or could justify, 
summary dismissal of the participant; or if information has emerged which would have affected the value of the original award that was 
granted to a participant, or the level at which the performance conditions were judged to have been satisfied.

Single figure table (audited)

Year ended 31 March
Chairman
Sir Peter Gershon
Executive  
directors
Javed Ahmed
Tim Lodge
Non-executive  
directors
Liz Airey
William Camp
Douglas Hurt
Virginia Kamsky
Anne Minto
Dr Ajai Puri
Robert Walker
Former directors
Evert Henkes

Salary/fees
2014

2013

Benefits1

2014

2013

Annual Bonus
2014

2013

PSP Shares2
2014

2013

Pension

2014

2013

316

307

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

721
406

721
406

23
15

20
14

20
8

233
87

1 712
903

4 141
1 956

252
101

252
101

78
72
62
62
62
84
79

–

76
67
60
20
20
82
70

47

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

Other  
remuneration
2014

2013

–

–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–

–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

Total

2014

2013

316

307

2 728
1 433

5 367
2 564

78
72
62
62
62
84
79

–

76
67
60
20
20
82
70

47

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1  Benefits for executive directors include health insurance and car allowance. 
2   PSP awards were released to participants based on the achievement of performance conditions over the period ended 31 March 2014 (as described on page 68). 
PSP awards vested following the Remuneration Committee meeting in May 2014 and are valued at a share price of 668.50 pence, being the closing share price  
on 27 May 2014 which is the vesting date.  

Total pension entitlements (audited)
Directors participate in arrangements that are defined contribution in nature. Contributions made to or in lieu of pension in respect  
of each director during the year are shown in the single figure table.

As a deferred member of the Group Scheme, Tim Lodge’s total accrued pension from the Group Scheme at the end of the  
year amounted to £193,340 per annum (31 March 2013 – £188,000). The Scheme was closed to future accrual from April 2011;  
the year-on-year change relates only to the inflation-linked contractual uplift in deferred pension values that applies under the  
Scheme rules. His normal retirement date is the end of the month in which he attains age 62. No additional benefits would arise 
in the event of his early retirement.

Termination and loss of office payments (audited)
There have been no payments to past directors and no loss of office payments made during the year.

Share awards made during the year (audited) 

Award
Javed Ahmed  Performance
Share Plan
Performance 
Share Plan

Tim Lodge

Type of award
Nil cost 
option
Nil cost 
option

Date of grant
2 July 2013 

Number of
shares

Face value 
of award3
267 418  £2 163 010 

Face value 
as % of salary3
300% 

2 July 2013

150 518 £1 217 465

300%

Performance
conditions4
50% adjusted
diluted EPS 
growth;  
50% adjusted 
ROCE

Performance
period
Three 
financial
years ending
31 March
2016

% of vesting 
at threshold

15%

3   Under the terms of the Plan approved by shareholders, the number of shares comprising an award in any year is calculated based on the average share price over 

the last three months of the preceding financial year, being 808.85 pence for the 2013 award.

4  Performance conditions are described on page 68.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 69

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION REPORT | CONTINUED

Share awards made in prior years (audited)
The table below sets out the current position of share-based awards made to executive directors.

As at 
1 April 2013
(number)

Awards
vested
during year
(number)

Awards 
lapsed 
during year
(number)

Awards
exercised
during year 
(number)

As at 
31 March 
2014
(number)

Market price
on date
awards
granted
(pence)

Market price
on date
awards
vested
(pence) Vesting date

Javed Ahmed
Share-incentive arrangements  
on recruitment:
Compensatory Award A1
Compensatory Award C2,3
Long-term incentive Award A2,3
Long-term incentive Award B2,4,5

Long-term incentive Award C2,6
Performance Share Plan2,7:

2012
Deferred shares from annual bonus8:
2011 bonus year
Tim Lodge
Performance Share Plan2,7:
2008
2009
20106

2011

2012
Deferred shares from annual bonus8:
2010 bonus year9
2011 bonus year

419 403
257 870
656 640
473 042

378 337

310 567

2 010

26 088
151 999
223 381

212 950

174 805

–
–
–
473 042

–

–

–

–
–
223 381

–

–

51 683
1 131

51 683
–

–
–
–
–

–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–
–

–
–
–
–

–

–

–

419 403
257 870
656 640
473 042

444.90
444.90
444.90
440.20

632.50
676.50
676.50
875.50

378 337

590.50

310 567

671.00

2 010

676.50

–

–

–

26 088
151 999
223 381

–
–
–

394.25
294.25
440.20

611.00
676.50
875.50

–

–

212 950

590.50

174 805

671.00

–

–

01/10/11
29/05/12
29/05/12
28/05/13
After
31/03/14

After
31/03/15

29/05/14

24/05/11
29/05/12
28/05/13
After
31/03/14
After
31/03/15

51 683
–

–
1 131

611.00
676.50

816.50
–

31/05/13
29/05/14

1 

2 
3 
4 
5 

 This award, to compensate Javed Ahmed for certain long-term incentives given up by him as a consequence of leaving his former employer, is not subject to 
performance conditions. The shares were available to exercise from 1 October 2011, being the second anniversary of Javed Ahmed joining the Company and will 
remain exercisable until 30 September 2017. Pending delivery, he receives a payment in lieu of dividend on these shares which is subject to the deduction of tax.  
In the event of a change in control, the shares will be delivered immediately.
 The three-year performance period for these awards begins on the first day of the financial year in which the award is granted.
 This award is subject to the same performance conditions as PSP awards made in 2009.
 This award is subject to the same performance conditions as PSP awards made in 2010.
 2010 PSP awards vested in full, based on the achievement of adjusted diluted EPS growth and adjusted ROCE performance, as described in the Annual  
Report 2013.
 This award is subject to the same performance conditions as PSP awards made in 2011.

6 
7  The performance conditions for PSP awards made in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are 50% adjusted diluted EPS and 50% adjusted ROCE, as described in this Report.
8 

 Deferred shares granted under the Annual Bonus Plan (as described on page 67). The full value of these awards has been disclosed previously in the emoluments 
table(s) in the relevant bonus year(s). For example, the values of deferred shares relating to performance in the year ended 31 March 2012 are included in the 
emoluments table for the year ended 31 March 2012 (contained within the Annual Report 2012). 
9  The shares awarded in relation to the 2010 bonus vested at the end of their two-year deferral period.

All-employee schemes (audited)
Details of the directors who were in office for any part of the financial year, and who hold or held options to subscribe for ordinary 
shares of the Company, are set out in the table below.

Savings-related share options are options granted under the HMRC-approved Sharesave Plan. Options are not subject to 
 performance conditions and are normally exercisable during the six-month period following the end of the relevant three-  
or five-year savings contract.

As at 
1 April 2013
(number)

Options
granted 
during year
(number)

Options
exercised
during year
(number)

Options 
lapsed 
during year 
(number)

As at 31 
March 
2014 
(number)

Exercise 
price 
(pence)

3 720

2 471

–

–

–

–

–

–

3 720

418.00

2 471

607.00

Exercise
period
01/03/15 to
31/08/15
01/03/18 to
31/08/18

Chief Executive (Javed Ahmed)
Savings-related options 2009
Chief Financial Officer (Tim Lodge)
Savings-related options 2012

70 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Statement of directors’ shareholding and share interests (audited)
Personal share ownership requirements (policy on executive share ownership)
The Committee and executive management believe that personal investment in Company shares is an important part of our overall 
remuneration framework. Material personal investment in Company shares serves to strengthen the long-term alignment of interests 
between senior executives and the Company’s shareholders.

Our executive shareholding requirements are more demanding and extend to a greater number of senior executives in the Group when 
compared with similar UK-listed companies.

(cid:116)(cid:1)The Chief Executive has a target share ownership requirement of four times base salary, and his shareholding currently exceeds  

this target. 

(cid:116)(cid:1)The Chief Financial Officer has a target shareholding of three times base salary, and his shareholding currently exceeds this target.
(cid:116)(cid:1)Other Executive Committee members are subject to the share ownership policy, with target holdings at three times salary. 
(cid:116)(cid:1)This policy was extended to a broader group of executives from 2011 who have senior leadership roles within the Company.  

The shareholding target for this group is equal to their base salary.

The Committee monitors progress against the share ownership requirements annually.

Directors’ interests (audited)
The interests held by each person who was a director during the financial year in the ordinary shares of 25p each in the Company are 
shown below. All of the interests set out in the table are beneficially held and no director had interests in any class of shares other than 
ordinary shares. The table also summarises the interests in shares held through the Company’s various share plans.

Chairman
Sir Peter Gershon
Executive directors
Javed Ahmed
Tim Lodge
Non-executive directors
Liz Airey
William Camp
Douglas Hurt
Virginia Kamsky
Anne Minto
Dr Ajai Puri
Robert Walker

Interest in shares1

Shares –
conditional on
performance2

Shares – not
conditional on

performance3

Options – not
conditional on
performance4

Total

82 080

–

–

–

82 080 

1 204 457
316 391

956 322
538 273

1 808 965
1 131

3 720
2 471

3 973 464
858 226

16 000
2 200
10 000
5 000
8 600
2 018
22 162

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

16 000
2 200
10 000
5 000
8 600
2 018
22 162

1  Includes shares owned by connected persons.
2   Includes awards under the Performance Share Plan and the special arrangements that were put in place to facilitate Javed Ahmed’s recruitment  

which are subject to performance conditions.

3   Includes deferred share awards made under the Annual Bonus Plan, and vested but unexercised awards granted to Javed Ahmed in connection  

with his appointment.

4  Includes HMRC-approved Sharesave Plan awards.

There were no changes in directors’ interests in the period from 1 April 2014 to 28 May 2014.

The market price of the Company’s ordinary shares at the close of business on 31 March 2014 was 667.50 pence, and the range during 
the year ended 31 March 2014 was 624.0 pence to 883.0 pence.

On behalf of the Board

Robert Walker
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
28 May 2014

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 71

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Governance

DIRECTORS’ REPORT

About the Directors’ Report
The Directors’ Report comprises the 
Governance section from pages 38  
to 51, the Directors’ Report on pages  
72 and 73 and the Useful Information 
section from pages 141 to the inside 
back cover. Other information that  
is relevant to the Directors’ Report,  
and which is incorporated by  
reference into the Directors’ Report,  
is disclosed as follows:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Likely future developments of the 

Company (throughout the Strategic 
Report)

(cid:116)(cid:1)Human rights (page 32)
(cid:116)(cid:1)Greenhouse gas emissions  

(pages 35 and 36)

(cid:116)(cid:1)Relationship with employees (page 34)
(cid:116)(cid:1)Financial instruments (Note 21).

Results and dividend
A review of the results can be found on 
pages 1 to 37. 

An interim dividend of 7.8p per ordinary 
share was paid on 3 January 2014. The 
Directors recommend a final dividend of 
19.8p per ordinary share to be paid on  
1 August 2014 to shareholders on the 
register on 27 June 2014, subject to 
approval at the 2014 Annual General 
Meeting (AGM). The total dividend for  
the year is 27.6p per ordinary share  
(2013 – 26.2p).

Research and development
The Group spent £33 million  
(2013 – £32 million) on research  
and development during the year.

Articles of Association
The Articles of Association set out the 
internal regulation of the Company and 
cover such matters as the rights of 
shareholders, the appointment or removal 
of directors, and the conduct of the Board 
and general meetings. Copies are available 
on request and are displayed on the 
Company’s website, www.tateandlyle.com.

In accordance with the Articles of 
Association, directors can be appointed or 
removed by the Board or by shareholders 
in general meeting. Amendments to the 
Articles of Association have to be approved 
by at least 75% of those voting in person  
or by proxy at a general meeting of the 
Company. Subject to UK company law  
and the Articles of Association, the 
Directors may exercise all the powers of  
the Company, and may delegate authorities 
to committees, and may delegate day-to-
day management and decision making to 
individual executive directors. Details of the 
Board Committees can be found on pages 
47 to 51 and on page 64.

72 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Share capital
As at 31 March 2014, the Company had 
nominal issued ordinary and preference 
share capital of £119 million comprising 
£117 million in ordinary shares, including 
£0.6 million in treasury shares and  
£2 million in preference shares. 

To satisfy obligations under employee 
share plans, the Company issued 9,983 
ordinary shares during the year and 
reissued 2,443,619 ordinary shares from 
treasury. The Company issued 2,914 
shares during the period from 1 April  
2014 to 28 May 2014. Further information  
about share capital is in Note 24. 
Information about options granted  
under the Company’s employee  
share plans is in Note 26.

The Company was given authority at  
the 2013 AGM to make market purchases 
of up to 46,639,912 of its own ordinary 
shares. The Company purchased 
3,045,000 of its own ordinary shares  
during the year ended 31 March 2014; 
these shares are held in treasury to satisfy 
awards made under performance share 
plans. This authority will expire at the  
2014 AGM and approval will be sought 
from shareholders for a similar authority  
to be given for a further year.

Restrictions on holding shares
There are no restrictions on the transfer of 
shares and prior approval is not required 
from the Company nor from other holders 
for such a transfer. No limitations are 
placed on the holding of shares and no 
share class carries special rights of control 
of the Company. There are no restrictions 
on voting rights other than those outlined 
below on preference shares. The Company 
is not aware of any agreements between 
shareholders that may restrict the transfer 
or exercise of voting rights.

Shareholders’ rights
Holders of ordinary shares have the rights 
accorded to them under UK company law, 
including the rights to receive the 
Company’s annual report and accounts, 
attend and speak at general meetings, 
appoint proxies and exercise voting rights.

Holders of preference shares have limited 
voting rights and may not vote on: the 
disposal of surplus profits after the dividend 
on the preference shares has been 
provided for; the election of directors or 
their remuneration; any agreement 
between the directors and the Company; 
or the alteration of the Articles of 
Association dealing with any such matters. 
Further details regarding the rights and 
obligations attached to share classes are 
contained in the Articles of Association 
which are available on the Company’s 
website, www.tateandlyle.com.

DTR Rule 5 disclosure
As at 28 May 2014, the Company had been 
notified under Rule 5 of the Disclosure and 
Transparency Rules of the following 
holdings of voting rights in its shares:

Number
of shares2 % held2
9.97
4.98

46 514 801
22 890 148

Black Rock, Inc
AXA S.A.1
Artemis Investment 
Management LLP1
Invesco Limited1
Schroders plc
TIAA-CREF Investment 
Management, LLC and 
18 348 821
Teachers Advisors, INC.
Barclays Global Investors1 17 568 133

23 207 193
23 111 061
21 252 858

4.97
4.95
4.56

3.94
3.59

1   Notification was made over 12 months ago; as 

permitted under Rule 5, shareholders may not be 
required to notify us of subsequent changes within 
certain ranges.

2  As at the date in the notification to the Company.

Change of control
The Company has a committed bank 
facility of US$800 million, which matures  
in 2016. Under the terms of this facility,  
the banks can give notice to Tate & Lyle  
to prepay outstanding amounts and cancel 
the commitments where there is a change 
of control of the Company. The Company  
is the guarantor of a £200 million bond 
issue by its subsidiary, Tate & Lyle 
International Finance PLC, dated 25 
November 2009, which is repayable in 
2019. Under the terms of the bond issue, 
noteholders have the option to request an 
early repayment where there is a change  
of control of the Company. 

All of the Company’s share plans contain 
provisions relating to a change of control. 
Further information is on page 60.

Political donations
Again this year, in line with the Group’s 
policy, no political donations were made in 
the European Union (EU). Outside the EU, 
the Group’s US business made 
contributions during the year totalling 
US$22,000 (£14,000) (2013 – US$19,000; 
£12,000) to state political party committees 
and to the campaign committees of state 
candidates affiliated to the major parties. In 
all, ten separate donations were made, the 
largest being of $5,000 and the smallest 
$300. US$14,000 (£9,000) (2013 – 
US$8,000; £5,000) was also contributed by 
the Tate & Lyle Political Action Committee 
(PAC). Nine separate donations were made, 
the largest being of $4,000 and the 
smallest $1,000. The PAC is funded entirely 
by US employees. Employee contributions 
are entirely voluntary and no pressure is 
placed on US employees to participate.  
No funds are provided to the PAC by  
Tate & Lyle but under US law, an employee-
funded PAC must bear the name of the 
employing company.

DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The Directors are responsible for preparing 
the Annual Report, the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report and the Financial 
Statements in accordance with applicable 
law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors  
to prepare financial statements for each 
financial year. Under that law the  
Directors have prepared the Group 
Financial Statements in accordance with 
International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union, 
and the Parent Company Financial 
Statements in accordance with United 
Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting 
Practice (United Kingdom Accounting 
Standards and applicable law). Under 
company law the Directors must not 
approve the financial statements unless 
they are satisfied that they give a true  
and fair view of the state of affairs of  
the Company and the Group and of the 
profit or loss of the Group for that period.

In preparing these financial statements,  
the Directors are required to:

(cid:116)(cid:1)Select suitable accounting policies  
and then apply them consistently
(cid:116)(cid:1)Make judgements and accounting 
estimates that are reasonable  
and prudent

(cid:116)(cid:1)State whether IFRSs as adopted  
by the European Union and, with  
regard to the Parent Company Financial 
Statements, applicable UK Accounting 
Standards have been followed, subject  
to any material departures disclosed  
and explained in the Group and  
Parent Company Financial  
Statements respectively

(cid:116)(cid:1)Prepare the financial statements on the 

going concern basis unless it is 
inappropriate to presume that the 
Company will continue in business.

The Directors are responsible for keeping 
adequate accounting records that are 
sufficient to show and explain the 
Company’s transactions and disclose  
with reasonable accuracy at any time the 
financial position of the Company and  
the Group and enable them to ensure that 
the financial statements and the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report comply with the 
Companies Act 2006 and, as regards  
the Group Financial Statements, Article 4  
of the IAS Regulation. They are also 
responsible for safeguarding the assets  
of the Company and the Group and  
hence for taking reasonable steps for  
the prevention and detection of fraud  
and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the 
maintenance and integrity of the 
Company’s website. Legislation in the  
UK governing the preparation and 
dissemination of financial statements may 
differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Each of the directors, whose names  
and functions are listed on pages 38  
and 39, confirm that, to the best of his  
or her knowledge:

(cid:116)(cid:1)The Annual Report, taken as a whole, is 
fair, balanced and understandable and 
provides the information necessary for 
shareholders to assess the Company’s 
and the Group’s performance, business 
model and strategy

(cid:116)(cid:1)The Group Financial Statements, which 
have been prepared in accordance with 
IFRSs as adopted by the EU, and the 
Parent Company Financial Statements in 
accordance with UK Accounting 
Standards, give a true and fair view of the 
assets, liabilities, financial position and 
profit of the Group and Parent Company 
(cid:116)(cid:1)The Strategic Report and the Directors’ 

Report include a fair review of the 
development and performance of the 
business and the position of the Group, 
together with a description of the 
principal risks and uncertainties that  
it faces.

Disclosure of information to auditors
So far as each director is aware, there is  
no relevant audit information of which the 
Company’s auditors are unaware; and he 
or she has taken all the steps that he or she 
ought to have taken as a director in order to 
make himself or herself aware of any 
relevant audit information and to establish 
that the Company’s auditors are aware of 
that information. 

The Directors’ Report on pages 38 to 51, 
pages 72 and 73 and pages 141 to the 
inside back cover and the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report from pages 52 to 71 
of this Annual Report were approved by the 
Directors on 28 May 2014. 

On behalf of the Board

Lucie Gilbert
Company Secretary
28 May 2014

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Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 73

 
 
 
 
 
Financial Statements

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS 
OF TATE & LYLE PLC

Report on the Group financial 
statements 
Our opinion  
In our opinion the Group financial statements of 
Tate & Lyle PLC and its subsidiaries (collectively 
‘the Group’), defined below:

(cid:116)(cid:1) give a true and fair view of the state of the 
Group’s affairs as at 31 March 2014 and  
of the Group’s profit and cash flows for  
the year then ended;

(cid:116)(cid:1) have been properly prepared in accordance 

with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the 
European Union; and

(cid:116)(cid:1) have been prepared in accordance with the 
requirements of the Companies Act 2006  
and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

This opinion is to be read in the context of what 
we say in the remainder of this report.

What we have audited
The Group financial statements, which are 
prepared by Tate & Lyle PLC, comprise:

(cid:116)(cid:1) the consolidated statement of financial 

position as at 31 March 2014;

(cid:116)(cid:1) the consolidated income statement and 

consolidated statement of comprehensive 
income for the year then ended;

(cid:116)(cid:1) the consolidated statement of changes in 

equity and consolidated statement of cash 
flows for the year then ended; and
(cid:116)(cid:1) the notes to the consolidated financial 

statements, which include a summary of 
significant accounting policies and other 
explanatory information.

The financial reporting framework that has  
been applied in their preparation comprises 
applicable law and IFRSs as adopted by the 
European Union.

Certain disclosures required by the financial 
reporting framework have been presented 
elsewhere in the Annual Report 2014 (‘the 
Annual Report’), rather than in the notes to  
the Group financial statements. These are 
cross-referenced from the Group financial 
statements and are identified as audited.

What an audit of financial 
statements involves 
We conducted our audit in accordance with 
International Standards on Auditing (UK and 
Ireland) (‘ISAs (UK & Ireland)’). An audit involves 
obtaining evidence about the amounts and 
disclosures in the financial statements sufficient 
to give reasonable assurance that the financial 
statements are free from material misstatement, 
whether caused by fraud or error. This includes 
an assessment of:

(cid:116)(cid:1) whether the accounting policies are 

appropriate to the Group’s circumstances  
and have been consistently applied and 
adequately disclosed;

(cid:116)(cid:1) the reasonableness of significant accounting 

estimates made by the Directors; and 
(cid:116)(cid:1) the overall presentation of the financial 

statements. 

In addition, we read all the financial and 
non-financial information in the Annual Report 
to identify material inconsistencies with the 
audited Group financial statements and to 
identify any information that is apparently 
materially incorrect based on, or materially 
inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by  
us in the course of performing the audit. If we 
become aware of any apparent material 
misstatements or inconsistencies we consider 
the implications for our report.

Overview of our audit approach
Materiality
We set certain thresholds for materiality. These 
helped us to determine the nature, timing and 
extent of our audit procedures and to evaluate 
the effect of misstatements, both individually 
and on the financial statements as a whole.

Based on our professional judgement, we 
determined materiality for the Group financial 
statements as a whole to be £15 million, which 
represents approximately 5% profit before tax 
from continuing operations.

We agreed with the Audit Committee that we 
would report to them misstatements identified 
during our audit above £1 million as well as 
misstatements below that amount that, in our 
view, warranted reporting for qualitative 
reasons.

Overview of the scope of our audit
The Group is primarily structured across two 
divisions being Speciality Food Ingredients and 
Bulk Ingredients with a central support function. 
The Group financial statements are a 
consolidation of the Group’s reporting units, 
spread across the two divisions, which 
comprise the Group’s operating businesses  
and centralised functions covering 35 countries. 

In establishing the overall approach to the 
Group audit, we determined the type of work 
that needed to be performed at the reporting 
units by us, as the Group engagement team,  
or component auditors from other PwC network 
firms operating under our instructions. Where 
the work was performed by component 
auditors, we determined the level of involvement 
we needed to have in the audit work at those 
reporting units to be able to conclude whether 
sufficient and appropriate audit evidence had 
been obtained as a basis for our opinion on  
the Group financial statements as a whole.

Accordingly, we identified six reporting units 
which, in our view, required an audit of their 
complete financial information, either due to 
their size or their risk characteristics. In addition, 
specific audit procedures on certain balances 
and transactions were performed at a further 
nine reporting units. The procedures described 
above provided coverage of 78% of the Group’s 
sales and 70% of the Group’s profit before tax 
from continuing operations.

This, together with additional procedures at  
a Group level, including the audit of individual 
transactions that were material to the Group  
in operating businesses not subject to an audit 
of their complete financial information or where 
specific audit procedures were not undertaken 
by component auditors, gave us the evidence 
we needed for our opinion on the Group 
financial statements as a whole.

Areas of particular audit focus
In preparing the financial statements, the 
Directors made a number of subjective 
judgements, for example in respect of 
significant accounting estimates that involved 
making assumptions and considering future 
events that are inherently uncertain. We 
primarily focused our work in these areas  
by assessing the Directors’ judgements  
against available evidence, forming our own 
judgements, and evaluating the disclosures  
in the financial statements.

In our audit, we tested and examined 
information, using sampling and other auditing 
techniques, to the extent we considered 
necessary to provide a reasonable basis for  
us to draw conclusions. We obtained audit 
evidence through testing the effectiveness  
of controls, substantive procedures or  
a combination of both. 

We considered the following areas to be those 
that required particular focus in the current year. 
This is not a complete list of all risks or areas  
of focus identified by our audit. We discussed 
these areas of focus with the Audit Committee. 
Their report on those matters that they 
considered to be significant issues in relation to 
the financial statements is set out on page 48.

74 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Area of focus
Commodity risk
The Group uses corn and other commodity contracts  
to manage and economically hedge its corn book within 
the US. The US corn book, comprising the commodity 
contracts, inventory and purchase and sales contracts  
for corn and co-products, are marked to fair value at  
the end of each reporting period. The valuation at each 
reporting period has a substantial impact on the  
reported results of the US business and the Group.
Furthermore, the valuation can require a high  
level of judgement.
Refer to Notes 3, 19 and 20 to the Group  
financial statements.

Direct tax provisions
The Directors are required to exercise significant  
judgement when determining the appropriate amount to 
provide in respect of potential direct tax exposures relating 
to challenges by the tax authorities on cross border 
arrangements and transfer pricing in various countries.
Refer to Notes 3, 11 and 29 to the Group  
financial statements.
We focused on this area because of the inherent 
judgements required in estimating the amount of provision 
required. Changes in assumptions can materially affect the 
levels of provisions recorded in the financial statements.

Retirement benefit obligation liabilities
The Group operates material defined benefit pension  
plans, giving rise to pension plan liabilities in the UK and 
the US. The Group also operates a significant retirement 
medical scheme in the US.
We focused on this area because of the magnitude of the 
defined benefit pension plan liability and the retirement 
medical scheme in the context of the overall statement  
of financial position. Levels of judgement and technical 
expertise are required in choosing appropriate 
assumptions to measure the plans and scheme liabilities. 
Changes in key assumptions can have a material impact 
on the calculation of the liabilities.
Refer to Notes 3 and 30 to the Group financial statements.

Fraud in revenue recognition
Auditing Standards (ISAs (UK & Ireland)) presume there  
is a risk of fraud in revenue recognition because of the 
pressure management may feel to achieve the planned 
results. The Group’s focus on revenue and profit targets  
as a key performance indicator creates incentive for 
revenue to be recorded in the incorrect period. Therefore, 
we focused on whether transactions have been recorded 
in the period in which the Group becomes entitled to 
record revenue.

Risk of management override of internal controls
Auditing Standards (ISAs (UK & Ireland)) require that we 
consider this. 

How the scope of our audit addressed the area of focus

We obtained an understanding of the risks associated with the valuation and pricing 
methodology used at the year end and compared it to the underlying accounting policy.
We confirmed the open commodity positions with brokerage houses and re-performed 
market price valuations for contracts on a sample basis to test the accuracy  
of the valuation.
We tested manual adjustments that were made to the valuations to check the  
rationale on which they were based.
In instances where commodities are not readily traded on an open market,  
we performed trend analyses against similar market traded commodities.

We obtained a detailed understanding of the Group’s tax strategy and assessed  
key technical tax issues and risks related to business and legislative developments.
We recalculated management’s valuations of direct tax provisions and determined 
whether the calculations were in line with the Group’s methodology and principles  
and whether they had been applied consistently with previous years.
We challenged the key underlying assumptions, having due regard for on-going 
correspondence between Group entities and local tax authorities.

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We obtained an understanding of the assumptions used by the Group’s actuaries and 
management in calculating the retirement benefit obligations for the defined benefit 
pension plans in the UK and the US, and the retirement medical scheme in the US.
Having formed that understanding we challenged the key actuarial assumptions 
(including pension increases, salary increases, inflation, discount rates and mortality), 
by comparing these to benchmark ranges based on market conditions and 
expectations at 31 March 2014 and comparison across the wider pensions industry.
We also confirmed whether the methods used by management to determine key 
assumptions had been consistently applied year-on-year and evaluated the rationale  
for any changes in approach.
We tested the reconciliation of the opening to closing liability for accuracy taking  
into account the movements in key assumptions over the year and any changes  
made to benefits provided within the schemes.
We compared membership census data used in the actuarial models to the payroll  
data held by the Group to determine that the data used in the actuarial calculations  
was complete and represented only genuine members.

We challenged the appropriateness of management’s revenue recognition policies, 
particularly regarding the appropriate recording of sales around the year end date.
We performed a combination of testing of the financial controls around revenue 
recognition and testing of revenue recorded during the year, and testing of sales 
transactions and credit notes around the year-end date to determine whether the 
criteria for recording revenue had been met.
We tested revenue recorded through manual adjustments to determine whether those 
manual entries corresponded to revenue transactions that had occurred in the period 
and met the Group’s revenue recognition policies.

We tested key reconciliations and manual journal entries. We also considered whether 
there was evidence of bias by management in the significant accounting estimates  
and judgements relevant to the financial statements.
Furthermore, we assessed the overall control environment of the Group, including the 
arrangements for staff to ‘whistle-blow’ inappropriate actions, and interviewed senior 
management and the Group’s internal audit function.
We incorporated a number of unpredictable audit procedures into our work, including 
the audit of certain immaterial balances.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 75

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Financial Statements

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS  
OF TATE & LYLE PLC | CONTINUED

This report, including the opinions, has been 
prepared for and only for the Company’s 
members as a body in accordance with 
Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 
2006 and for no other purpose. We do not,  
in giving these opinions, accept or assume 
responsibility for any other purpose or to any 
other person to whom this report is shown or 
into whose hands it may come save where 
expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

Other matter 
We have reported separately on the  
Parent Company financial statements of  
Tate & Lyle PLC for the year ended 31 March 
2014 and on the information in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report that is described  
as having been audited.

John Waters (Senior Statutory Auditor)  
for and on behalf of  
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors

London

28 May 2014

Notes:
(a)  The maintenance and integrity of the Tate & Lyle 

website (www.tateandlyle.com) is the responsibility 
of the Directors; the work carried out by the 
auditors does not involve consideration of these 
matters and, accordingly, the auditors accept no 
responsibility for any changes that may have 
occurred to the financial statements since they 
were initially presented on the website.

(b)  Legislation in the United Kingdom governing  
the preparation and dissemination of financial 
statements may differ from legislation in other 
jurisdictions.

Going Concern
Under the Listing Rules we are required to 
review the Directors’ statement, set out on  
page 28, in relation to going concern. We have 
nothing to report having performed our review.

As noted in the Directors’ statement, the 
Directors have concluded that it is appropriate 
to prepare the Group financial statements using 
the going concern basis of accounting. The 
going concern basis presumes that the Group 
has adequate resources to remain in operation, 
and that the Directors intend it to do so, for at 
least one year from the date the Group financial 
statements were signed. As part of our audit we 
have concluded that the Directors’ use of the 
going concern basis is appropriate.

However, because not all future events or 
conditions can be predicted, these statements 
are not a guarantee as to the Group’s ability to 
continue as a going concern.

Opinions on other matter prescribed  
by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion the information given in the 
Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report for 
the financial year for which the Group financial 
statements are prepared is consistent with the 
Group financial statements.

Other matters on which we are 
required to report by exception
Adequacy of information and 
explanations received
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required 
to report to you if, in our opinion we have not 
received all the information and explanations  
we require for our audit. We have no exceptions 
to report arising from this responsibility.

Directors’ remuneration
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are  
required to report to you if, in our opinion, 
certain disclosures of Directors’ remuneration 
specified by law have not been made.  
We have no exceptions to report arising  
from this responsibility.

Corporate Governance Statement
Under the Listing Rules we are required to 
review the part of the Corporate Governance 
Statement relating to the Parent Company’s 
compliance with nine provisions of the UK 
Corporate Governance Code (‘the Code’).  
We have nothing to report having performed  
our review.

On page 73 of the Annual Report, as required 
by the Code Provision C.1.1, the Directors state 
that they consider the Annual Report taken as  
a whole to be fair, balanced and understandable 
and provides the information necessary for 
members to assess the Group’s performance, 
business model and strategy. On page 48,  
as required by C.3.8 of the Code, the Audit 
Committee has set out the significant issues 
that it considered in relation to the Group 
financial statements, and how they were 
addressed. Under ISAs (UK & Ireland) we  
are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

(cid:116)(cid:1) the statement given by the Directors is 

materially inconsistent with our knowledge  
of the Group acquired in the course of 
performing our audit; or

(cid:116)(cid:1) the section of the Annual Report describing 
the work of the Audit Committee does not 
appropriately address matters communicated 
by us to the Audit Committee.

We have no exceptions to report arising from 
this responsibility.

Other information in the 
Annual Report
Under ISAs (UK & Ireland), we are required to 
report to you if, in our opinion, information in  
the Annual Report is:

(cid:116)(cid:1) materially inconsistent with the information in 
the audited Group financial statements; or
(cid:116)(cid:1) apparently materially incorrect based on, or 
materially inconsistent with, our knowledge  
of the Group acquired in the course of 
performing our audit; or
(cid:116)(cid:1) is otherwise misleading.

We have no exceptions to report arising from 
this responsibility.

Responsibilities for the financial 
statements and the audit
Our responsibilities and those of  
the Directors 
As explained more fully in the Directors’ 
Statement of Responsibilities set out on  
page 73, the Directors are responsible for the 
preparation of the Group financial statements 
and for being satisfied that they give a true and 
fair view. 

Our responsibility is to audit and express  
an opinion on the Group financial statements  
in accordance with applicable law and ISAs  
(UK & Ireland). Those standards require us  
to comply with the Auditing Practices Board’s 
Ethical Standards for Auditors. 

76 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

Continuing operations
Sales
Operating profit
Finance income
Finance expense
Profit before tax
Income tax expense
Profit for the year from continuing operations
Profit for the year from discontinued operations
Profit for the year

Profit for the year attributable to:
– owners of the Company
– non-controlling interests
 Profit for the year

Earnings per share 
Continuing operations:
– basic
– diluted
Continuing and discontinued operations:
– basic
– diluted

Analysis of adjusted profit before tax from continuing operations
Profit before tax
Adjusted for:
– exceptional items
– amortisation of acquired intangible assets
– net retirement benefit interest
Adjusted profit before tax

*  Restated for the adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee Benefits’ (see Note 43).

The Notes on pages 82 to 133 form part of these financial statements.

Notes

4, 5
4, 6
10
10

11

12

12

13

13

7
15
10, 30

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m

2014
£m

3 147
325
2
(37)
290
(45)
245
28
273

273
–
273

3 256
334
1
(34)
301
(46)
255
18
273

272
1
273

pence

pence

52.8p
52.1p

58.8p
58.0p

£m
290

14
10
8
322

54.9p
53.8p

58.6p
57.4p

£m
301

12
10
4
327

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 77

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Financial Statements

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive (expense)/income
Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss
Fair value loss on cash flow hedges
Fair value loss on cash flow hedges transferred to profit or loss
Fair value loss on available-for-sale financial assets
(Loss)/gain on currency translation of foreign operations
Fair value gain/(loss) on net investment hedges
Currency translation gain transferred to profit or loss on disposal of foreign operations
Tax expense relating to the above items

Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss
Retirement benefit plans:
– actual return lower than interest on plan assets
– net actuarial gain/(loss)
Tax expense relating to the above items

Total other comprehensive expense
Total comprehensive income 

Analysed by:
– continuing operations
– discontinued operations
Total comprehensive income

Attributable to:
– owners of the Company
– non-controlling interests
Total comprehensive income

*  See Note 43.

The notes on pages 82 to 133 form part of these financial statements.

Notes

25
25
18
25
25
37
11

30
30
11

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m
273

2014
£m
273

(1)
–
–
(130)
50
–
–
(81)

(29)
19
(22)
(32)
(113)
160

132
28
160

160
–
160

(3)
4
(1)
57
(30)
(14)
(6)
7

(13) 
(132) 
(6) 
(151)
(144)
129

117
12
129

127
2
129

78 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

ASSETS
Non-current assets
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Investments in associates
Available-for-sale financial assets
Derivative financial instruments
Deferred tax assets
Trade and other receivables
Retirement benefit surplus

Current assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Current tax assets
Derivative financial instruments
Cash and cash equivalents

Assets held for sale

TOTAL ASSETS

EQUITY
Capital and reserves
Share capital
Share premium
Capital redemption reserve
Other reserves
Retained earnings
Equity attributable to owners of the Company
Non-controlling interests
TOTAL EQUITY

LIABILITIES
Non-current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Borrowings
Derivative financial instruments
Deferred tax liabilities
Retirement benefit deficits
Provisions for other liabilities and charges

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Current tax liabilities
Borrowings and bank overdrafts
Derivative financial instruments
Provisions for other liabilities and charges

TOTAL LIABILITIES
TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Notes

15
16
17
18
20
29
23
30

22
23

20
33

18

24
24

25

27
28
20
29
30
31

27

28
20
31

2014
£m

389
865
6
28
23
7
1
–
1 319

418
314
1
79
396
1 208
–
1 208
2 527

117
406
8
58
460
1 049
1
1 050

2
439
2
45
220
10
718

315
40
339
50
15
759
1 477
2 527

At 31 March
2013
£m

356
958
6
27
54
8
3
12
1 424

510
383
4
86
379
1 362
1
1 363
2 787

117
406
8
139
366
1 036
–
1 036

3
821
21
24
277
15
1 161

382
53
75
60
20
590
1 751
2 787

The Notes on pages 82 to 133 form part of these financial statements.

The consolidated financial statements on pages 77 to 133 were approved by the Board of Directors on 28 May 2014 and signed on its behalf by:

Javed Ahmed, Tim Lodge  Directors

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Financial Statements

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

Cash flows from operating activities
Profit before tax from continuing operations
Adjustments for:
– depreciation of property, plant and equipment
– exceptional items, net of cash flow impact
– amortisation of intangible assets
– share-based payments 
– other non-cash items
– finance income
– finance expense
Change in working capital
Change in net retirement benefit obligations
Cash generated from continuing operations
Interest paid
Income tax paid
Net cash generated from operating activities in discontinued operations
Net cash generated from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of intangible assets 
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
Proceeds on disposal of property, plant and equipment
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired
Disposal of businesses, net of cash disposed
Disposal of joint ventures, net of cash disposed 
Purchase of available-for-sale financial assets
Disposal of available-for-sale financial assets
Interest received
Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from issue of ordinary shares
Purchase of own shares
Cash inflow from additional borrowings
Cash outflow from repayment of borrowings
Repayment of capital element of finance leases
Dividends paid to owners of the Company
Dividends paid to non-controlling interests
Net cash used in financing activities

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents
Balance at beginning of year
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Currency translation differences
Balance at end of year

*  See Note 43.

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m

2014
£m

290

97
–
21
8
(6)
(2)
37
38
(43)
440
(33)
(23)
–
384

(45)
(114)
34
(15)
3
–
(4)
2
2
(137)

–
(29)
4
(46)
(2)
(124)
–
(197)

50

379
50
(33)
396

301

91
(9)
17
13
–
(1)
34
(107)
(42)
297
(36)
(18)
8
251

(42)
(92)
3
–
36
15
(4)
–
1
(83)

1
(23)
24
(117)
(2)
(117)
(2)
(236)

(68)

446
(68)
1
379

Notes

16

15
26

10
10
32

37
37
37
18
18

24

14

34

34 

33

A reconciliation of the movement in cash and cash equivalents to the movement in net debt is presented in Note 34.

The Notes on pages 82 to 133 form part of these financial statements.

80 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

At 1 April 2012
Year ended 31 March 2013 – Restated*
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income/(expense)
Total comprehensive income 
Share-based payments (includes tax credit of £2 million)
Purchase of own shares
Proceeds from shares issued
Non-controlling interests in subsidiaries sold
Dividends paid (Note 14)
At 31 March 2013
Year ended 31 March 2014
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive expense
Total comprehensive (expense)/income
Share-based payments 
Purchase of own shares
Non-controlling interests in subsidiaries acquired
Initial recognition of put option on non-controlling 

interest (Note 37)

Dividends paid (Note 14)
At 31 March 2014

*  See Note 43.

Share capital 
and share 
premium 
(Note 24)
£m
523

Capital 
redemption 
reserve
£m
8

Other
reserves 
(Note 25)
£m
128

Attributable to 
the owners 
of the 
Company
£m 
1 033

Retained 
earnings
£m
374

Non-
controlling
 interests
£m
25

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
523

–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
523

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
8

–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
8

–
11
11
–
–
–
–
–
139

–
(81)
(81)
–
–
–

–
–
58

272
(156)
116
15
(23)
1
–
(117)
366

273
(32)
241
8
(29)
–

(2)
(124)
460

272
(145)
127
15
(23)
1
–
(117)
1 036

273
(113)
160
8
(29)
–

(2)
(124)
1 049

1
1
2
–
–
–
(25)
(2)
–

–
–
–
–
–
1

–
–
1

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Total 
equity
£m
1 058

273
(144)
129
15
(23)
1
(25)
(119)
1 036

273
(113)
160
8
(29)
1

(2)
(124)
1 050

Other comprehensive income/(expense) recognised in retained earnings relates wholly to retirement benefit plans. An analysis of other 
comprehensive income/(expense) recognised in other reserves by component of equity is presented in Note 25.

At 31 March 2014, retained earnings included a deduction of £37 million (2013 – £29 million) for the cumulative cost of own shares held in relation  
to share-based incentive plans. Further information on own shares is presented in Note 24. 

Dividends on ordinary shares in respect of the financial year
Per ordinary share:
– interim paid
– final proposed

The Notes on pages 82 to 133 form part of these financial statements.

Year ended 31 March

2014
pence

7.8p
19.8p
27.6p

2013
pence

7.4p
18.8p
26.2p

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1 Basis of preparation
Description of business
Tate & Lyle PLC (the Company) is a public 
limited company incorporated and domiciled  
in the United Kingdom. The Company’s  
ordinary shares are listed on the London  
Stock Exchange.

The Company, its subsidiaries and 
proportionately consolidated joint ventures 
(together ‘the Group’) provides ingredients  
and solutions to the food, beverage and other 
industries. The Group operates from more  
than 30 production facilities around the world. 

The Group’s continuing operations comprise 
two operating segments: Speciality Food 
Ingredients and Bulk Ingredients. Segment 
information is presented in Note 4.

Accounting period
The Group’s annual financial statements  
are drawn up to 31 March. These financial 
statements cover the year ended  
31 March 2014 with comparative amounts  
for the year ended 31 March 2013.

Basis of accounting
The consolidated financial statements on pages 
77 to 133 have been prepared on the going 
concern basis in accordance with International 
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as 
adopted for use in the European Union and 
those parts of the Companies Act 2006 that are 
applicable to companies reporting under IFRS. 
The consolidated financial statements have 
been prepared under the historical cost 
convention, modified in respect of the 
revaluation to fair value of available-for-sale 
financial assets, derivative financial instruments, 
assets classified as held for sale and assets 
held by defined benefit pension plans.

The Group’s principal accounting policies are 
set out in Note 2.

Company financial statements
The Company has not adopted IFRS and 
prepares its separate financial statements in 
accordance with applicable law and UK 
Accounting Standards (UK GAAP). The 
Company’s separate financial statements  
are set out on pages 135 to 140.

Going concern
For the reasons set out on page 28, the 
Directors have adopted the going concern basis 
in preparing the Company’s and the Group’s 
financial statements.

Reconciliations of the adjusted performance 
measures to the most directly comparable 
measures presented in accordance with IFRS 
are presented in Note 42.

Accounting standards adopted during 
the year
At the beginning of the year, the Group adopted 
a number of new or revised accounting 
standards that are outlined below. With the 
exception of the changes arising from the 
adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee 
Benefits’, the Group’s principal accounting 
policies are unchanged compared with the  
year ended 31 March 2013. 

IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee Benefits’ 
IAS 19 (Revised 2011) caused the Group to 
change the way it accounts for defined benefit 
pension and other retirement benefit plans. It 
had no impact on the Group’s financial position 
but it changed the allocation of movements in 
the deficits or surpluses on the plans within and 
between profit or loss and other comprehensive 
income. Comparative amounts for 2013 have 
been restated on a consistent basis.  
An explanation and analysis of the effect  
of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) on the Group’s  
results for the year and the prior year is 
presented in Note 43. 

IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement
IFRS 13 established a single source of guidance 
for measuring fair value and introduced 
consistent disclosures about fair value 
measurements. From the Group’s perspective, 
IFRS 13 is relevant to the measurement of 
available-for-sale financial assets, derivative 
financial instruments, assets classified as held 
for sale and assets held by defined benefit 
pension plans, and in relation to impairment 
testing and in accounting for business 
combinations. IFRS 13 was adopted 
prospectively from 1 April 2013 so there  
was no change in any fair values determined  
in previous periods. 

IAS 1 (Revised 2011) Presentation  
of Financial Statements
IAS 1 (Revised 2011) had no overall impact on 
the amount of other comprehensive income, 
but requires that items of other comprehensive 
income that may be reclassified to profit or loss 
are presented separately from those that will not 
be reclassified to profit or loss. 

Other standards
At the beginning of the year, the Group adopted 
various minor improvements to accounting 
standards arising from the IASB’s 2009 – 2011 
review cycle and Amendments to IFRS 7 
Disclosures – Offsetting Financial Assets and 
Financial Liabilities.

Discontinued operations
In the Group’s financial statements, the results, 
assets and liabilities and cash flows of 
discontinued operations are presented 
separately from those of continuing operations. 
An operation is classified as discontinued if it  
is a component of the Group that: (i) has been 
disposed of, or meets the criteria to be classified 
as held for sale; and (ii) represents a separate 
major line of business or geographic area  
of operations or will be disposed of as part  
of a single co-ordinated plan to dispose  
of a separate major line of business  
or geographic area of operations.

Fair value measurement
Fair value is the price that would be received to 
sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an 
orderly transaction between market participants 
at the measurement date, regardless of whether 
that price is directly observable or estimated 
using another valuation technique. In estimating 
the fair value of an asset or a liability, the Group 
takes into account the characteristics of the 
asset or liability if market participants would take 
those characteristics into account when pricing 
the asset or liability at the measurement date. 

Fair value measurements are categorised into 
Level 1, 2 or 3 based on the degree to which  
the inputs to the fair value measurements are 
observable and the significance of the inputs  
to the fair value measurement in its entirety, 
as follows:

(cid:116)(cid:1)  Level 1 inputs are quoted prices  

(unadjusted) in active markets for identical 
assets or liabilities that the entity can  
assess at the measurement date
(cid:116)(cid:1)  Level 2 inputs are inputs, other than  

quoted prices included in Level 1, that  
are observable for the asset or liability  
either directly or indirectly

(cid:116)(cid:1)  Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs  

for the asset or liability.

Use of adjusted measures
Tate & Lyle presents adjusted performance 
measures including adjusted operating profit, 
adjusted profit before tax and adjusted earnings 
per share that are used for internal performance 
analysis and incentive compensation 
arrangements for employees and are presented 
because they provide investors with valuable 
additional information about the performance  
of the business. For the periods presented, 
adjusted performance measures exclude, 
where relevant, exceptional items, the 
amortisation of acquired intangible assets,  
net retirement benefit interest and tax on those 
adjustments. Adjusted performance measures 
reported by the Group are not defined terms 
under IFRS and may therefore not be 
comparable with similarly-titled measures 
reported by other companies. The Directors  
do not regard these measures as a substitute 
for, or superior to, the equivalent measures 
presented in accordance with IFRS.

82 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

2 Principal accounting policies
Basis of consolidation
(a) Subsidiaries
A subsidiary is an entity controlled, either 
directly or indirectly, by the Company, where 
control is the power to govern the financial and 
operating policies of the entity so as to obtain 
benefits from its activities. Control generally 
exists where the Group owns a shareholding 
that gives it more than one half of the voting 
rights in the entity. 

A non-controlling interest in a subsidiary 
represents the share of the net assets of the 
subsidiary that is attributable to the equity 
interest in the subsidiary that is not owned  
by the Group. 

The Group’s income and expenses, assets and 
liabilities and cash flows include those of each 
of its subsidiaries from the date on which the 
Company obtains control until such time as 
control is lost. All intra-Group transactions, 
balances, income and expenses are eliminated 
on consolidation.

(b) Joint ventures
A joint venture is a contractual arrangement 
under which the Group and other parties 
undertake an activity that is subject to joint 
control, whereby strategic financial and 
operating policy decisions require unanimous 
consent of the Group and the other parties. The 
Group’s interests in jointly controlled entities are 
accounted for by proportionate consolidation, 
whereby the Group’s share of the income and 
expenses, assets and liabilities and cash flows 
of those entities are combined on a line-by-line 
basis in the financial statements with those of 
the Company and its subsidiaries. 

Intra-Group balances and unrealised profits  
or losses on transactions between the Group 
and joint ventures are normally eliminated  
to the extent of the Group’s interest in the joint 
venture. Losses are, however, recognised  
in full where they represent a reduction in the  
net realisable value of a current asset or an 
impairment loss.

(c) Associates
An associate is an entity over which the Group 
has significant influence. Significant influence is 
the power to participate in financial and operating 
policy decisions but not to control or jointly 
control them. Significant influence generally 
exists where the Group holds more than 20% 
and less than 50% of the shareholders’ voting 
rights. Associates are accounted for under the 
equity method, whereby the Group’s share of 
the profit or loss, other comprehensive income 
and net assets are shown on one line of the 
relevant primary financial statements. 

Losses of an associate in excess of the Group’s 
interest in the entity are not recognised, except 
to the extent that the Group has incurred 
obligations or made payments on behalf of 
the associate. 

Unrealised profits or losses on transactions 
between the Group and its associates are 
normally eliminated to the extent of the Group’s 
interest in the associate. Losses are, however, 

recognised in full where they represent a 
reduction in the net realisable value of a current 
asset or an impairment loss.

The consolidated financial statements are 
presented in pounds sterling which is the 
Company’s functional currency. 

Business combinations
A business combination is a transaction or other 
event in which the Group obtains control over  
a business such that it becomes a subsidiary.

Business combinations are accounted for  
using the acquisition method.

Goodwill arising in a business combination 
represents the excess of the sum of the 
consideration transferred, the amount of any 
non-controlling interest in the acquired business 
and, in a business combination achieved in 
stages, the fair value at the acquisition date  
of the Group’s previously held equity interest,  
over the net total of the identifiable assets  
and liabilities of the acquired business at the 
acquisition date. Any shortfall is recognised 
immediately as a gain in the income statement. 

Consideration transferred represents the sum  
of the fair values at the acquisition date of the 
assets given, liabilities incurred or assumed  
and equity instruments issued by the Group  
in exchange for control over the acquired 
business.

Acquisition-related costs are charged to the 
income statement in the period in which they 
are incurred.

Identifiable assets and liabilities of the acquired 
business are measured at their fair value at the 
acquisition date, except for certain items that 
are measured in accordance with the relevant 
Group accounting policy, including retirement 
benefit obligations and deferred tax assets  
and liabilities.

Any non-controlling interest in the acquired 
business is measured either at fair value or  
at the non-controlling interest’s proportionate 
share of the identifiable assets and liabilities  
of the business.

Put options issued by the Group over non-
controlling interests are initially recognised  
as a liability measured at fair value with a 
corresponding charge directly to equity. 
Subsequently, the liability is measured at 
amortised cost using the effective interest 
method and changes in its carrying amount  
are recognised in the income statement.

Changes in the Group’s ownership interest in a 
subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control 
are accounted for within equity. Any gain or loss 
on loss of control is recognised in the income 
statement.

Foreign currency translation
At entity level, transactions in foreign  
currencies are translated into the entity’s 
functional currency at the exchange rate ruling 
at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets 
and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies 
are translated at the exchange rate ruling at  
the period-end date. Currency translation 
differences arising at entity level are recognised 
in the income statement.

On consolidation, the results of foreign 
operations are translated into pounds sterling  
at the average rate of exchange for the period 
and their assets and liabilities are translated into 
pounds sterling at the exchange rate ruling at 
the period-end date. Currency translation 
differences arising on consolidation are 
recognised in other comprehensive income  
and taken to the currency translation reserve.

In the event that a foreign operation is sold,  
the gain or loss on disposal recognised in the 
income statement is determined after taking 
into account the cumulative currency translation 
differences arising on consolidation of the 
operation subsequent to the adoption of IFRS.

In the cash flow statement, the cash flows of 
foreign operations are translated into pounds 
sterling at the average exchange rate for 
the period.

Revenue recognition
(a) Sales of goods and services
Sales comprise the amount receivable in  
the ordinary course of business, net of value 
added and sales taxes, for goods and services 
provided. It comprises the fair value of the 
consideration received or receivable for the sale 
of goods and services. Sales are recognised at 
the point or points at which the Group has 
performed its obligations in connection with  
the contractual terms of the sales agreement, 
primarily at the point of delivering to the 
customer, and in exchange obtains the right  
to consideration.

(b) Interest income
Interest income is recognised on a time-
proportion basis using the effective interest 
rate method.

(c) Dividend income
Dividend income is recognised when the right 
to receive payment is established.

Exceptional items
Exceptional items comprise items of income 
and expense, including tax items, that are 
material in amount and unlikely to recur and 
which merit separate disclosure in order to 
provide an understanding of the Group’s 
underlying financial performance. Examples of 
events giving rise to the disclosure of material 
items of income and expense as exceptional 
items include, but are not limited to, impairment 
events, significant business transformation 
activities, disposals of operations or significant 
individual assets, litigation claims by or against 
the Group and the restructuring of components 
of the Group’s operations. 

Borrowing costs
Borrowing costs directly arising from the 
purchase, construction or production of an 
asset are capitalised as part of the cost of 
that asset. 

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

2 Principal accounting policies 
continued 
Goodwill
Goodwill arising in a business combination  
is recognised as an intangible asset and is 
allocated to the cash-generating unit (‘CGU’)  
or group of CGUs that is expected to benefit 
from the synergies of the business combination.

Goodwill is not amortised but is tested for 
impairment annually and whenever there are 
events or changes in circumstances that 
indicate that its carrying amount may not 
be recoverable.

Goodwill is carried at cost less any recognised 
impairment losses. 

Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets are stated at cost less 
accumulated amortisation and any recognised 
impairment losses. All intangible assets 
recognised by the Group have finite useful lives. 

(a) Acquired in business combinations
An intangible resource acquired in a business 
combination is recognised as an intangible 
asset if it is separable from the acquired 
business or arises from contractual or legal 
rights. Acquired intangible assets, for example, 
patents and customer relationships, are 
amortised on a straight-line basis so as to 
charge their cost, which represents their fair 
value at the date of acquisition, over the periods 
of their expected benefit to the Group, which 
are in the range three to 15 years.

(b) Other intangibles
Other intangible assets mainly comprise certain 
product development expenditure, marketing-
related intangibles, computer software costs 
and assets under construction relating to the 
common global IS/IT system.

Costs incurred on the development,  
design and testing of new or improved  
products are capitalised only when the 
technical and commercial feasibility of the 
product has been proven and prior to the 
product going into full production. Research 
and other development expenditures are 
charged to the income statement in the  
period in which they are incurred.

Other intangibles include marketing-related 
intangibles relating to the SPLENDA® Sucralose 
alliance with McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.

Other intangible assets are amortised on a 
straight-line basis so as to charge their cost 
over the periods of their expected benefit to the 
Group, which are in the range three to ten years.

Capitalised costs in respect of the global IS/IT 
system will be amortised once the system is 
deployed into the Group’s businesses.

Property, plant and equipment
Land and buildings mainly comprise 
manufacturing sites and administrative facilities. 
Plant and machinery mainly comprises 
equipment used in the manufacturing and 
operating process. Assets under the course  
of construction comprise property, plant and 
equipment which is in the process of being 
completed and not ready for use.

Property, plant and equipment is stated at 
historical cost less accumulated depreciation 
and impairment. Historical cost includes 
expenditure that is directly attributable to the 
acquisition of the items. Subsequent costs are 
included in the asset’s carrying amount or 
recognised as a separate asset, as appropriate, 
only when it is probable that future economic 
benefits associated with the expenditure will 
flow to the Group and the cost of the item  
can be measured reliably. All repairs and 
maintenance expenditures are charged to  
the income statement during the period in 
which they are incurred.

Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line 
method to allocate the cost of each asset to its 
residual value over its useful economic life 
as follows:

Freehold land 
Freehold buildings 
Leasehold property 
Bulk liquid storage tanks 
Plant and machinery 

No depreciation 
20 to 50 years 
Period of the lease 
12 to 20 years 
3 to 28 years

Residual values and useful lives are reviewed  
at each period-end date and adjusted if 
appropriate. An asset’s carrying amount is 
written down immediately to its recoverable 
amount if the asset’s carrying amount is greater 
than its estimated recoverable amount.

Gains and losses on disposals are determined 
by comparing the disposal proceeds with  
the carrying amount and are included in the 
income statement.

Leased assets
Leases of property, plant and equipment where 
the Group assumes substantially all the risks 
and rewards of ownership are classified as 
finance leases. Assets held under finance 
leases are capitalised at the lower of the fair 
value of the leased asset and the present  
value of the minimum lease payments. The 
corresponding leasing commitments, net  
of finance charges, are included in liabilities.

Leasing payments are analysed between capital 
and interest components so that the interest 
element is charged to the income statement 
over the period of the lease at a constant 
periodic rate of interest on the remaining 
balance of the liability outstanding.

Depreciation on assets held under finance 
leases is charged to the income statement,  
and depreciated over the shorter of the lease 
term and its useful life. All other leases are 

treated as operating leases with annual rentals 
charged to the income statement, net of any 
incentives granted to the lessee, over the term 
of the lease with incentives recognised over the 
period of the lease at a constant periodic rate.

Impairment of non-financial assets
Goodwill, other intangible assets and property, 
plant and equipment are tested for impairment 
whenever events or circumstances indicate that 
their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. 
Additionally, goodwill is subject to an annual 
impairment test.

An asset is impaired to the extent that its 
carrying amount exceeds its recoverable 
amount. An asset’s recoverable amount 
represents the higher of the asset’s value in use 
and its fair value less costs to sell. An asset’s 
value in use represents the present value of the 
future cash flows expected to be derived from 
continued use of the asset. Fair value less costs 
to sell is the amount obtainable from the sale  
of the asset in an arm’s length transaction 
between knowledgeable, willing parties, less 
the costs of disposal.

Where it is not possible to estimate the 
recoverable amount of an individual asset,  
the recoverable amount is determined for  
the CGU to which the asset belongs. An asset’s 
CGU is the smallest group of assets that 
includes the asset and generates cash inflows 
that are largely independent of the cash inflows 
from other assets or groups of assets. Goodwill 
does not generate cash inflows independently 
of other assets and is, therefore, tested for 
impairment at the level of the CGU or group  
of CGUs to which it is allocated.

Value in use is based on estimates of pre-tax 
cash flows discounted at a pre-tax discount rate 
that reflects the risks specific to the CGU to 
which the asset belongs.

Where necessary, impairment of non-financial 
assets other than goodwill is recognised before 
goodwill is tested for impairment. When 
goodwill is tested for impairment and the 
carrying amount of the CGU or group of CGUs 
to which it is allocated exceeds its recoverable 
amount, the impairment is allocated first to 
reduce the carrying amount of the goodwill and 
then pro-rata to the other non-financial assets 
belonging to the CGU or group of CGUs on the 
basis of their respective carrying amounts.

Impairment losses are recognised in the income 
statement. Impairment losses recognised in 
previous periods for assets other than goodwill 
are reversed if there has been a change in the 
estimates used to determine the asset’s 
recoverable amount, but only to the extent  
that the carrying amount of the asset does  
not exceed its carrying amount had no 
impairment been recognised in previous 
periods. Impairment losses recognised in 
respect of goodwill cannot be reversed.

84 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

2 Principal accounting policies 
continued 
Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and 
net realisable value with the exception of certain 
items of merchandisable agricultural commodities 
which are stated at market value, in line with 
regional industry accounting practices.

Cost comprises direct materials and, where 
applicable, direct labour costs and those 
overheads that have been incurred in bringing 
the inventories to their present location and 
condition. Cost is calculated using the ‘first in/
first out’ or weighted average cost methods, 
appropriate to the materials and production 
processes involved. Net realisable value 
represents the estimated selling price less all 
estimated costs to completion and costs to be 
incurred in marketing, selling and distribution. 

Provisions are made for any slow moving, 
obsolete or defective inventories.

Financial instruments
(a) Trade receivables
Trade receivables are recognised initially at fair 
value and subsequently measured at amortised 
cost using the effective interest method, less 
provision for impairment. A provision for 
impairment of trade receivables is established 
when there is objective evidence that the  
Group will not be able to collect all amounts  
due according to the original terms of the 
receivables. Significant financial difficulties  
of the debtor, probability that the debtor will 
enter bankruptcy or financial reorganisation, 
and default or delinquency in payments are 
considered indicators that the trade receivable 
is impaired. The amount of the provision is the 
difference between the asset’s carrying amount 
and the present value of estimated future cash 
flows, discounted at the original effective 
interest rate. The carrying amount of the asset  
is reduced through the use of an allowance 
account, and the amount of the loss is 
recognised in the income statement within 
operating expenses. When a trade receivable  
is uncollectable, it is written off against the 
allowance account for trade receivables. 
Subsequent recoveries of amounts previously 
written off are credited against operating 
expenses in the income statement.

(b) Trade payables
Non-current and current trade payables are 
recognised initially at fair value and 
subsequently measured at amortised cost 
using the effective interest rate method. 

(c) Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in 
hand, deposits held at call with banks and other 
short-term highly liquid investments with original 
maturities of three months or less and, for the 
purposes of the cash flow statement only, bank 
overdrafts where the legal right of offset exists.

(d) Available-for-sale financial assets
Equity instruments held by the Group and 
designated as available-for-sale are carried  
at fair value, with movements in fair value 
recognised in other comprehensive income. 

Where fair value cannot be reliably measured, 
the assets are approximated at cost. 
Cumulative fair value gains or losses on an 
asset are recycled through the income 
statement when the asset is disposed or 
impaired. A significant or prolonged decline  
in the fair value of a security below its cost is 
considered as an indicator that the securities 
are impaired. Impairments are recognised  
in the income statement.

(e) Borrowings
Borrowings are initially measured at fair value, 
net of transaction costs incurred. Borrowings 
are subsequently measured at amortised cost 
using the effective interest rate method, 
whereby any difference between the proceeds 
(net of transaction costs) and the initial fair value 
is recognised in the income statement over  
the period of the borrowings. As explained 
under ‘Hedge accounting’ below, the carrying 
amount of a borrowing may be subject  
to adjustment where it is a hedged liability  
in a fair value hedge. 

Borrowings are classified as current liabilities 
unless the Group has an unconditional right to 
defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 
months after period-end date. 

Dividends on preference shares are recognised 
in the income statement as interest expense.

(f) Derivative financial instruments
The Group uses derivative financial instruments 
to reduce its exposure to commodity price, 
currency exchange rate and interest rate 
movements. The Group does not hold or issue 
derivatives for speculative purposes.

All derivative financial instruments held by the 
Group are recognised as assets or liabilities 
measured at their fair values at the period-end 
date. As explained under ‘Hedge accounting’ 
below, unless and to the extent that a derivative 
is in a designated and effective cash flow or net 
investment hedging relationship, fair value gains 
and losses on derivatives are recognised in the 
income statement.

Derivative financial instruments that are not in a 
designated hedging relationship are classified 
as held for trading. 

(g) Embedded derivatives
Where an embedded derivative is not closely 
related to the host contract and where the host 
contract itself is not already recognised at fair 
value, movements in the fair value of the 
embedded derivative are separated from the 
associated transaction and, except where the 
embedded derivative is designated as a cash 
flow hedging instrument, recognised in the 
income statement.

(h) Offsetting financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are offset 
and the net amount presented in the statement 
of financial position where there is a legally 
enforceable right to offset the recognised 
amounts and there is an intention to settle  
on a net basis or realise the asset and settle  
the liability simultaneously.

Hedge accounting
For a hedging relationship to qualify for hedge 
accounting, it must be documented at inception 
together with the Group’s risk management 
objective and strategy for initiating the hedge 
and it must both be expected to be highly 
effective in offsetting the changes in cash flows 
or fair value attributed to the hedged risk and 
actually be highly effective in doing so.

(a) Cash flow hedges
Hedging relationships are classified as cash 
flow hedges where the hedging instrument 
hedges exposure to variability in cash flows  
that is attributable either to a particular risk 
associated with a recognised asset or liability 
(such as interest payments on variable rate 
debt), a highly probable forecast transaction 
(such as commodity purchases) or the foreign 
currency risk in a firm commitment (such as the 
purchase of an item of equipment).

Where a hedging relationship is classified as a 
cash flow hedge, to the extent that the hedge is 
effective, changes in the fair value of the 
hedging instrument are recognised in other 
comprehensive income rather than in the 
income statement. When the hedged item 
affects the income statement, the cumulative 
fair value gain or loss recognised in other 
comprehensive income is transferred to the 
income statement. When a hedged firm 
commitment results in the recognition of a 
non-current asset, the initial carrying amount  
of the asset is adjusted for the cumulative fair 
value gain or loss.

If the hedging instrument expires or is sold, or 
if the hedging relationship no longer meets the 
conditions for hedge accounting, the cumulative 
fair value gain or loss remains in equity until the 
forecast transaction is recognised in the income 
statement. If a hedged forecast transaction is 
no longer expected to occur, the cumulative fair 
value gain or loss is immediately transferred to 
the income statement.

(b) Net investment hedges
A net investment hedge is the hedge of the 
currency exposure on the retranslation of the 
Group’s net investment in a foreign operation.

Net investment hedges are accounted for 
similarly to cash flow hedges. Changes in the 
fair value of the hedging instrument are, to the 
extent that the hedge is effective, recognised  
in other comprehensive income.

In the event that the foreign operation is 
disposed of, the cumulative fair value gain or 
loss recognised in other comprehensive income 
is transferred to the income statement where it 
is included in the gain or loss on disposal of the 
foreign operation.

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

value of the policy is deemed to be equivalent  
to the present value of the related benefit 
obligations. A deficit or surplus is recognised  
on each plan which represents the difference 
between the present value of the benefit 
obligation and the fair value of the plan assets. 
Where a plan is in surplus, the surplus 
recognised is limited to the present value  
of any amounts that the Group expects to 
recover by way of refunds or a reduction in 
future contributions. 

The defined benefit cost recognised in the 
income statement comprises the current 
service cost, any past service cost and the  
net interest on the deficit or surplus. Gains  
or losses on curtailments or settlements of  
the plans are also recognised in the income 
statement in the period in which the  
curtailment or settlement occurs. 

Remeasurements of the deficit or surplus are 
recognised in other comprehensive income. 

Current service cost represents the increase in 
the present value of the benefit obligation due  
to benefits accrued during the period, less 
employee contributions. Past service cost 
represents the change in the present value of 
the benefit obligation that arises from benefit 
changes that are applied retrospectively to 
benefits accrued in previous years. Any past 
service cost is recognised in full in the period  
in which the benefit changes are made. 

Net interest on the deficit or surplus is 
calculated by applying the discount rate that is 
used in measuring the present value of the 
benefit obligation to the deficit or surplus. 

Plan administration costs incurred by the Group 
are also recognised in the income statement. 

Remeasurements comprise differences 
between the actual return on plan assets (less 
asset management expenses) and the interest 
on the plan assets and actuarial gains and 
losses. Actuarial gains and losses represent the 
effect of changes in the actuarial assumptions 
made in measuring the present value of the 
benefit obligation and experience differences 
between those assumptions and actual 
outcomes. Actuarial gains and losses are 
recognised in full in the period in which 
they occur.

(b) Defined contribution plans
Contributions made by the Group to defined 
contribution pension schemes are recognised 
in the income statement in the period in which 
they fall due.

2 Principal accounting policies 
continued 
Hedge accounting
(c) Fair value hedges
Hedging relationships are classified as fair value 
hedges where the hedging instrument hedges 
the exposure to changes in the fair value of a 
recognised asset or liability that is attributable  
to a particular risk (such as the fair value of fixed 
rate debt).

financial statements and its tax base used  
in the computation of taxable profit. Deferred 
tax is accounted for using the liability method, 
whereby deferred tax liabilities are generally 
recognised for all taxable temporary differences 
and deferred tax assets are recognised to the 
extent that it is probable that taxable profits will 
be available in the foreseeable future against 
which deductible temporary differences can 
be utilised. 

Where the hedging relationship is classified  
as a fair value hedge, the carrying amount  
of the hedged asset or liability is adjusted  
by the change in its fair value attributable  
to the hedged risk and the resulting gain  
or loss is recognised in the income statement 
where, to the extent that the hedge is effective, 
it offsets the fair value gain or loss on the 
hedging instrument.

Provisions
A provision is a liability of uncertain timing or 
amount that is recognised when the Group has 
a present obligation (legal or constructive) as a 
result of a past event, it is more likely than not 
that a payment will be required to settle the 
obligation and the amount can be 
estimated reliably. 

Where the effect is material, the expected future 
payments are discounted using a pre-tax discount 
rate that reflects current market assessments of 
the time value of money and, where appropriate, 
the risks specific to the liability. The unwinding 
of any discount is recognised in the income 
statement within finance expense.

Provision is made for restructuring costs  
when a detailed formal plan for the restructuring 
has been determined and the plan has been 
communicated to those affected by it.  
Gains from the expected disposal of assets  
are not taken into account in measuring 
restructuring provisions.

Provisions are not recognised for future 
operating losses. 

Provisions are recognised for onerous contracts 
to the extent that the benefits expected to be 
derived from a contract are lower than the 
unavoidable cost to the Group of meeting its 
obligations under the contract. 

Income taxes
Current tax is the amount of tax payable or 
recoverable in respect of the taxable profit or 
loss for the period. Taxable profit differs from 
accounting profit because it excludes income 
and expenses that are recognised in the period 
for accounting purposes but are either not 
taxable or not deductible for tax purposes or 
are taxable or deductible in earlier or 
subsequent periods. Current tax is calculated 
using tax rates that have been enacted or 
substantively enacted at the period-end date.

Deferred tax is tax expected to be payable or 
recoverable on temporary differences between 
the carrying amount of an asset or liability in the 

86 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are not 
recognised if the temporary differences arise 
from the initial recognition of goodwill or from 
the initial recognition of other assets and 
liabilities in a transaction other than a business 
combination that affects neither accounting 
profit nor taxable profit.

Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for taxable 
temporary differences arising on investments  
in foreign subsidiaries and associates, and 
interests in joint ventures, except where the 
Group is able to control the reversal of the 
temporary difference and it is probable that it 
will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

Deferred tax is calculated using the enacted or 
substantively enacted rates that are expected  
to apply when the asset is recovered or the 
liability is settled. 

Current tax assets and liabilities are offset  
when there is a legally enforceable right to set 
off the amounts and management intends to 
settle on a net basis. Deferred tax assets and 
liabilities are offset when they relate to income 
taxes levied by the same taxation authority and 
the Group intends to settle its current tax assets 
and liabilities on a net basis.

Current and deferred tax is recognised in  
the income statement unless it relates to an 
item that is recognised in the same or a different 
period outside the income statement, in which 
case it too is recognised outside the income 
statement, either in other comprehensive 
income or directly in equity. 

Retirement benefits
As described in Note 30, the Group operates 
pension plans in most of the countries in which 
it operates. Defined benefit pension plans are 
principally in the UK and the US and, until 
December 2013, in the Netherlands, and the 
Group operates a number of defined 
contribution pension plans. 

The Group also operates defined benefit 
retirement medical plans in the US.

(a) Defined benefit plans
A valuation of each of the defined benefit plans 
for accounting purposes is carried out annually 
at 31 March by independent qualified actuaries. 
Benefit obligations are measured using the 
projected unit credit method and are 
discounted using the market yields on high 
quality corporate bonds denominated in the 
same currency as, and of similar duration to, the 
benefit obligations. Plan assets are measured at 
their fair value at the period-end date. Where a 
plan holds a qualifying insurance policy, the fair 

(b) Financial instruments
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments will eventually 
replace IAS 39 Financial Instruments: 
Classification and Measurement. IFRS 9 is 
being issued in stages. While the sections 
dealing with the classification and measurement 
of financial instruments have been issued, the 
IASB is currently revisiting certain aspects of 
them. The section of the standard dealing with 
the impairment of financial assets is still under 
development. During the year, the IASB issued 
the section dealing with hedge accounting that 
sets out a new hedge accounting model that is 
intended to be more closely aligned with how 
entities undertake risk management activities 
when hedging financial and non-financial 
exposures.

In February 2014, the IASB tentatively decided 
to defer the effective date of IFRS 9 and it is not 
now expected to become mandatory for the 
Group until the year ending 31 March 2019 
(though this will be subject to its endorsement 
for use in the European Union).

(c) Other pronouncements
With effect from 1 April 2014, the Group 
adopted Amendments to IAS 39 Novation of 
Derivatives and Continuation of Hedge 
Accounting, which clarifies that, provided 
certain conditions are met, hedge accounting 
need not be discontinued where a hedging 
derivative is novated. 

Also with effect from 1 April 2014, the Group 
adopted Amendments to IAS 32 Offsetting 
Financial Assets and Liabilities, which clarifies 
the conditions that must be met in order to set 
off financial assets and financial liabilities, and 
Amendments to IAS 36 Recoverable Amount 
Disclosures for Non-Financial Assets.

Subject to its endorsement for use in the 
European Union, with effect from 1 April 2015, 
the Group will adopt Amendments to IAS 19 
Defined Benefit Plans: Employee Contributions, 
which clarifies how employee contributions that 
are linked to service should be attributed to 
periods of service and when such contributions 
may be treated as a reduction in the service 
cost that is recognised in the income statement.

Also with effect from 1 April 2015, the Group  
will adopt various minor improvements to 
accounting standards arising from the IASB’s 
2010 – 2012 and 2011 – 2013 review cycles.

2 Principal accounting policies 
continued 
Share-based incentives
As described in Note 26, the Company 
operates share-based compensation plans 
under which it grants awards over its ordinary 
shares to its own employees and to those of its 
subsidiaries. All of the awards granted under 
the existing plans are classified as equity-settled 
awards. The Group recognises a compensation 
expense that is based on the fair value of the 
awards measured at the grant date using the 
Black-Scholes option pricing formula. Fair value 
is not subsequently remeasured unless relevant 
conditions attaching to the award are modified. 

Fair value reflects any market performance 
conditions and all non-vesting conditions. 
Adjustments are made to the compensation 
expense to reflect actual and expected 
forfeitures due to failure to satisfy service 
conditions or non-market performance 
conditions.

Generally, the resulting compensation expense 
is recognised in the income statement on  
a straight-line basis over the vesting period and 
a corresponding credit is recognised in equity. 
In the event of the cancellation of an award, 
whether by the Group or a participating 
employee, the compensation expense  
that would have been recognised over the 
remainder of the vesting period is recognised 
immediately in the income statement.

Dividends
Dividends on the Company’s ordinary  
shares are recognised when they have been 
appropriately authorised and are no longer at 
the Company’s discretion. Accordingly, interim 
dividends are recognised when they are paid 
and final dividends are recognised when they 
are declared following approval by shareholders 
at the Company’s AGM. Dividends are 
recognised as an appropriation of 
shareholders’ equity.  

Own shares
Own shares represent the Company’s ordinary 
shares that are held by the Company in treasury 
or by a sponsored Employee Benefit Trust that 
are used to satisfy awards made under the 
Company’s share-based incentive plans. When 
own shares are acquired, the cost of purchase 
in the market is deducted from equity. Gains or 
losses on the subsequent transfer or sale of 
own shares are also recognised in equity.

Assets held for sale 
An asset or group of assets is classified as held 
for sale if its carrying amount will be principally 
recovered through a sale transaction rather than 
through continuing use in the business, it is 
available for immediate sale in its present 
condition and management has committed to, 
and has initiated, a plan to sell the asset which, 
when initiated, was expected to result in a 
completed sale within 12 months. Assets that 
are classified as held for sale are measured at 

the lower of their carrying amount when they 
were classified as held for sale and their fair 
value less costs to sell. 

Accounting standards issued but not 
yet adopted
A number of new or revised accounting 
standards have been issued that are relevant to 
the Group but had not been adopted at  
31 March 2014. With the exception of IFRS 11 
Joint Arrangements, the Directors do not expect 
that these standards will have a material impact 
on the Group’s reported results, cash flows or 
financial position. 

(a) Consolidation, joint arrangements 
and associates
With effect from 1 April 2014, the Group 
adopted five related standards dealing  
with consolidation, joint arrangements  
and associates.

IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements
IFRS 10 replaces the parts of the existing  
IAS 27 Consolidated and Separate Financial 
Statements that deal with consolidated financial 
statements and SIC-12 Consolidation – Special 
Purpose Entities. IFRS 10 establishes a single 
control model for consolidation that applies to 
all entities, including special purpose entities. 

IFRS 11 Joint Arrangements
IFRS 11 will change significantly the accounting 
for the Group’s interests in joint ventures in the 
consolidated financial statements. 

At present, the Group’s interests in joint 
ventures are accounted for by proportionate 
consolidation. IFRS 11 prohibits the use of 
proportionate consolidation and requires that 
joint ventures are accounted for using the equity 
method of accounting. While these changes will 
have no net impact on the Group’s results or 
financial position, they will affect many of the 
individual line items in the consolidated financial 
statements. In the 2015 financial year, 
comparative amounts for the 2014 financial year 
will be restated on a consistent basis. An 
explanation and analysis of the effect of IFRS 11 
is presented in Note 44.

IAS 27 (Revised 2011) Separate Financial 
Statements
IAS 27 was revised such that it now deals only 
with the requirements for separate financial 
statements because the requirements for 
consolidated financial statements are now 
contained in IFRS 10. 

IAS 28 (Revised 2011) Investments in Associates 
and Joint Ventures
IAS 28 was revised as a consequence of the 
issuance of IFRS 11 in order to set out the 
requirements for the application of the equity 
method when accounting for joint ventures.

IFRS 12 Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities 
IFRS 12 is a new and comprehensive standard 
that prescribes disclosure requirements for all 
forms of interests in other entities, including joint 
ventures and associates.

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

3 Critical accounting estimates  
and judgements
In order to prepare these consolidated financial 
statements in accordance with the accounting 
policies set out in Note 2, management has 
used estimates and judgements to establish the 
amounts at which certain items are recorded. 
Critical accounting estimates and judgements 
are those that have the greatest impact on the 
financial statements and require the most 
difficult, subjective and complex judgements 
about matters that are inherently uncertain. 
Estimates are based on factors including 
historical experience and expectations of  
future events that management believe to be 
reasonable. However, given the judgemental 
nature of such estimates, actual results could 
be different from the assumptions used. The 
critical accounting estimates and judgements 
are set out below.

Taxation
The Group operates in a large number of tax 
jurisdictions around the world. Tax regulations 
generally are complex and in some jurisdictions 
agreeing tax liabilities with local tax authorities 
can take several years. Consequently, at the 
period-end date, tax liabilities and assets are 
based on management’s best estimate of the 
future amounts that will be settled. While the 
Group aims to ensure that the estimates 
recorded are accurate, the actual amounts 
could be different from those expected.

Deferred tax assets mainly arise from asset 
impairments and retirement benefit obligations 
that the Group expects to recover at some time 
in the future and by their nature the amounts 
recorded are therefore dependent on 
management’s judgement about future events.

Further details are set out in Notes 11 and 29. 

Derivatives and hedge accounting
The Group uses derivative financial instruments 
to reduce its exposure to commodity price, 
currency exchange rate and interest rate 
movements.

In particular, the Group uses corn and other 
commodity contracts to manage and hedge its 
corn book in the US. The US corn book is 
comprised of the commodity contracts, 
inventory and contracts for the purchase and 
sale of corn and co-products, some elements of 
which are expected to mature in more than 12 
months’ time, and is measured at fair value at 
each period-end date. The valuation of the corn 
book, which is underpinned by a number of 
judgements, has a material impact on the 
reported results of the Group. 

At 31 March 2014, the Group recognised 
derivative assets of £102 million (including 
commodity pricing contracts of £65 million) and 
derivative liabilities of £52 million (including 
commodity pricing contracts of £45 million). The 
fair value of derivatives continually changes in 
response to changes in prevailing market 
conditions affecting future corn and other 
commodity prices, currency exchange rates 

and interest rates. Where practicable, the Group 
uses hedge accounting to mitigate the impact 
of changes in the fair value of its hedging 
instruments on the income statement, but the 
Group’s results may be affected by these fair 
value changes where hedge accounting cannot 
be applied or due to hedge ineffectiveness.

Retirement benefits
The Group operates defined benefit pension 
plans in the UK and the US and unfunded 
retirement medical plans in the US. Generally, a 
deficit or surplus is recognised on each plan 
which represents the difference between the 
present value of the benefit obligation and the 
fair value of the plan assets (any surplus may be 
restricted in certain circumstances). 

At 31 March 2014, the present value of the 
benefit obligations on the plans was  
£1,525 million (2013 – £1,672 million), including 
£54 million (2013 – £80 million) in respect of the 
unfunded medical plans. The present value of 
the benefit obligations is based on actuarial 
estimates of the future benefits that will be 
payable to the members of the plans. As such, 
the benefit obligations are based on a number 
of assumptions, changes to which could have a 
material impact on the reported amounts. 

With regard to the pension plans, the present 
value of the benefit obligations is most sensitive 
to assumed life expectancies, expected future 
price inflation rates and the discount rate 
applied to the benefit obligations. At  
31 March 2014, an increase of one year in life 
expectancy would have increased the 
obligations by £68 million, an increase in future 
price inflation of 50 basis points would have 
increased the obligations by £75 million and a 
reduction in the discount rate of 100 basis 
points would have increased the obligations  
by £255 million.

At 31 March 2014, the assets held by the 
pension plans amounted to £1,305 million  
(2013 – £1,407 million), of which £346 million 
(2013 – £275 million) comprised qualifying 
insurance policies. Plan assets are measured at 
their fair value at the period-end date. The fair 
values of qualifying insurance policies held by 
the plans are deemed to be equivalent to the 
present value of the related benefit obligations. 
Otherwise, the carrying amounts of the plan 
assets are affected more by market risks, 
including interest rate risk, and other risks than 
by assumptions made in estimating the fair 
values of unquoted assets. 

Whilst changes in the assumptions used in 
determining the present value of the benefit 
obligations will have an impact on the Group’s 
income statement through their effect on the 
service cost and the net interest on the deficit or 
surplus in the plans, most of the impact of such 
changes, together with fluctuations in the actual 
return on the plan assets, will be reflected in 
other comprehensive income.

Full details of the assumptions made, which are 
based on advice from the Group’s actuaries, 
are set out in Note 30.

Impairment of assets
Asset impairments have the potential to 
significantly impact operating profit. In order  
to determine whether impairments are required 
the Group estimates the recoverable amount  
of the asset. This calculation is usually based  
on projecting future cash flows over a five-year 
period and using a terminal value to incorporate 
expectations of growth thereafter. A discount 
factor is applied to obtain a current value  
(‘value in use’). The ‘fair value less costs to sell’ 
of an asset is used if this results in an amount  
in excess of ‘value in use’.

Estimated future cash flows for impairment 
calculations are based on management’s 
expectations of future volumes and margins 
based on plans and best estimates of the 
productivity of the assets in their current 
condition. Future cash flows therefore exclude 
benefits from major expansion projects 
requiring future capital expenditure where  
that expenditure has not been approved at  
the period-end date.

Future cash flows are discounted using a 
discount rate based on the Group’s weighted 
average cost of capital, adjusted if appropriate 
for circumstances specific to the asset being 
tested. The weighted average cost of capital is 
impacted by estimates of interest rates, equity 
returns and market- and country-related risks. 
The Group’s weighted average cost of capital  
is reviewed on an annual basis.

If the cash flow or discount rate assumptions 
were to change because of market conditions, 
the level of impairment could be different  
and could result in the asset impairment  
being increased or reversed, in part or in full,  
at a future date. Goodwill impairment is 
never reversed.

Sensitivities are performed around the  
discount rate and operating profit growth  
which are considered the critical assumptions  
in the review.

Further details are set out in Notes 15 and 16.

Provisions
The Group recognises a provision where  
a legal or constructive obligation exists at  
the period-end date and a reliable estimate  
can be made of the likely outcome. Where 
appropriate, future cash outflows that are 
expected to arise over a number of years are 
discounted to a present value using a relevant 
discount rate.

At 31 March 2014, provisions included amounts 
for insurance claims payable by the Group’s 
reinsurance company, legal matters, employee 
termination and other restructuring costs.

Although provisions are reviewed on a regular 
basis and adjusted for management’s best 
current estimates, the judgemental nature of 
these items means that future amounts settled 
may be different from those provided.

Further details are set out in Note 31.

88 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

4 Segment information
Segment information is presented in the financial statements on a consistent basis with the information presented to the Board for the purposes  
of allocating resources within the Group and assessing the performance of the Group’s businesses.

Continuing operations comprise two operating segments: Speciality Food Ingredients and Bulk Ingredients. Central, which comprises central costs 
including head office, treasury and reinsurance activities, does not meet the definition of an operating segment under IFRS 8 ‘Operating Segments’ 
but no sub-total is shown for the Group’s operating segments in the tables below so as to be consistent with the presentation of segment information 
to the Board.

The Board uses adjusted operating profit as the measure of the profitability of the Group’s businesses. Adjusted operating profit is, therefore, the 
measure of segment profit presented in the Group’s segment disclosures. Adjusted operating profit represents operating profit before specific items 
that are considered to hinder comparison of the trading performance of the Group’s businesses either year-on-year or with other businesses. During 
the periods presented, the items excluded from operating profit in arriving at adjusted operating profit were the amortisation of acquired intangible 
assets and exceptional items. 

An analysis of total assets and total liabilities by operating segment is not presented to the Board but it does receive segmental analysis of net 
working capital (inventories, trade and other receivables, less trade and other payables). Accordingly, the amounts presented for segment assets  
and segment liabilities in the tables below represent those assets and liabilities that comprise elements of net working capital.

Analysis by business segment

Year ended 31 March 2014
Segment sales 
External sales (Note a) 
Segment results 
Adjusted operating profit/(loss)
Adjusting items:
Exceptional items 
Amortisation of acquired  

intangible assets
Operating profit/(loss) 
Finance income 
Finance expense
Profit before tax

Other segment information
Capital investments (Note b)
Depreciation
Amortisation of intangible assets 
Share-based payments

At 31 March 2014
Segment assets
Working capital items
Other assets
Total assets 

Segment liabilities
Working capital items
Other liabilities
Total liabilities 

Net working capital

Continuing operations

Speciality 
Food 
Ingredients 
£m 

Bulk 
Ingredients 
£m

Notes 

Central
£m

7

15

10 
10

16 
15
26

983

213

–

(10)
203

93
38
18
2

2 164

172

–

–
172

66
55
2
1

242

447

–

(36)

(14)

–
(50)

34
4
1
5

44

Total
£m 

3 147

349

(14)

(10)
325
2
(37)
290

193
97
21
8

733

(94)

(181)

(42)

(317)

148

266

2

416

Discontinued 
operations 
(Note 12) 

£m

 Total 
operations 
£m

–

–

–

–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–

–

–

–

3 147

349

(14)

(10)
325
2
(37)
290

193
97
21
8

733
1 794
2 527

(317)
(1 160)
(1 477)

416

(a)    The Group’s internal structure is such that there are no inter-segment sales. 

(b)    Capital investments comprise the cost of acquisition of businesses and capital expenditure on property, plant and equipment, intangible assets 

and investments. 

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

4 Segment information continued

Continuing operations

Speciality
Food
Ingredients
£m 

Bulk 
Ingredients 
£m

Notes

Central*
£m

Total*
£m 

Discontinued 
operations 
(Note 12) 

£m

 Total 
operations* 

£m

Restated* – Year ended 31 March 2013 
Segment sales 
External sales (Note a) 
Segment results 
Adjusted operating profit/(loss)
Adjusting items:
Exceptional items 
Amortisation of acquired  

intangible assets 
Operating profit/(loss) 
Finance income 
Finance expense
Profit before tax

Other segment information
Capital investments (Note b)
Depreciation
Amortisation of intangible assets 
Share-based payments

7

15

 10
10

16 
15
26

At 31 March 2013
Segment assets 
Working capital items
Other assets 
Total assets 

Segment liabilities 
Working capital items
Other liabilities
Total liabilities 

Net working capital

947

213

(3)

(10)
200

43
36
15
3

2 309

182

8

–
190

66
52
1
3

304

566

–

(39)

(17)

–
(56)

34
3
1
7

23

3 256

356

(12)

(10)
334
1
(34)
301

143
91
17
13

893

(115)

(223)

(46)

(384)

189

343

(23)

509

10

(8)

26

–
18
–
–
18

–
–
–
–

3

(1)

2

3 266

348

14

(10)
352
1
(34)
319

143
91
17
13

896
1 891
2 787

(385)
(1 366)
(1 751)

511

* 

 Restated for the adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) Employee Benefits, which increased Central costs by £2 million and increased net finance expense by £6 million 
(see Note 43).

Geographical information
The United Kingdom is the home country of the Parent Company. Sales (from continuing operations) and non-current assets, other than financial 
instruments, deferred tax assets and retirement benefit assets in the principal territories are as follows:

United Kingdom
United States
Other European countries
Rest of world
Total

Sales by destination
Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
63
1 965
502
726
3 256

2014
£m
64
1 858
520
705
3 147

Sales by origin
Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
23
2 404
528
301
3 256

2014
£m
22
2 282
546
297
3 147

Location of non-current assets
At 31 March
2013
£m
38
829
309
147
1 323

2014
£m
42
763
321
135
1 261

Concentration of revenue
During 2014, one customer contributed 11% of the Group’s external sales from continuing operations (2013 – none over 10%).

90 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5 Sales from continuing operations
Analysis of sales by category:

Sales of goods (excluding share of sales of joint ventures)
Share of sales of joint ventures
Total

6 Operating profit
Analysis of operating expenses/(income) by nature: 

External sales 
Operating expenses/(income)
Cost of inventories (included in cost of sales)
Staff costs (of which £129 million (2013 – £125 million) was included in

cost of sales)

Gain on settlement of defined benefit pension plan
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment:
–  owned assets (of which £90 million (2013 – £86 million) was included  

in cost of sales)

– leased assets (included in cost of sales)
Exceptional items 
Amortisation of intangible assets:
– acquired intangible assets
– other intangible assets 
Operating lease rentals:
– plant and machinery
Research and development expenditure
(Decrease)/increase in allowance for doubtful debts 
Gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment 
Other operating expenses 
Total operating expenses
Operating profit

*  See Note 43.

Note

17

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
2 780
476
3 256

2014
£m
2 707
440
3 147

 Year ended 31 March 2014
Discontinued
operations
£m
–

Continuing
 operations
£m
3 147

Notes
5,12

Restated*
Year ended 31 March 2013
Discontinued
 operations 
£m
10

Continuing
 operations 
£m
3 256

9
30

16
16
7

15
15

23

1 961

245
(4)

92
5
14

10
11

17
33
(1)
(3)
442
2 822
325

–

–
–

–
–
–

–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–

2 066

256
–

87
4
12

10
7

19
32
1
(1)
429
2 922
334

6

–
–

–
–
(26)

–
–

–
–
2
(1)
11
(8)
18

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

7 Exceptional items
Exceptional items recognised in arriving at operating profit were as follows: 

Continuing operations 
Business transformation costs 
Gain on disposal of interest in joint venture – Sucromiles 

Discontinued operations 
Gain on disposal of businesses – Vietnam Sugar
Gain on disposal of assets – Molasses

Total exceptional (expense)/income before tax

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m

2014
£m

(14)
–
(14)

–
–
–
(14)

(20)
8
(12)

21
5
26
14

Continuing operations
During the year, the Group incurred further business transformation costs on the implementation of a common global IS/IT platform and, in the prior 
year, also on the implementation of the global Shared Services Centre, of which £14 million (2013 – £18 million) did not meet the criteria to be 
capitalised. During the prior year, the Group also incurred costs of £2 million to complete the relocation of employees and restructuring associated 
with establishing the Commercial and Food Innovation Centre in Chicago, USA.

During the prior year, the Group completed the disposal of its share in Sucromiles SA, its Colombian citric acid joint venture, on which it recognised  
a gain of £8 million (including cumulative currency translation gains transferred from other comprehensive income). 

Exceptional items are analysed by operating segment in Note 4.

Profit for the year from continuing operations includes an income tax credit of £9 million (2013 – credit of £5 million) in relation to exceptional items 
(see Note 11). Tax credits on exceptional costs are only recognised to the extent that losses incurred will result in tax recoverable in the future.

Discontinued operations
During the year, the Group recognised an exceptional income tax credit of £28 million in discontinued operations (see Note 12).

During the prior year, the Group completed the sale of its Vietnam Sugar operations on which it recognised a gain of £21 million (including cumulative 
currency translation gains transferred from other comprehensive income). Also during the prior year, the Group completed the sale of land and 
buildings of its former Molasses business on which it recognised a gain of £5 million. Exceptional items recognised during the prior year had no 
impact on the income tax expense of discontinued operations.

8 Auditors’ remuneration
Fees payable to the Company’s auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and its associates were as follows:

Fees payable for the audit of the Company and consolidated financial statements 
Fees payable for other services: 
– the audit of the Company’s subsidiaries and joint ventures
– audit-related services
– tax advisory services 

Fees in respect of the audit of the Group’s pension schemes
Total

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
0.7

2014
£m
0.7

1.3
–
0.1
2.1
0.1
2.2

1.2
0.3
–
2.2
0.1
2.3

Audit-related services in the prior year related to review work performed on the controls configured within the common global IS/IT platform.

92 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
9 Staff costs
Staff costs were as follows:

Wages and salaries 
Social security costs 
Other pension costs: 
– defined benefit pension schemes 
– defined contribution pension schemes 
Retirement medical benefits 
Share-based payments 
Total

Year ended 31 March 2014
Discontinued 
operations 
£m
–
–

Continuing 
operations 
£m
209
18

Year ended 31 March 2013
Discontinued 
operations 
£m
–
–

Continuing 
operations 
£m
210
22

5
3
2
8
245

–
–
–
–
–

4
4
3
13
256

–
–
–
–
–

Notes

30
30
30
26

The monthly average number of people employed by the Group, excluding associates’ employees and including the Group’s proportionate share  
of people employed by joint ventures, is set out below. As required by the Companies Act 2006, this includes part-time employees:

By business segment
Continuing operations
Speciality Food Ingredients 
Bulk Ingredients 
Central

Discontinued operations
Total

Year ended 31 March

2014

2013

1 802
2 233
432
4 467
–
4 467

1 731
2 187
404
4 322
60
4 382

At 31 March 2014, the Group employed 4,523 (2013 – 4,326) people (all in continuing operations).

Central includes shared service employees who perform activities for the whole Group, including the Speciality Food Ingredients and Bulk 
Ingredients segments.

Key management compensation

Salaries and short-term employee benefits 
Retirement benefits 
Share-based payments
Total

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
5
1
6
12

2014
£m
5
1
4
10

Key management is represented by the Group Executive Committee and the Company’s directors. Remuneration details of the Company’s directors 
are given in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 52 to 71. Members of the Group Executive Committee are identified on page 39.

The aggregate emoluments of directors in respect of qualifying services to the Company were £2 million (2013 – £2 million).

As determined in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, the aggregate gains made by the directors on the exercise of share options were 
£4 million (2013 – £1 million).

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

10 Finance income and finance expense

Finance income 
Interest receivable
Total finance income
Finance expense
Interest payable on bank and other borrowings
Fair value hedges:
– fair value loss on interest rate derivatives
– fair value adjustment of hedged borrowings
Fair value loss on derivatives not designated as hedges
Finance lease interest
Net retirement benefit interest 
Total finance expense
Net finance expense

*  See Note 43.

Notes

20
20

30

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m

2014
£m

2
2

(28) 

(20) 
20 
–
(1)
(8)
(37)
(35)

1 
1

(28)

–
1
(1)
(2)
(4)
(34)
(33)

Finance expense is shown net of borrowing costs of £2 million (2013 – £2 million) capitalised within intangible assets at a capitalisation rate  
of 3.9% (2013 – 3.8%).

Interest payable on other borrowings includes £0.2 million (2013 – £0.2 million) of dividends in respect of the Group’s 6.5% cumulative preference shares.

Finance income and finance expense relate wholly to continuing operations.

11 Income tax expense
Analysis of charge for the year

Continuing operations
Current tax: 
– UK
– overseas 

Deferred tax:
Charge for the year
Adjustments in respect of previous years
Income tax expense

*  See Note 43.

Note

29

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m

2014
£m

– 
43
43

7
(5)
45

– 
23
23

27
(4)
46

Profit for the year from continuing operations reflected an income tax expense of £45 million (2013 – expense of £46 million), including an income  
tax credit of £9 million (2013 – credit of £5 million) in respect of exceptional items (see Note 7).

Adjustments to deferred tax in respect of prior years totalled a credit of £5 million (2013 – credit of £4 million). The amount recognised in the current 
year reflects non-recurring tax credits in relation to prior years in the US, following a detailed review of underlying tax information. The amount 
recognised in the 2013 financial year principally related to the settlement of prior year tax in a number of jurisdictions.

The standard rate of corporation tax in the United Kingdom reduced from 23% to 21% with effect from 1 April 2014 and will reduce further  
to 20% from 1 April 2015.

The tax on the Group’s profit before tax differs from the standard rate of corporation tax in the United Kingdom as follows:

Profit before tax 
Corporation tax charge thereon at 23% (2013 – 24%)
Adjusted for the effects of:
– items not taxable
– losses not recognised
– adjustments to tax in respect of previous years
– different tax rates applied on overseas earnings 
Total

94 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m
301
72

2014
£m
290
67

(2)
3
(5)
(18)
45

(5)
9
(4)
(26)
46

 
 
11 Income tax expense continued
The Group’s effective tax rate is sensitive to the geographic mix of profits and losses and reflects a combination of higher tax rates in certain 
jurisdictions such as the US, nil effective tax rates in the UK (due to brought forward tax losses) and in Singapore (due to having ‘pioneer status’ 
awarded by the government in 2008) and rates that lie somewhere in between, for example, in certain eastern European countries. Our tax rate  
is favourably affected by our internal financing which involves borrowing by our US operations from the UK, the interest on which has the effect  
of reducing the amount of tax payable in the US.

The Group’s effective tax rate on continuing operations, calculated on the basis of the income tax expense as a proportion of profit before tax of  
£290 million (2013 – £301 million), was 15.6% (2013 – 15.3%). This compares with the standard rate of corporation tax in the UK of 23% (2013 – 24%). 

The Group’s adjusted effective tax rate on continuing operations, calculated on the basis of the adjusted income tax expense of £60 million  
(2013 – £59 million) as a proportion of adjusted profit before tax of £322 million (2013 – £327 million) was 18.5% (2013 – 18.0%).

Discontinued operations
Profit for the year from discontinued operations reflected an exceptional income tax credit of £28 million (2013 – £nil) as explained in Note 12. 

Tax charge relating to components of other comprehensive income

Retirement benefit obligations 
Cash flow hedges 
Tax losses 
Tax charge relating to components of other comprehensive income 
Deferred tax

Tax on items recognised directly in equity

Current tax credit on share-based payments
Deferred tax charge on share-based payments 
Total

*  See Note 43.

Note

 29

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m
(6)
(1)
(5)
(12)
(12)

2014
£m
(22)
–
–
(22)
(22)

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
(3)
1
(2)

2014
£m
(1)
1
–

12 Discontinued operations
During the year, the Group recognised a non-cash exceptional income tax credit of £28 million following the favourable resolution of outstanding tax 
matters associated with the starch facilities which formed part of the Group’s former Food & Industrial Ingredients, Europe segment. During the prior 
year, the Group completed the sale of its Vietnam Sugar operations and the disposal of land and buildings of its former Molasses business, which 
related to the Group’s former Sugars segment, on which it recognised an exceptional gain before tax of £26 million. 

Sales 

Adjusted operating profit/(loss)
Exceptional items
Operating profit/(loss)
Profit/(loss) before tax
Income tax credit 
Profit/(loss) for the year
Non-controlling interests
Profit/(loss) attributable to owners of the Company

Note

7

7

Year ended 31 March

2014

£m
–

–
–
–
–
28
28
–
28

Vietnam Sugar 
£m 
9

3
21
24
24
–
24
(1)
23

Other 
£m 
1

(11)
5
(6)
(6)
–
(6)
–
(6)

2013 
Total 
£m 
10

(8)
26
18
18
–
18
(1)
17

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

13 Earnings per share
Basic
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to owners of the Company by the weighted average number of ordinary 
shares in issue during the year, excluding an average of 3.5 million shares (2013 – 3.5 million shares) held by the Company or the Employee Benefit 
Trust to satisfy awards made under the Group’s share-based incentive plans.

Profit attributable to owners of the  

Company (£million) 

Weighted average number of ordinary shares in 

issue (millions) 

Basic earnings per share

Year ended 31 March 2014

Restated*
  Year ended 31 March 2013

Continuing 
operations 

Discontinued 
operations 

245

464.1
52.8p

28

464.1 
6.0p

Total 

273

464.1 
58.8p

Continuing 
operations 

Discontinued 
operations 

255

464.2
54.9p

17

464.2
3.7p

Total 

272

464.2
58.6p

Diluted
Diluted earnings per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue to assume conversion of all potentially 
dilutive ordinary shares. Potentially dilutive ordinary shares arise from awards made under the Group’s share-based incentive plans. Where the 
vesting of these awards is contingent on satisfying a service or performance condition, the number of potentially dilutive ordinary shares is calculated 
based on the status of the condition at the end of the period. Potentially dilutive ordinary shares are actually dilutive only when the average market 
price of the Company’s ordinary shares during the period exceeds their exercise price (options) or issue price (other awards). The greater any such 
excess, the greater the dilutive effect. The average market price of the Company’s ordinary shares during the year was 788p (2013 – 720p). The 
dilutive effect of share-based incentives was 6.4 million shares (2013 – 9.3 million shares). 

Profit attributable to owners of the 

Company (£million) 

Weighted average number of diluted  

ordinary shares (millions) 

Diluted earnings per share

Year ended 31 March 2014

 Year ended 31 March 2013

Restated* 

Continuing 
operations 

Discontinued 
operations 

245

470.5
52.1p

28

470.5 
5.9p

Total 

273

470.5 
58.0p

Continuing 
operations 

Discontinued 
operations 

255

473.5
53.8p

17

473.5
3.6p

Total 

272

473.5
57.4p

Adjusted earnings per share
Adjusted earnings per share measures are calculated based on profit for the year from continuing operations attributable to owners of the Company 
before adjusting items as follows:

Notes

7
15
10

Year ended 31 March
Restated*
2013
£m
255

2014
£m
245

14
10
8
(15)
262

56.5p
55.7p

12
10
4
(13)
268

57.7p
56.6p

Continuing operations
Profit attributable to owners of the Company 
Adjusting items: 
– exceptional items 
– amortisation of acquired intangible assets 
– net retirement benefit interest
– tax effect of the above adjustments 
Adjusted earnings

Adjusted basic earnings per share 
Adjusted diluted earnings per share 

*  See Note 43.

96 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14 Dividends on ordinary shares
Dividends on ordinary shares in respect of the financial year:

Per ordinary share:
– interim dividend paid
– final dividend proposed
Total dividend

Year ended 31 March
2013
pence

2014
pence

7.8
19.8
27.6

7.4 
18.8
26.2

The Directors propose a final dividend for the financial year of 19.8p per ordinary share that, subject to approval by shareholders, will be paid on 
1 August 2014 to shareholders who are on the Register of Members on 27 June 2014.

Dividends on ordinary shares paid in the year: 

Final dividend paid relating to the prior year 
Interim dividend paid relating to the year 
Total dividend paid

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
 83
34
 117

2014
£m
88
36
124

Based on the number of ordinary shares outstanding at 31 March 2014, the final dividend for the financial year is expected to amount to £92 million.

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

15 Goodwill and other intangible assets

Cost 
At 1 April 2013 
Subsidiaries acquired 
Additions at cost 
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2014
Accumulated amortisation and impairment
At 1 April 2013 
Amortisation charge 
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2014
Net book value at 31 March 2014
Cost 
At 1 April 2012 
Additions at cost 
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2013
Accumulated amortisation and impairment
At 1 April 2012 
Amortisation charge 
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2013
Net book value at 31 March 2013

(a) Goodwill
The carrying amount of goodwill is allocated as follows:

Allocated by geographical area
United States 
Europe 

Allocated by business segment
Speciality Food Ingredients
Bulk Ingredients

Total

Patents and other
intellectual
property
£m 

Other acquired
intangible 
assets
£m 

Total acquired
 intangible assets
£m

Goodwill
£m 

Other
intangible 
assets
£m 

217
10
–
(11)
216

–
–
–
–
216

217
–
–
217

–
–
–
–
217

34
5
–
–
39

28
3
–
31
8

33
1
–
34

27
1
–
28
6

119
–
–
(5)
114

68
7
(3)
72
42

116
–
3
119

57
9
2
68
51

370
15
–
(16)
369

96
10
(3)
103
266

366
1
3
370

84
10
2
96
274

116
–
57
(7)
166

34
11
(2)
43
123

70
43
3
116

27
7
– 
34
82

2014
£m

55
83
138

77
1
78
216

Total
£m 

486
15
57
(23)
535

130
21
(5)
146
389

436
44
6
486

111
17
2
130
356

At 31 March
2013
£m

60
85
145

71
1
72
217

(i) Impairment tests carried out during the year
Goodwill is tested for impairment annually and whenever there is an indication of impairment at the level of the cash-generating unit (CGU) or group  
of CGUs to which it is allocated. Tate & Lyle is principally managed as an integrated network in the United States and Europe, with a large amount  
of interdependency between plants servicing both the Speciality Food Ingredients and Bulk Ingredients segments. Goodwill is therefore tested  
for impairment on a geographical basis, except where it can be allocated to a specific CGU or group of CGUs.

A description of the impairment tests conducted in relation to the most significant goodwill amounts are set out below. In each case, the recoverable 
amount was calculated based on value in use. Value in use was calculated based on budgets and plans covering the next five years that have been 
approved by the Board. Cash flows were projected during the five-year period based on budgeted gross margin and management’s expectations  
of market developments. Beyond the five-year plan, cash flows were assumed to grow at the long-term growth rate for the relevant geographical 
markets based on forecasts included in industry reports. Cash flows were discounted using pre-tax rates that are based on the Group’s weighted 
average cost of capital adjusted, where appropriate, to reflect differences between the risk profile of the geographical areas or CGUs concerned and 
that of the Group as a whole.

United States
Goodwill allocated to the United States relates to the Staley acquisition in 1988. Cash flows beyond the five-year plan were assumed to grow  
at 2% per annum in perpetuity based on the long-term growth rate for this geographic market. Cash flows were discounted using a pre-tax rate  
of 10.1% (2013 – 10.1%). Significant headroom exists and management concluded that no impairment is required.

98 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
 
 
15 Goodwill and other intangible assets continued
Europe
Goodwill allocated to Europe relates to the acquisition in 2000 of the minority of 34% of shares of the former Amylum business. Cash flows  
beyond the five-year plan were assumed to grow at 2% per annum in perpetuity based on the long-term growth rate for this geographic market.  
Cash flows were discounted using a pre-tax rate of 10.1% (2013 – 10.1%). Significant headroom exists and management concluded that no 
impairment is required.

Speciality Food Ingredients
 Goodwill allocated to the Speciality Food Ingredients segment includes £61 million (2013 – £63 million) that relates to the acquisition of G.C. Hahn  
and Company in June 2007 and that of Cesalpinia Foods in December 2005. As these businesses are integrated for operating purposes, they  
are tested for impairment as one CGU. Cash flows beyond the five-year plan were assumed to grow at 2% per annum in perpetuity based on  
the long-term growth rate for the geographic markets in which these businesses operate. Cash flows were discounted using a pre-tax rate  
of 10.1% (2013 – 10.1%). Management concluded that no impairment is required.

(ii) Possibility of impairment in the near future
Management considers that there is no reasonably possible change in one or more of the key assumptions used in the impairment tests that would 
give rise to an impairment loss during the coming year.

(b) Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets include capitalised development costs with a carrying amount of £77 million (2013 – £47 million) relating to the common  
global IS/IT platform, of which £51 million (2013 – £20 million) is under construction and will not be amortised until it is deployed into the business.  
In May 2014, the system was successfully deployed across our European operations and we remain on track to implement it in the US and Singapore 
by the end of the summer. Management considers that the costs capitalised to date are fully recoverable by way of incremental benefits over the 
system’s useful life of seven years.

Additions to other intangible assets during the year included a marketing-related intangible of £10 million relating to the establishment of a renewed 
SPLENDA® Sucralose alliance with McNeil Nutritionals, LLC. and capitalised borrowing costs of £2 million (2013 – £2 million). 

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16 Property, plant and equipment

Cost 
At 1 April 2013 
Additions at cost 
Subsidiaries acquired 
Transfers on completion 
Disposals and write-offs 
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2014
Accumulated depreciation and impairment 
At 1 April 2013 
Depreciation charge 
Disposals and write-offs 
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2014
Net book value at 31 March 2014
Cost 
At 1 April 2012 
Additions at cost 
Transfers on completion 
Disposals and write-offs 
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2013
Accumulated depreciation and impairment 
At 1 April 2012 
Depreciation charge 
Disposals and write-offs 
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2013
Net book value at 31 March 2013

Land and
 buildings
£m

Plant and
 machinery
£m

Assets in the 
course of 
construction
£m

494
18
1
11
(32)
(41)
451

223
11
(2)
(17)
215
236

444
2
33
(5)
20
494

209
11
(5)
8
223
271

2 108
16
2
75
(5)
(182)
2 014

1 453
86
(4)
(124)
1 411
603

1 932
7
103
(19)
85
2 108

1 327
80
(17)
63
1 453
655

32
80
–
(86)
–
–
26

–
–
–
–
–
26

82
86
(136)
–
–
32

–
–
–
–
–
32

Total
£m

2 634
114
3
–
(37)
(223)
2 491

1 676
97
(6)
(141)
1 626
865

2 458
95
–
(24)
105
2 634

1 536
91
(22)
71
1 676
958

In December 2013, the Group completed the back-to-back purchase, sale and leaseback under an operating lease of its building at the global 
Commercial and Food Innovation Centre in Chicago, USA. The transaction generated a one-off gain of £6 million, which comprised a gain of  
£3 million on the recognition of the remainder of the lease incentive on the original lease and a gain of £3 million on the sale of the property.  
The majority of the gain was included in the results of the Speciality Food Ingredients segment. 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 99

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

16 Property, plant and equipment continued
Impairment reviews
Management conducted an impairment test on the plant in Dayton, Ohio, on which an impairment was recognised in previous years. The recoverable 
amount of the plant was calculated based on value in use, with estimated future cash flows based on internal forecasts of future gross margins for the 
next five years and by calculating a terminal value beyond that five-year period based on a growth rate of 2% per annum in perpetuity. Cash flows 
were discounted using a pre-tax discount rate of 12.1%, which was adjusted upwards to take into account the risk associated with the regulatory  
and competitive environment in which the plant operates. Management concluded that neither further impairment nor reversal of previous impairment 
was required.

Management conducted impairment reviews of other property, plant and equipment during the year and concluded that there were no indicators  
of impairment. 

Leased assets
Property, plant and equipment includes plant and machinery held under finance leases with a net book value of £15 million (2013 – £18 million).

17 Investments in associates and joint ventures
Associates
At 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014

The Group’s principal associate, which is accounted for under the equity method, is identified in Note 41.

The amounts equity accounted in the Group income statement and statement of financial position are summarised below:

Income statement
Sales
Expenses
Profit before and after tax

Statement of financial position
Assets
Liabilities
Net assets

£m
6

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
4
(4)
–

2014
£m
4
(4)
–

2014
£m
13
(7)
6

At 31 March
2013
£m
13
(7)
6

Joint ventures
The Group’s principal joint ventures, which are proportionately consolidated, are listed in Note 41. The amounts proportionately consolidated  
in the Group income statement and statement of financial position (after the elimination of the Group’s share of transactions and balances with  
the Company’s subsidiaries) are summarised below:

Sales 
Expenses 
Profit before tax 
Income tax expense 
Profit for the year

Note
5

Year ended 31 March 2014
Discontinued 
operations
£m 
–
–
–
–
–

Continuing 
operations
£m
440
(366)
74
(13)
61

Year ended 31 March 2013
Discontinued 
operations
£m 
–
–
–
–
–

Continuing 
operations
£m 
476
(428)
48
(14)
34

100 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
17 Investments in associates and joint ventures continued

Statement of financial position
Assets
Non-current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Other current assets 
Total
Liabilities
Non-current borrowings
Other non-current liabilities
Current borrowings
Other current liabilities
Total
Net assets

There are guarantees in respect of banking facilities of a joint venture totalling £9 million (2013 – £9 million).

18 Available-for-sale financial assets

At 1 April 2012
Additions
Fair value loss
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2013
Additions
Disposals
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2014

Presented in the statement of financial position as follows:

Non-current assets
Assets held for sale
Total

2014
£m

139
50
109
298

2
4
18
48
72
226

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£m

173
73
158
404

7
19
31
56
113
291

£m
24
4
(1)
1
28
4
(2)
(2)
28 

Note

38

2014
£m
28
–
28

At 31 March
2013
£m
27
1
28

Available-for-sale financial assets primarily comprise £28 million (2013 – £28 million) of unlisted securities. The fair values of non-current available-for-
sale financial assets are approximated at cost where fair value cannot be reliably measured. The carrying value of the available-for-sale financial 
assets are denominated in the following currencies:

US dollar 
Sterling 
Euro
Total

US dollar-denominated assets include £nil (2013 – £1 million) classified as assets held for sale.

2014
£m
23
5
–
28

At 31 March
2013
£m
18
8
2
28

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 101

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

19 Financial instruments by category
Set out below is a comparison by category of carrying values and fair values of all of the Group’s financial assets and financial liabilities as at  
31 March 2014 and 31 March 2013.

Available-for-sale financial assets 
Trade and other receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Derivative financial instruments – assets 
Borrowings 
Derivative financial instruments – liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Total

Available-for-sale financial assets 
Trade and other receivables 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Derivative financial instruments – assets 
Borrowings 
Derivative financial instruments – liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Total

Amortised
 cost
£m 
–
302
396
–
(778)
–
(315)
(395)

Derivatives 
 in a hedging
 relationship
£m
–
–
–
35
–
(5)
–
30

Amortised
 cost
£m 
–
372
379
–
(896)
–
(382)
(527)

Derivatives
in a hedging
 relationship
£m
–
–
–
56
–
(17)
–
39

Notes
18
23
33
20
28
20
27

Notes
18
23
33
20
28
20
27

Held for
trading
£m
–
–
–
67
–
(47)
–
20

Held for
trading
£m
–
–
–
84
–
(64)
–
20

Available-
for-sale
£m 
28
–
–
–
–
–
–
28

Available-
for-sale
£m 
27
–
–
–
–
–
–
27

At 31 March 2014

Total 
carrying 
value 
£m
28
302
396
102
(778)
(52)
(315)
(317)

Total 
carrying 
value 
£m
27
372
379
140
(896)
(81)
(382)
(441)

 Fair value 
£m
28
302
396
102
(812)
(52)
(315)
(351)

At 31 March 2013

 Fair value 
£m
27
372
379
140
(946)
(81)
(382)
(491)

Trade and other receivables presented above excludes £13 million (2013 – £14 million) relating to prepayments.

Trade and other payables presented above excludes £2 million (2013 – £3 million) relating to social security. 

Included in borrowings are items in a hedging relationship which are held at amortised cost, with a fair value adjustment applied,  
as they are in a fair value hedge.

Fair value hierarchy
Set out on page 103 is how the Group’s financial instruments measured at fair value, fit within the following fair value hierarchy:

(cid:116)(cid:1) Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (level 1)
(cid:116)(cid:1) Inputs other than quoted prices included within level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly (level 2)
(cid:116)(cid:1) Inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (level 3).

102 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
19 Financial instruments by category continued
The following tables illustrate the Group’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value at 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2013:

Assets at fair value 
Available-for-sale financial assets 
Derivative financial instruments: 
– currency swaps 
– interest rate swaps 
– forward foreign exchange contracts 
– commodity pricing contracts 
Assets at fair value

Liabilities at fair value 
Derivative financial instruments: 
– currency swaps 
– interest rate swaps 
– forward foreign exchange contracts 
– commodity pricing contracts 
Liabilities at fair value

Assets at fair value 
Available-for-sale financial assets 
Derivative financial instruments: 
– currency swaps 
– interest rate swaps 
– forward foreign exchange contracts 
– commodity pricing contracts 
Assets at fair value

Liabilities at fair value 
Derivative financial instruments: 
– currency swaps 
– interest rate swaps 
– forward foreign exchange contracts 
– commodity pricing contracts 
Liabilities at fair value

Notes

Level 1
£m

Level 2
£m 

 At 31 March 2014
Total 
£m

Level 3 
£m

18

20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20

–

–
–
–
10
10

–
–
–
(14)
(14)

–

3
33
1
13
50

(2)
(5)
–
(10)
(17)

28

–
–
–
42
70

–
–
–
(21)
(21)

28

3
33
1
65
130

(2)
(5)
–
(45)
(52)

Notes

Level 1
£m

Level 2
£m 

At 31 March 2013
Total 
£m

Level 3 
£m

18

20
20
20
20

20
20
20
20

–

–
–
–
11
11

–
–
–
(21)
(21)

–

2
59
1
14
76

(13)
(10)
(2)
(14)
(39)

27

–
–
–
53
80

–
–
–
(21)
(21)

27

2
59
1
78
167

(13)
(10)
(2)
(56)
(81)

Level 1 financial instruments
The fair value of financial instruments traded in active markets (commodity futures) is based on quoted market prices at the period-end date.  
A market is regarded as active if quoted prices are readily and regularly available from an exchange, dealer, broker, industry group, pricing service,  
or regulatory agency, and those prices represent actual and regularly occurring market transactions on an arm’s length basis.

Level 2 financial instruments
The fair values of financial instruments that are not traded in an active market (interest rate swaps, cross currency swaps, commodity pricing 
contracts and forward foreign exchange contracts) are determined by using valuation techniques. These valuation techniques maximise the use  
of observable market data where it is available and rely as little as possible on entity-specific estimates.

The fair value of interest rate swaps, currency swaps and forward foreign exchange contracts is calculated as the present value of the future  
cash flows based on observable inputs drawn from interest yield curves sourced from a reputable third-party source.

Level 3 financial instruments
The fair value of financial instruments is based on unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity at the statement of financial 
position date. These inputs generally reflect the entity’s own assumptions about how a market participant would reasonably be expected to 
determine the price of a financial instrument.

For commodity pricing contracts, in evaluating the significance of fair value inputs, the Group generally classifies assets or liabilities as level 3 when 
their fair value is determined using unobservable inputs that individually, or when aggregated with other unobservable inputs, represent more than 
10% of the fair value of the observable inputs of the assets or liabilities. An explanation of the key inputs used in calculating the fair value of these 
contracts is set out in Note 3 under the heading ‘Derivatives and hedge accounting’.

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

19 Financial instruments by category continued
Available-for-sale financial assets which are analysed at level 3 primarily represent investments in unlisted securities. The fair values of the unlisted 
securities are principally approximated at cost. Values are adjusted for permanent impairments and fair value movements as disclosed in Note 18.

For financial instruments in level 3, the Group does not consider that changes to inputs to reasonable alternatives would have a material impact  
on the income statement or equity.

The following table reconciles the movement in the Group’s financial instruments classified in level 3 of the fair value hierarchy:

Commodity
pricing
 contracts
 – assets
£m
22

Commodity
 pricing 
contracts
 – liabilities
£m
(22)

Available-
for-sale
 assets
£m 
23

53
–
–
(22)
53

42
–
–
(53)
42

(21)
–
–
22
(21)

(21)
–
–
21
(21)

–
(1)
4
1
27

–
(2)
4
(1)
28

Total 
£m 
23

32
(1)
4
1
59

21
(2)
4
(33)
49

At 31 March 2014
Liabilities 
£m 

Assets 
£m 

At 31 March 2013
Liabilities 
£m 

Assets 
£m 

3

20
–
23

6
4
3
13

36

1

1
64
66
66
102

23
79
102

(2)

–
–
(2)

(2)
–
(3)
(5)

(7)

–

(1)
(44)
(45)
(45)
(52)

(2)
(50)
(52)

2

45
7
54

7
–
–
7

61

1

1
77
79
79
140

54
86
140

(13)

–
(8)
(21)

(2)
–
–
(2)

(23)

(2)

–
(56)
(58)
(58)
(81)

(21)
(60)
(81)

At 1 April 2012
Total gains or losses: 
– in operating profit 
– in other comprehensive income 
Purchases 
Settlements 
At 31 March 2013
Total gains or losses: 
– in operating profit 
– in other comprehensive income 
Purchases 
Settlements 
At 31 March 2014

20 Derivative financial instruments

Non-current derivative financial instruments used  

to manage the Group’s net debt profile

Currency swaps: 
– net investment hedges 
Interest rate swaps:
– fair value hedges 
– held for trading 

Current derivative financial instruments used  

to manage the Group’s net debt profile

Interest rate swaps: 
– accrued interest 
– fair value hedges
– held for trading

Total derivative financial instruments used  
to manage the Group’s net debt profile

Other current derivative financial instruments 
Forward foreign exchange contracts:
– cash flow hedges 
Commodity pricing contracts: 
– cash flow hedges 
– held for trading 

Total other derivative financial instruments
Total derivative financial instruments

Presented in the statement of financial position as follows: 
Non-current derivative financial instruments 
Current derivative financial instruments

104 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
20 Derivative financial instruments continued
The ineffective portion recognised in operating profit that arises from cash flow hedges amounts to £nil (2013 – £1 million gain).

The ineffective portion recognised in operating profit that arises from net investment hedges amounts to £nil (2013 – £nil).

The ineffective portion recognised in net finance expense that arises from fair value hedges amounts to £nil (2013 – £1 million gain).

Cash flow hedges
The Group employs forward foreign exchange contracts and commodity pricing contracts to hedge cash flow risk associated with forecast 
transactions. The notional principal amounts of the outstanding forward foreign exchange contracts are as follows:

US dollar
Singapore dollar
Brazilian real
Mexican peso
Euro
Other

2014
£m
(55)
49
25
(16)
2
(3)

At 31 March
2013
£m
(36)
32
34
(29)
1
(3)

Gains and losses recognised in the hedging reserve in equity (Note 25) on forward foreign exchange and commodity pricing contracts at  
31 March 2014 are expected to be reclassified to the income statement at various dates until December 2016.

Fair value hedges
The Group employs interest rate swap contracts to hedge interest rate risks associated with its borrowings. The notional principal amounts of the 
outstanding interest rate swap contracts applied in fair value hedging relationships as of 31 March 2014 were £345 million (2013 – £364 million).

Net investment hedges
The Group employs currency swap contracts to hedge the currency risk associated with its net investments in subsidiaries located primarily  
in the United States and Europe. The notional principal amounts of the outstanding currency swap contracts applied in net investment hedging 
relationships as of 31 March 2014 were £147 million (31 March 2013 – £158 million). Within net investment hedging gains/losses, a fair value gain  
of £12 million (2013 – £5 million loss) on translation of the currency swap contracts to pounds sterling at the period-end date was recognised  
in the translation reserve in shareholders’ equity (Note 25).

In addition, at 31 March 2014, of the Group’s borrowings, a total of £456 million (2013 – £495 million) are designated as hedges of the net investments 
in overseas subsidiaries.

Debt-related derivatives held for trading
Some of the Group’s interest rate swap contracts hedge the Group’s exposure to interest rate risk, but do not qualify for hedge accounting. The 
notional amounts of the outstanding interest rate swap contracts not designated within hedge relationships as of 31 March 2014 were £210 million 
(2013 – £231 million).

Trading contracts
Commodity pricing contracts held for trading relate to the Group’s commodity trading activities which are undertaken for the purposes of supporting 
underlying operations. 

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

21 Financial risk factors
Management of financial risk
The key financial risks faced by the Group are credit risk, liquidity risk, and market risks, which include interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk and 
certain commodity price risks. The Board of Tate & Lyle PLC regularly reviews these risks and approves written policies covering the use of financial 
instruments to manage these risks and sets overall risk limits. The derivative financial instruments approved by the Board to manage financial risks 
include swaps, both interest rate and currency, caps, forward rate agreements, foreign exchange and commodity forward contracts and options,  
and commodity futures.

The Chief Financial Officer retains the overall responsibility for management of financial risk for the Group. Most of the Group’s financing, interest rate 
and foreign exchange risk are managed through the Group treasury company, Tate & Lyle International Finance PLC, whose operations are controlled 
by its board. The treasury company is chaired by the Chief Financial Officer and has other board members who are independent of the treasury 
function. Group interest rate and currency exposures are concentrated either in the treasury company or in appropriate holding companies through 
market-related transactions with Group subsidiaries. Tate & Lyle International Finance PLC arranges funding and manages interest rate, foreign 
exchange and bank counterparty risks within limits approved by the Board of Tate & Lyle PLC.

Commodity price risks are managed through divisional commodity trading functions in the United States and Europe. These functions are controlled 
by divisional management who are responsible for ratifying general strategy and overseeing performance on a monthly basis. Commodity price 
contracts are categorised as being held either for trading or for hedging price exposures. Commodity contracts held for trading within the Group  
are limited, confined only to tightly controlled areas within corn pricing.

Market risks
Foreign exchange management
Tate & Lyle operates internationally and is exposed to foreign exchange risks arising from commercial transactions (transaction exposure),  
and from recognised assets, liabilities and investments in overseas operations (translation exposure).

Transaction exposure
The Group’s policy requires subsidiaries to hedge transactional currency exposures against their functional currency once the transaction is 
committed or highly probable, mainly through the use of forward foreign exchange contracts. The amounts recognised in equity from derivative 
financial instruments designated as cash flow hedges are released to the income statement and offset against the movement in underlying 
transactions only when the forecast transactions affect the income statement.

Translation exposure
The Group manages the foreign exchange exposure to net investments in overseas operations, particularly in the United States and Europe, by 
maintaining a percentage of net debt in US dollars and euro to mitigate the effect of these risks. This is achieved by borrowing principally in US dollars 
and euro, which provide a partial match for the Group’s major foreign currency assets. The Group also manages its foreign exchange exposure to net 
investments in overseas operations through the use of currency swap contracts. The amount deferred in equity from derivative financial instruments 
designated as net investment hedges is offset against the foreign currency translation effect of the net investment in overseas operations, and is 
released to the income statement upon disposal of those investments.

A weakening of the US dollar and euro against sterling would result in exchange gains on net debt denominated in these currencies which would be 
offset against the losses on the underlying foreign currency assets. At the year end, net debt amounting to £353 million (2013 – £479 million) was held  
in the following currencies: net borrowings of US dollars 114% (2013 – 108%) and of euro nil% (2013 – 3%); and net deposits of pounds sterling  
10% (2013 – 10%) and other currencies 4% (2013 – 1%). The Group’s interest cost through the income statement is impacted by changes in the 
relevant exchange rates.

The following table illustrates only the Group’s sensitivity to the fluctuation of the major currencies on its financial assets and liabilities, as defined and 
set out in Note 19:

Sterling/US dollar 10% change
Sterling/euro 10% change

At 31 March 2014

At 31 March 2013

Income
statement 
–/+£m 
–
3

Equity
–/+£m 
37
6

Income
statement 
–/+£m 
–
–

Equity
–/+£m 
48
6

Interest rate management
The Group has an exposure to interest rate risk, arising principally from changes in US dollar, sterling and euro interest rates. This risk is managed  
by fixing or capping portions of debt using interest rate derivatives to achieve a target level of fixed/floating rate net debt, which aims to optimise  
net finance expense and reduce volatility in reported earnings. The Group’s policy is that between 30% and 75% of Group net debt (excluding  
the Group’s share of joint venture net debt) is fixed or capped (excluding out-of-the-money caps) for more than one year and that no interest  
rates are fixed for more than 12 years. At 31 March 2014, the longest term of any fixed rate debt held by the Group was until November 2019  
(2013 – November 2019). The proportion of net debt at 31 March 2014 (excluding the Group’s share of joint-venture net debt) that was fixed or  
capped for more than one year was 40% (2013 – 64%). 

The Group considers a 100 basis point change in interest rates a reasonably possible change except where rates are less than 100 basis points.  
In these instances it is assumed that the interest rates increase by 100 basis points and decrease to zero for the purpose of performing the  
sensitivity analysis. The impact is calculated with reference to the gross debt and cash held as at 31 March 2014 assuming that other variables  
remain unchanged.

As at 31 March 2014, if interest rates increase by 100 basis points, there would be no impact on the Group’s profit before tax (2013 – decrease by  
£1 million). If interest rates decrease by 100 basis points, or less where applicable, Group profit before tax will increase by £1 million (2013 – increase 
by £1 million). 

106 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

21 Financial risk factors continued
Price risk management
Tate & Lyle participates mainly in three markets: food and beverage; industrial ingredients; and animal feed. Food and beverage and industrial 
ingredients are the most significant. All ingredients are produced from renewable crops, predominantly corn (maize).

Tate & Lyle is exposed to movements in the future prices of commodities in those domestic and international markets where the Group buys and sells 
corn and energy for production. Commodity pricing contracts (futures, forwards and options) are used where available to hedge inventories and the 
costs of raw materials for unpriced and prospective contracts not covered by forward product sales. In most cases, these hedging contracts mature 
within one year and are either traded on recognised exchanges or over the counter.

The table below illustrates the sensitivity of the Group’s commodity pricing contracts as at 31 March to the price movement of commodities:

Corn 50% change

At 31 March 2014

At 31 March 2013

Income
statement 
–/+£m 
1

Equity
–/+£m 
–

Income
statement 
–/+£m 
3

Equity
–/+£m 
–

The majority of the Group’s commodity pricing contracts are held for trading and changes in mark-to-market values of these contracts are taken 
directly into the income statement. Amounts deferred in equity from commodity pricing contracts designated as cash flow hedges are released  
to the income statement and offset against the movement in underlying transactions when they occur.

Credit risk management
Counterparty credit risk arises from the placing of deposits and entering into derivative financial instrument contracts with banks and financial 
institutions, as well as credit exposures inherent within the Group’s outstanding receivables.

The Group manages credit risk by entering into financial instrument contracts only with highly credit-rated authorised counterparties which are 
reviewed and approved annually by the Board.

The Group has Board approved maximum counterparty exposure limits for specified banks and financial institutions based on the long-term credit 
ratings of Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s (typically single A long-term credit ratings or higher). Trading limits assigned to commercial customers are 
based on ratings from Dun & Bradstreet and Credit Risk Monitor. In cases where published financial ratings are not available or inconclusive, credit 
application, reference checking, and obtaining of customers’ confidential financial information such as liquidity and turnover ratio, are required to 
evaluate customers’ credit worthiness.

Analysis of amounts set off
The following tables set out the financial assets and financial liabilities which are subject to offsetting, enforceable master netting arrangements and 
similar agreements. Amounts which are set off against financial assets and liabilities in the Group’s statement of financial position are set out below. 
Amounts not offset but which could be offset under certain circumstances are also shown.

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At 31 March 2014
Trade and other receivables
Derivative financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Total

Trade and other payables
Derivative financial liabilities
Bank loans and overdrafts
Total

At 31 March 2013
Trade and other receivables
Derivative financial assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Total

Trade and other payables
Derivative financial liabilities
Bank loans and overdrafts
Total

Gross financial
assets/
(liabilities)
£m
302
102
396
800

Gross financial
(liabilities)/
assets set off
£m
–
–
–
–

Net financial
assets/
(liabilities) 
£m
302
102
396
800

Related
amounts not 
set off
£m
–
(5)
–
(5)

(315)
(52)
(778)
(1 145)

–
–
–
–

(315)
(52)
(778)
(1 145)

–
5
–
5

Gross financial
assets/(liabilities)
£m
372
140
379
891

Gross financial
(liabilities)/assets
set off
£m
–
–
–
–

Net financial
assets/(liabilities)
£m
372
140
379
891

Related amounts
not set off
£m
–
(21)
–
(21)

(382)
(81)
(896)
(1 359)

–
–
–
–

(382)
(81)
(896)
(1 359)

–
21
–
21

Net
£m
302
97
396
795

(315)
(47)
(778)
(1 140)

Net
£m
372
119
379
870

(382)
(60)
(896)
(1 338)

Amounts which do not meet the criteria for offsetting on the statement of financial position but could be settled net in certain circumstances 
principally relate to derivative transactions under ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association) agreements where each party has  
the option to settle amounts on a net basis in the event of default of the other party. 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 107

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

21 Financial risk factors continued
Analysis of maximum credit exposure
Counterparties’ positions are monitored on a regular basis to ensure that they are within the approved limits and there are no significant 
concentrations of credit risks.

The Group considers its maximum exposure to credit risk at the year end date is as follows:

Cash and cash equivalents 
Trade and other receivables 
Derivative financial instruments – assets 
Available-for-sale financial assets
Held for sale assets

2014
£m
396
302
102
28
–

At 31 March
2013
£m
379
372
140
27
1

The Group’s trade receivables are short term in nature and largely comprise amounts receivable from business customers. Concentrations of credit 
risk with respect to trade receivables are limited due to the Group’s having a number of key quality customers and a customer base which is large, 
unrelated and internationally dispersed.

Liquidity risk management
The Group manages its exposure to liquidity risk and ensures maximum flexibility in meeting changing business needs, by maintaining access to  
a wide range of funding sources, including capital markets and bank borrowings. Capital market issues outstanding at 31 March 2014 include the 
US$500 million 5.00% 144A bond maturing in November 2014, the US$250 million 6.625% 144A bond maturing in June 2016, and the £200 million 
6.75% bond maturing in November 2019. 

The Group ensures that it has sufficient undrawn committed bank facilities to provide liquidity back-up to cover its funding requirements for the 
foreseeable future. The Group has a core committed bank facility of US$800 million which matures in July 2016. This facility is unsecured and 
contains common financial covenants for Tate & Lyle and its subsidiary companies that the pre-exceptional and amortisation interest cover ratio 
should not be less than 2.5 times and the multiple of net debt to EBITDA, as defined in our financial covenants, should not be greater than 3.5 times. 
The Group intends to refinance the core committed bank facility no later than 12 months prior to the facility’s maturity in July 2016. The Group 
monitors compliance against all its financial obligations and it is Group policy to manage the consolidated statement of financial position so as to 
operate well within these covenanted restrictions. In both the current and comparative reporting period, the Group complied with its financial 
covenants at all measurement points. The majority of the Group’s borrowings are raised through the Group treasury company, Tate & Lyle 
International Finance PLC, and are then on-lent to the business units on an arm’s length basis.

Current Group policy is to ensure that, after subtracting the total of undrawn committed facilities, no more than 10% of gross debt matures within  
12 months and at least 35% has a maturity of more than 2.5 years. At 31 March 2014, after subtracting total undrawn committed facilities, there was 
no gross debt maturing within 12 months (2013 – none) and 29% of gross debt maturing within 2.5 years (2013 – none). The average maturity of the 
Group’s gross debt was 3.9 years (2013 – 4.6 years). At the year end, the Group held cash and cash equivalents of £396 million (2013 – £379 million) 
and had committed facilities of £480 million (2013 – £527 million) of which £480 million (2013 – £527 million) was undrawn. These resources are 
maintained to provide liquidity back-up and to meet the projected maximum cash outflow from debt repayment, capital expenditure and seasonal 
working capital needs foreseen for at least a year into the future at any one time.

The table below analyses the Group’s non-derivative financial liabilities and derivative assets and liabilities based on the remaining period at the 
statement of financial position date to the contractual maturity date. The amounts disclosed in the table are the contractual undiscounted cash flows.

Liquidity analysis
Borrowings including finance leases 
Interest on borrowings
Trade and other payables
Derivative contracts: 
– receipts
– payments 
Commodity contracts

Liquidity analysis
Borrowings including finance leases 
Interest on borrowings
Trade and other payables
Derivative contracts: 
– receipts
– payments 
Commodity contracts

108 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

<1 year
£m 
(337)
(38)
(315)

99
(86)
(16)

<1 year
£m 
(77)
(41)
(382)

93
(80)
(44)

1–5 years 
£m 
(166)
(69)
(2)

At 31 March 2014
> 5 years
£m 
(255)
(14)
–

244
(226)
(4)

–
–
–

1–5 years 
£m 
(518)
(99)
(3)

At 31 March 2013
> 5 years
£m 
(262)
(30)
–

271
(251)
(3)

–
–
–

21 Financial risk factors continued
Included in borrowings are £2,394,000 of 6.5% cumulative preference shares. Only one year’s worth of interest payable on these shares is included  
in the less than one year category.

Interest on borrowings is calculated based on borrowings held at year end without taking into account future issues. Floating-rate interest  
is calculated using forward interest rates derived from interest rate yield curves as at year end.

Derivative contracts include currency swaps, forward exchange contracts and interest rate swaps. All commodity pricing contracts such as options 
and futures are shown separately under commodity contracts.

Commodity contracts include only net settled commodity derivative contracts and gross settled commodity purchase contracts with negative fair 
values. Purchase contracts outflows represent actual contractual cash flows under the purchase contracts and not their fair values. Cash outflows 
from the purchase contracts are offset by cash inflows received from sale contracts; however, these inflows are not included as part of this analysis.

Financial assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than pounds sterling are converted to pounds sterling using year end exchange rates.

Capital risk management
The Group’s primary objectives in managing its capital are to safeguard the business as a going concern; to maintain a progressive dividend policy;  
to maintain sufficient financial flexibility to undertake its investment plans; and to retain as a minimum an investment grade credit rating which enables 
consistent access to debt capital markets. The Group’s financial profile and level of financial risk is assessed on a regular basis in the light of changes 
to the economic conditions, business environment, the Group’s business profile and the risk characteristics of its businesses.

Tate & Lyle has contractual relationships with Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s (S&P) for the provision of credit ratings, and it is the Group’s policy  
to keep them informed of all major developments. At 31 March 2014, the long-term credit rating from Moody’s was Baa2 (stable outlook) and from 
S&P was BBB (stable outlook). The Group is committed to maintaining investment grade credit ratings.

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The Group regards its total capital as follows:

Net debt
Equity attributable to owners of the Company
Total capital

Note
34

2014
£m
353
1 049
1 402

At 31 March
2013
£m
479
1 036
1 515

The Board has set two ongoing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the Group’s financial strength. The target levels for these financial  
KPIs are that the ratio of net debt/EBITDA should not exceed two times and interest cover should exceed five times. These ratios are calculated  
on the same basis as the external financial covenants noted above. The ratios for these KPIs for the financial years ended 31 March 2014 and  
31 March 2013 are:

Net debt/EBITDA
Interest cover

22 Inventories

Raw materials and consumables
Work in progress
Finished goods
Total

 Year ended 31 March
2013
times
1.0
11.1

2014
times
0.8
11.6

2014
£m
241
21
156
418

At 31 March
2013
£m
267
21
222
510

Finished goods inventories of £4 million (2013 – £5 million) are carried at realisable value, this being lower than cost. Inventories of £150 million  
(2013 – £164 million) are carried at market value. During the year, no net impairment charge was recognised against inventories (2013 – £nil). 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 109

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

23 Trade and other receivables

Non-current trade and other receivables
Other receivables
Total

Current trade and other receivables
Trade receivables
Less: allowance for doubtful debts
Trade receivables – net
Prepayments and accrued income
Margin deposits
Other receivables
Total

The carrying amounts of trade and other receivables were denominated in the following currencies:

US dollar
Euro 
Sterling
Other
Total

2014
£m

1
1

2014
£m

276
(8)
268
13
13
20
314

2014
£m
172
103
11
29
315

At 31 March
2013
£m

3
3

At 31 March
2013
£m

340
(10)
330
14
18
21
383

At 31 March
2013
£m
222
95
11
58
386

Allowance for doubtful debts
Trade receivables are subject to limited credit risk because the Group has a number of key customers of good credit quality and a large  
number of internationally dispersed customers. Trade receivables are regularly reviewed for collectability and an allowance has been established  
for doubtful debts against which trade receivables are written-off when they are no longer considered to be collectible. Movements on the  
allowance for doubtful debts were as follows:

At 1 April
Net credit/(expense) for the year (Note 6)
Currency translation differences
At 31 March

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
(7)
(3)
–
(10)

2014
£m
(10)
1
1
(8)

As at 31 March 2014, trade receivables of £22 million (2013 – £31 million) were past due but not impaired because they were considered to be 
collectible. The ageing analysis of these trade receivables was as follows:

Up to 30 days past due
1–3 months past due
Total

Trade receivables are not generally interest-bearing but interest may be charged to customers on overdue amounts.

2014
£m
22
–
22

At 31 March
2013
£m
28
3
31

110 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
24 Share capital and share premium

At 31 March 2013 and 31 March 2014

Ordinary
share capital
£m 
117

Share
premium
£m 
406

Total
£m 
523

Ordinary shares carry the right to participate in dividends and each share entitles the holder to one vote on matters requiring shareholder approval. 

Allotted, called up and fully paid equity share capital

At 1 April 
Allotted under share option schemes 
At 31 March

Year ended 31 March 2014

Year ended 31 March 2013

Shares 
468 192 900
9 983
468 202 883

£m 
117
–
117

Shares
468 160 519
32 381
468 192 900

£m 
117
–
117

Own shares
Own shares represent the Company’s ordinary shares that are acquired to meet the Group’s expected obligations under share-based incentive 
arrangements (see Note 26). Own shares are held either by the Company in treasury or by an Employee Benefit Trust that was established by the 
Company.

Movements in own shares held were as follows:

At 1 April
Purchased in the market
Transferred to employees
At 31 March

Year ended 31 March 2014
Cost
£m
 29
29
(21)
 37

Number
4 413 175
3 545 000
(3 251 746)
4 706 429

Year ended 31 March 2013
Cost
£m
 23
 23
(17)
 29

Number
3 795 558
3 500 000
(2 882 383)
4 413 175

During the year, 3,045,000 (2013 – 2,000,000) shares were purchased into treasury at a cost of £25 million (2013 – £13 million) and 500,000  
(2013 – 1,500,000) shares were purchased into the Employee Benefit Trust at a cost of £4 million (2013 – £10 million).

During the year, 2,443,619 (2013 – 2,703,843) shares held in treasury and 808,127 (2013 – 178,540) shares held in the Employee Benefit Trust  
were transferred to employees to satisfy vested share awards.

At 31 March 2014, 2,442,914 (2013 – 1,841,533) shares were held in treasury with a market value of £16 million (2013 – £16 million) and 2,263,515 
(2013 – 2,571,642) shares were held in the Employee Benefit Trust with a market value of £15 million (2013 – £22 million).

At 31 March 2014, own shares held represented 1.0% (2013 – 0.9%) of the Company’s called up share capital.

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Analysis of ordinary shareholders

Number of shares of 25p each

Up to 500 
501 – 1 000 
1 001 – 1 500 
1 501 – 2 000 
2 001 – 5 000 
5 001 – 10 000 
10 001 – 200 000 
200 001 – 500 000 
Above 500 000 
Total

Number of
holdings 

4 815
3 873
1 955
1 242
2 024
538
616
121
146
15 330

At 31 March 2014

% 

Total

% 

31.4
25.3
12.8
8.1
13.2
3.5
4.0
0.8
0.9
100.0

1 270 548
3 026 174
2 441 124
2 237 815
6 261 691
3 772 112
30 537 962
38 693 792
379 961 665
468 202 883

0.3
0.6
0.5
0.5
1.3
0.8
6.5
8.3
81.2
100.0

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Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 111

 
 
 
 
 
Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

25 Other reserves 

At 1 April 2012
Other comprehensive income 
Loss on cash flow hedges 
Loss on cash flow hedges transferred to profit or loss 
Loss on revaluation of available-for-sale financial assets 
Gain on currency translation of foreign operations 
Loss on net investment hedges 
Gain transferred to profit or loss on disposal of foreign operations 
Tax relating to the above items 
At 31 March 2013
Other comprehensive income 
Loss on cash flow hedges 
Loss on currency translation of foreign operations 
Gain on net investment hedges 
Tax relating to the above items 
At 31 March 2014

Hedging 
reserve 
£m 
2

Currency
translation
 reserve
£m 
28

Other
 reserves
£m 
98

(3)
4
–
–
–
–
(1)
2

(1)
–
–
–
1

–
–
–
56
(30)
(14)
–
40

–
(130)
50
–
(40)

–
–
(1)
–
–
–
–
97

–
–
–
–
97

Total
£m 
128

(3)
4
(1)
56
(30)
(14)
(1)
139

(1)
(130)
50
–
58

26 Share-based incentives
The Company operates share-based incentive arrangements for the executive directors, senior executives and other eligible employees under which 
awards and options are granted over the Company’s ordinary shares. All of the arrangements under which awards and options were outstanding 
during the 2014 and 2013 financial years are classified as equity-settled. During the year, the compensation expense recognised in profit or loss in 
respect of share-based incentives was £8 million (2013 – £13 million). 

Background
Performance Share Plan
The Group’s principal ongoing share-based incentive arrangement is the Performance Share Plan (PSP). Participation in the PSP is restricted  
to the executive directors and other senior executives. Awards made under the PSP normally vest provided the participant remains in the Group’s 
employment during the performance period and the Group achieves earnings per share (EPS) and return on capital employed (ROCE) targets.  
Up to 50% of each award vests dependent on the compound annual growth rate of the Group’s adjusted diluted EPS from continuing operations 
reaching specified levels over the performance period. Up to 50% of each award vests dependent on the Group’s adjusted ROCE from continuing 
operations reaching specified levels at the end of the performance period. The performance period is the period of three financial years beginning 
with the financial year in which the award is granted. During the 2014 and 2013 financial years, the Group recognised an expense in relation to 
share-based incentives that were awarded to the Chief Executive Officer in 2009, 2010 and 2011 that were subject to the same performance 
conditions that applied to awards made under the PSP in those years. From 2012, the Chief Executive Officer has participated in the PSP.

Further information on the PSP is set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 52 to 71.

Group Bonus Plan – Deferred Element
Bonuses earned under the Group Bonus Plan are normally paid in cash up to 100% of the base salary of the participating executive. Any excess 
above 100% of base salary is paid in the form of deferred shares that are released after two years subject to the executive remaining in the Group’s 
employment. During the vesting period, payments in lieu of dividends are made in relation to the deferred shares. 

Further information on the Group Bonus Plan is set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Report.

Sharesave Plan
Options are granted from time-to-to time under the Company’s Sharesave Plan, which is open to all employees in the UK. It offers eligible employees 
the option to buy shares in the Company after a period of three or five years funded from the proceeds of a savings contract to which they contribute 
on a monthly basis.

Executive Share Option Scheme
Options are outstanding under the Company’s legacy executive share option scheme. The last grant of options was made under this scheme in 2004 
and those options vested in 2007.

112 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

26 Share-based incentives continued
Movements in the year
Movements in the awards outstanding during the year were as follows:

Outstanding at 1 April
Granted
Exercised
Lapsed
Outstanding at 31 March
Exercisable at 31 March

Year ended 31 March 2014
Weighted 
average
exercise
price 
pence
10p 
11p
14p
20p
10p
16p

Awards
Number 
10 838 115 
2 591 210
(3 261 729)
(309 212)
9 858 384
 1 981 524

Year ended 31 March 2013
Weighted 
average
exercise
price 
pence
16p
8p
29p
7p
10p
29p

Awards
Number 
11 270 273
2 718 602
(2 914 764)
(235 996)
10 838 115
1 875 237

The weighted average market price of the Company’s ordinary shares on the dates on which awards were exercised during the year was 817p  
(2013 – 654p).

Awards granted in the year
During the year, PSP awards were granted over 2,548,235 shares (2013 – 2,673,024 shares) and Sharesave options were granted over 42,975 shares 
(2013 – 37,210 shares). The compensation expense recognised in relation to these awards is based on the fair value of the awards at their respective 
grant dates. The weighted average fair values of the awards granted during the year and the principal assumptions made in measuring those fair 
values were as follows:

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Fair value at grant date
Principal assumptions
Share price on grant date
Expected life of the awards
Risk-free interest rate
Dividend yield on the Company’s shares
Volatility of the Company’s shares

Year ended 31 March 2014

Year ended 31 March 2013

PSP 
752p

Sharesave
198p

PSP 
619p

Sharesave
209p

817p

782p
3 years 3.3/5.3 years
0.45%/0.9%
3.5%
30%

–
3.5%
n/a

679p
3 years
–
4.0%
n/a

759p
3.3/5.3 years
0.65%/1.2%
4.0%
35%

The fair value of the awards was measured using the Black-Scholes option pricing formula, taking into account factors such as non-transferability, 
exercise restrictions and behavioural considerations. 

Expected volatility was based on the historical volatility of the market price of the Company’s shares over the expected life of the awards.

No deferred shares were granted under the Group Bonus Plan during the year. During the prior year, 8,368 deferred shares were granted in relation  
to annual bonuses earned during the year ended 31 March 2012. 

Awards outstanding at the end of the year
The range of exercise prices and the weighted average remaining contractual life of awards outstanding at the end of the year were as follows:

Exercise price
Nil
200p to 399p
400p to 799p
Total

At 31 March 2014
Weighted 
average
contractual
life 
months
48.2
14.2
34.5
47.7

Awards
Number 
9 638 499
98 694
121 191
9 858 384

At 31 March 2013
Weighted 
average
contractual 
life 
months
49.1
14.6
37.6
48.4

Awards
Number 
10 573 265
167 358
97 492
10 838 115

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 113

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

27 Trade and other payables

Non-current payables
Accruals and deferred income 
Total

Current payables
Trade payables
Social security
Accruals and deferred income 
Other payables 
Total

28 Borrowings
Non-current borrowings

Unsecured borrowings 
2,394,000 6.5% cumulative preference shares of £1 each 
Industrial Revenue Bonds 2016–2036 (US$77,655,000)
5.0% Guaranteed Notes 2014 (US$500,000,000)
6.625% Guaranteed Notes 2016 (US$250,000,000)
6.75% Guaranteed Notes 2019 (£200,000,000) 
Total
Bank loans
Variable unsecured loans (US$) 
Total
Other borrowings
Obligations under finance leases
Total
Total non-current borrowings

2014
£m

2
2

2014
£m

216
2
63
34
315

2014
£m

2
47
–
157
214
420

2
2

17
17
439

At 31 March
2013
£m

3
3

At 31 March
2013
£m

264
3
79
36
382

At 31 March
2013
£m

2
51
341
177
224
795

5
5

21
21
821

On a return of capital on a winding-up, the holders of 6.5% cumulative preference shares shall be entitled to £1 per share, in preference to  
all other classes of shareholders. Holders of these shares are entitled to vote at meetings, except on the following matters: any question as  
to the disposal of the surplus profits after the dividend on these shares has been provided for; the election of directors; their remuneration;  
any agreement between the directors and the Company; or the alteration of the Articles of Association dealing with any such matters.

Current borrowing

Unsecured borrowings
5.0% Guaranteed Notes 2014 (US$500,000,000)
Industrial Revenue Bonds 2013 (US$14,345,000)
Bank overdrafts
Short-term loans 
Total
Other borrowings
Obligations under finance leases 
Total current borrowings

2014
£m

304
–
6
27
337

2
339

At 31 March
2013
£m

–
9
8
56
73

2
75

Included within borrowings are £345 million (2013 – £363 million) of borrowings subject to fair value hedges, of which amortised cost has been 
increased by £24 million (2013 – £46 million) in the table above. 

Secured borrowings
Lease liabilities are effectively secured as the rights to the leased asset revert to the lessor in the event of default.

114 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
28 Borrowings continued 
Fair values
The fair values of the Group’s borrowings compared with their book values are as follows:

Non-current unsecured borrowings 
Non-current bank loans 
Other non-current borrowings 
Current borrowings 
Total

Book value
£m 
420
2
17
339
778

At 31 March 2014
Fair value
£m
451
2
17
342
812

Book value
£m 
795
5
21
75
896

At 31 March 2013
Fair value
£m 
845
5
21
75
946

The fair value of borrowings has been determined using either quoted market prices, broker dealer quotations or discounted cash flow analysis.

Interest rate risks and maturity of borrowings
The maturity profile of the Group’s non-current borrowings is as follows:

One to two years
Two to five years
After five years 
Total non-current borrowings

2014
£m
9
164
266
439

At 31 March
2013
£m
344
191
286
821

Floating rate borrowings bear interest based on relevant national LIBOR equivalents. If the interest rates applicable to the Group’s floating rate debt 
and cash held as at 31 March 2014 rise by an average of 1% over the year ending 31 March 2015, there would be no impact on the Group’s profit 
before tax (2013 – decrease by £1 million).

Taking into account the Group’s interest rate and cross currency swap contracts, the effective interest rates of its borrowings are as follows:

2,394,000 6.5% cumulative preference shares of £1 each
Industrial Revenue Bonds 2013–2036 (US$92,000,000)
5.0% Guaranteed Notes 2014 (US$500,000,000)
6.625% Guaranteed Notes 2016 (US$250,000,000)
6.75% Guaranteed Notes 2019 (£200,000,000)

2014
£m
6.5%
0.1%
2.8%
4.1%
4.3%

At 31 March
2013
£m
6.5%
0.2%
2.9%
4.2%
4.8%

Short-term loans and overdrafts
Current short-term loans mature within the next 12 months and overdrafts are repayable on demand. Both short-term loans and bank overdrafts are 
arranged at floating rates of interest and expose the Group to cash flow interest rate risk.

Credit facilities and arrangements
Tate & Lyle International Finance PLC holds a US$800 million five year committed multi-currency club facility with a core of highly-rated banks that 
was arranged in July 2011.

As at 31 March 2014, this committed facility remains undrawn. The facility has a value of £480 million (2013 – £527 million) and matures in July 2016. 
This facility incurs commitment fees at market rates prevailing when the facility was arranged. The facility may only be withdrawn in the event of 
specified events of default. In addition, the Group has substantial uncommitted facilities.

Finance lease commitments
Amounts payable under finance lease commitments are as follows: 

Within one year 
Between one and five years 
After five years 
Total
Less future finance charges 
Present value of minimum lease payments

At 31 March 2014
Present value 
of minimum 
lease 
payments
£m
2
9
8
19

Minimum 
lease 
payments
£m 
4 
10
11
25
(6) 
19 

At 31 March 2013
Present value 
of minimum 
lease 
payments
£m 
2
11
10
23

Minimum 
lease 
payments
£m 
4
14
13
31
(8)
23

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 115

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

29 Deferred tax
Deferred tax is calculated on temporary differences arising between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for accounting purposes and their 
respective tax values. Deferred tax liabilities arise where the carrying amount is higher than the tax value (more tax deduction has been taken). This 
can happen where we invest in capital assets, as governments often encourage investment by allowing tax depreciation to be recognised faster than 
accounting depreciation. This reduces the tax value of the asset relative to its carrying amount. Deferred tax liabilities are generally provided on all 
taxable temporary differences. Deferred tax assets arise where the carrying amount is lower than the tax value (less tax benefit has been taken). This 
can happen where we have trading losses, which cannot be offset in the current period but can be carried forward and we consider it probable that 
we will be able to offset the losses against future taxable profits.

Movements in deferred income tax net assets/(liabilities) in the year are as follows:

Deferred tax 
At 1 April 2012
Charged to the income statement – restated*
Charged to other comprehensive income – restated*
Charged directly to equity
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2013
Charged to the income statement
Charged to other comprehensive income
Charged directly to equity
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2014

£m 
12
(23)
(12)
(1)
8
(16)
(2)
(22)
(1)
3
(38)

Of the amounts of deferred tax charged to the income statement and other comprehensive income, a charge of £1 million (2013 – £1 million) arose 
from changes in tax rates. There was no impact from the imposition of new taxes.

Deferred tax assets in respect of unutilised tax losses of £614 million (2013 – £571 million) have not been recognised to the extent that they exceed 
taxable profits against which these assets may be recovered. No unrelieved tax losses expired under current tax legislation in the year ended 
31 March 2014.

The total deferred tax on unremitted earnings is £3 million (2013 – £4 million) of which £nil (2013 – £nil) has been recognised. The Group has not 
recognised the amount as it is able to control the timing of the reversal of these temporary differences and it is probable that they will not reverse  
in the foreseeable future. The aggregate amount of temporary differences arising from unremitted profits at the period-end date was approximately 
£3 million (2013 – £4 million).

Other deferred tax liabilities principally relate to deferred tax on acquired intangible assets.

Other deferred tax assets principally relate to deferred tax on provisions. 

The movements in deferred tax assets and liabilities during the year are as follows:

Capital 
allowances
 in excess of
depreciation
£m
(115)
–
(12)
(10)
(137)
–
4
12
(121)

Other
£m 
(33)
3
(8)
8
(30)
3
23
2
(2)

Total
£m 
(148)
3
(20)
(2)
(167)
3
27
14
(123)

Deferred tax liabilities
At 1 April 2012
Transfers between categories
Charged to the income statement
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2013
Transfers between categories
Credited to the income statement
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2014

116 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

29 Deferred tax continued 

Deferred tax assets
At 1 April 2012
Transfers between categories
Credited/(charged) to the income statement – restated* 
Charged to other comprehensive income – restated*
Charged directly to equity 
Currency translation differences 
At 31 March 2013
Transfers between categories
(Charged)/credited to the income statement 
Charged to other comprehensive income 
Charged directly to equity 
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2014

Retirement 
benefit
obligations
£m
74
–
25
(6)
–
7
100
–
(6)
(22)
–
(8)
64

Share-based 
payments
£m
7
–
2
–
(1)
(1)
7
–
(1)
–
(1)
–
5

Tax losses
£m
78
–
(33)
(5)
–
2
42
–
(23)
–
–
(3)
16

Other
£m 
1
(3)
3
(1)
–
2
2
(3)
1
–
–
–
–

Total
£m 
 160
(3)
(3)
(12)
(1)
10
151
(3)
(29)
(22)
(1)
(11)
85

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset where there is a legally enforceable right of offset and there is an intention to settle the balances net.  
As a result of these offsets, the deferred tax balances are presented in the statement of financial position as follows:

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Deferred tax liabilities
Deferred tax assets 
Net deferred tax liability

*  See Note 43.

2014
£m
(45)
7
(38)

At 31 March
2013
£m
(24)
8
(16)

30 Retirement benefit obligations
(a) Plan information
(i) Pensions
The Group operates a number of defined benefit pension plans, principally in the UK and the US and, until December 2013, in the Netherlands. 
Generally, the pension benefits provided under these plans are determined based on the pensionable salary and period of pensionable service  
of the individual members. Most of the plans are funded and the plan assets held separately from those of the Group in funds that are under the 
control of trustees. The extent of the powers of the trustees, in particular in respect of funding and investment strategy, varies and is dependent  
on local regulations and the rules of each plan. Payments made by the Group to the plans principally comprise funding contributions agreed with  
the trustees that are determined in accordance with local regulations to ensure that appropriate funding levels are maintained and funding deficits  
are eliminated over a reasonable period of time. All of the significant defined benefit pension plans operated by the Group are closed to new entrants 
and most are closed to future accrual. 

The Group operates defined contribution pension plans in a number of countries. Contributions payable by the Group to these plans during the year 
amounted to £3 million (2013 – £4 million).  

(ii) Other benefits
The Group’s subsidiaries in the US provide unfunded retirement medical plans to the majority of their employees. Such plans provide financial 
assistance in meeting various costs including medical, dental and prescription drugs. Employees are required to contribute to the cost of benefits 
received under the plans. The Group meets the remaining costs of providing these benefits in the period in which they are incurred.

(b) Summary of financial effect 
At the beginning of the year, the Group adopted IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee Benefits’, which changed the way in which it accounts for defined 
benefit pension and other retirement benefit plans and certain of the related disclosure requirements. An explanation and analysis of the financial 
effect of these changes on the periods presented is set out in Note 43. Where necessary, comparative information for the prior year presented below 
has been restated to reflect these changes. 

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 117

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

30 Retirement benefit obligations continued 
(i) Analysis of amounts presented in the income statement

Charged/(credited) to operating profit
Defined benefit plans:
– Current service cost

Pension plans
Medical plans

– Gain on settlement
– Plan administration expenses

Defined contribution plans
Net charge to operating profit

Charged/(credited) to finance expense
Interest on benefit obligations
Interest on plan assets
Net charge to finance expense

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m

2014
£m

5
2
(4)
2
5
3
8

64
(56)
8

4
3
–
2
9
4
13

69
(65)
4

During the year, the assets and liabilities of the defined benefit pension plan in the Netherlands were transferred to a new collective defined 
contribution plan and the defined benefit plan was closed. For accounting purposes, this transfer was treated as a settlement on which the Group 
recognised a gain of £4 million (of which £2 million was attributed to the Bulk Ingredients segment and £2 million was attributed to the Speciality  
Food Ingredients segment).

(ii) Analysis of amounts presented in other comprehensive income

Return on plan assets
Actual return on plan assets (net of asset management expenses)
Interest on plan assets
Actual return lower than interest on plan assets 

Actuarial gains/ (losses)
Gain/(loss) from changes in financial assumptions
Loss from changes in demographic assumptions
(Loss)/gain from experience against assumptions
Net actuarial gain/(loss)

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m

2014
£m

27
(56)
(29)

60
(40)
(1)
19

52
(65)
(13)

(134)
(2)
4
(132)

During the year, the trustees of the Amylum UK Pension Scheme agreed a full buy-in of its benefit obligations at a cost of £82 million (which was 
partially funded by an additional contribution from the Group of £6 million). For accounting purposes, the related benefit obligation was valued at £69 
million such that there was a loss on plan assets of £13 million. During the prior year, the trustees of the Tate & Lyle Group Pension Scheme in the UK 
agreed a partial buy-in in relation to current pensioners at a cost of £347 million. For accounting purposes, the related benefit obligation was valued at 
£266 million such that there was a loss on plan assets of £81 million. 

(iii) Analysis of defined benefit liability

At 31 March 2014

At 31 March 2013

Pensions
£m

Medical
 benefits
£m

Total
£m

Pensions
£m

Medical 
benefits
£m

(1 425)
(46)
(1 471)
1 305
(166)

–
(166)
(166)

–
(54)
(54)
–
(54)

–
(54)
(54)

(1 425)
(100)
(1 525)
1 305
(220)

–
(220)
(220)

(1 539) 
(53) 
(1 592)
1 407
(185)

12
(197)
(185)

–
(80)
(80)
–
(80)

–
(80)
(80)

Total
£m

(1 539) 
(133) 
(1 672)
1 407
(265)

12
(277)
(265)

Benefit obligations:
Funded plans
Unfunded plans

Fair value of plan assets
Net deficit

Presented in the statement of financial position:
Retirement benefit surplus
Retirement benefit deficit

118 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

30 Retirement benefit obligations continued 
(iv) Analysis of movements in the net deficit

At 1 April 2012
Year ended 31 March 2013
–  (Increase)/decrease in the benefit obligation
–  Increase in the fair value of plan assets
At 31 March 2013
Year ended 31 March 2014
–  Decrease in the benefit obligation
–  Decrease in the fair value of plan assets
At 31 March 2014

Pensions
£m
(36)

Medical benefits
£m
(104)

(194)
45
(185)

121
(102)
(166)

24
–
(80)

26
–
(54)

Total
£m
(140)

(170)
45
(265)

147
(102)
(220)

(c) Defined benefit obligations
(i) Principal assumptions
Pensions
For accounting purposes, the benefit obligation of each plan has been calculated in accordance with IAS 19 based on data gathered for the most 
recent actuarial valuation and by applying assumptions made by the Group on the advice of independent actuaries.

As required by local regulations, actuarial valuations of the US pension plans are carried out each year and those of the UK pension plans are carried 
out at least every three years. An actuarial valuation at 31 March 2013 of the Tate & Lyle Group Pension Scheme in the UK has commenced. Whilst 
the valuation has not yet been finalised, the Group has used the data gathered in relation to the valuation as the basis for measuring the related 
benefit obligation. An actuarial valuation of the Amylum UK Pension Scheme was last carried out at 30 June 2011.

Principal assumptions used in calculating the benefit obligation were as follows:

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Inflation rate
Expected rate of salary increases
Expected rate of pension increases:
– Deferred pensions
– Pensions in payment
Discount rate

Inflation rate
Expected rate of salary increases
Expected rate of pension increases:
– Deferred pensions
– Pensions in payment
Discount rate

UK 
CPI 2.4%/
RPI 3.4%
n/a

2.4%
3.2%
4.2%

UK 
CPI 2.5%/
RPI 3.5%
n/a

2.5%
3.4%
4.2%

At 31 March 2014

US Other countries 

2.5%
3.5%

n/a
n/a
4.3%

2.0%
2.0%

1.6%
1.6%
3.5%

At 31 March 2013

US

Other countries 

2.5%
3.5%

n/a
n/a
3.9%

2.0%
2.0%

0.9%
0.9%
3.1%

Assumptions regarding future mortality rates of members of the Group’s pension plans are based on published statistics and taking into account the 
profile of the plan members. On this basis, the average life expectancies assumed for members of the plans are as follows:

Male aged 65 now
Male aged 65 in 20 years’ time
Female aged 65 now
Female aged 65 in 20 years’ time

At 31 March 2014

At 31 March 2013

UK 
23 years
26 years
24 years
27 years

US 
19 years
20 years
21 years
22 years

UK 
22 years
25 years
23 years
25 years

US 
19 years
21 years
21 years
22 years

Shorter longevity assumptions are used for members who retire on grounds of ill health.

Medical benefits
Principal assumptions used in calculating the benefit obligation are medical cost inflation and the discount rate applied to the expected benefit 
payments. Management assumed medical cost inflation at 6.0% per annum (2013 – 7.0%), grading down to 5% by 2016, and used a discount rate  
of 4.1% (2013 – 3.7%).

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

30 Retirement benefit obligations continued 
(ii) Analysis of movements in the benefit obligation

At 1 April 2012
Year ended 31 March 2013
Service cost
Plan administration costs
Interest on benefit obligation
Actuarial gains/(losses):
– Changes in financial assumptions
– Changes in demographic assumptions
– Experience against assumptions
Net actuarial (loss)/gain
Employees' contributions
Benefits paid
Currency translation differences
(Increase)/decrease in the benefit obligation
At 31 March 2013
Year ended 31 March 2014
Service cost
Plan administration costs
Interest on benefit obligation
Actuarial gains/(losses):
– Changes in financial assumptions
–  Changes in demographic assumptions
– Experience against assumptions
Net actuarial (loss)/gain
Employees’ contributions
Benefits paid
Transfer on settlement
Currency translation differences
(Increase)/decrease in the benefit obligation
At 31 March 2014

UK
£m
 (867) 

– 
 (2) 
 (43) 

(132)
–
–
 (132) 
– 
47
 (1) 
(131)
(998) 

–
(2)
(41)

23
(39)
(7)
(23)
–
49
–
2
(15)
 (1 013) 

US
£m
 (468) 

Other countries
£m
 (63) 

Pension benefits
Total
£m

 (1,398) 

Medical benefits
£m
 (104) 

 (1) 
–
 (20) 

(26)
(1)
2
(25)
– 
25
 (30) 
(51)
 (519) 

(1)
–
(19)

21
(1)
3
23
–
26
–
45
74
(445) 

 (3) 
 – 
 (2)

(7)
(1)
–
 (8) 
 (1) 
2
–
(12)
 (75)

(4)
–
(1)

(2)
–
1
(1)
(1)
2
67
–
62
 (13) 

 (4)
(2) 
 (65) 

(165)
(2)
2
 (165) 
 (1) 
74
 (31) 
(194)
 (1 592) 

(5)
(2)
(61)

42
(40)
(3)
(1)
(1)
77
67
47
121
 (1 471) 

 (3) 
–
 (4) 

31
–
2
33
– 
3
 (5) 
24
 (80) 

(2)
–
(3)

18
–
2
20
–
4
–
7
26
(54) 

(iii) Maturity of obligations
At 31 March 2014, the weighted average duration of the significant defined benefit obligations was as follows:

Pension plans:
– UK
– US
Medical benefits

At 31 March 2014, the benefits expected to be paid by the plans over the next ten years were as follows:

Benefit payments:
– Within 12 months
– Between 1 to 2 years
– Between 2 to 5 years
– Between 5 to 10 years

UK
£m

49
49
150
263

US
£m

Other countries
£m

Pension benefits
Total
£m

Medical benefits
£m

24
25
78
140

–
–
–
–

73
74
228
403

4
4
12
19

Total
£m

 (1,502) 

 (7) 
 (2) 
 (69) 

(134)
(2)
4
 (132) 
 (1) 
77
 (36) 
(170)
 (1 672)

(7)
(2)
(64)

60
(40)
(1)
19
(1)
81
67
54
147
(1 525) 

Duration

18 years
12 years
9 years

Total
£m

77
78
240
422

120 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

30 Retirement benefit obligations continued 
(d) Plan assets
(i) Investment strategy
Principal risks

The defined benefit pension plans expose the Group to actuarial risks such as interest rate, longevity, inflation and investment risk. 

Interest rate risk

Inflation risk

Volatility in the financial markets can have a significant effect on the 
benefit obligation as the calculation of the obligation involves 
discounting based on yields on AA-rated corporate bonds. A 
decrease in the bond yield will increase the benefit obligation.

Inflation risk arises where pensionable salaries, deferred pensions or 
pensions in payment are subject to inflation increases. A higher rate 
of inflation will lead to a higher benefit obligation. 

Longevity risk

Investment risk

Longevity (or life expectancy) represents a risk because the longer 
members of the plans live the higher benefit payments to them will 
be. An increase in life expectancy beyond that assumed will increase 
the benefit obligation. 

If the return on the plan assets is lower than the discount rate applied 
to the benefit obligation, there will be an increase in the deficit (or 
reduction in the surplus) on the plan. 

Mitigation of risk

The Group encourages the trustees of the plans to adopt an investment policy that seeks to mitigate these risks, which involves investing a significant 
proportion of the plan assets in liability-driven investment portfolios that mitigate interest rate, inflation and investment risks. The Group seeks to 
ensure that, as far as is practicable, the investment portfolios of the funded plans are invested in long-term fixed interest securities with maturities and 
in currencies that match the expected future benefit payments as they fall due. In the UK, interest rate derivatives are used to achieve close matching 
where matching fixed-interest securities are not available in the market. Most of the inflation risk for the Group arises in the UK since deferred 
pensions and pensions in payment in the US do not attract inflation increases. Inflation risk is mitigated by holding index-linked government bonds 
and corporate bonds and, in the UK, inflation derivatives. At 31 March 2014, £346 million (2013 – £275 million) of the benefit obligation was matched 
by qualifying insurance policies that also mitigate longevity risk. The plans also maintain a portfolio of return-seeking investments, principally in the 
form of equities and property. 

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(ii) Plan assets by category

Equities – quoted 
Corporate bonds – quoted 
Government bonds – quoted
Property – unquoted
Insurance policies – unquoted
Other assets – unquoted

Equities – quoted 
Corporate bonds – quoted 
Government bonds – quoted
Property – unquoted
Insurance policies – unquoted
Other assets – unquoted

UK
£m

237
148 
 105 
45
343
 96 
 974 

UK
£m

204
180 
 166 
57
272
 120 
 999 

Other countries
£m

At 31 March 2014
Total
£m

– 
– 
 – 
 – 
–
– 
–

332
 321 
148 
 62 
346
 96 
1 305

US
£m

 95 
 173 
 43 
17 
3
 –
331

US
£m

Other countries
£m

At 31 March 2013
Total
£m

 144 
 117 
 52 
29 
3
 1
346

21
9 
 20 
 – 
–
12 
62

369
 306 
238 
 86 
275
 133 
1 407

Plan assets do not include any direct investments in securities issued by the Group or any property occupied by or other assets used by the Group.

Assets are classified as quoted only if they have a quoted market price in an active market as defined by IFRS 13 ‘Fair Value Measurement’. All other 
assets are classified as unquoted.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 121

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

30 Retirement benefit obligations continued
(iii) Analysis of movements in the plan assets

At 1 April 2012
Year ended 31 March 2013
Interest on plan assets 
Actual return (lower)/higher than interest on plan assets 
Employer’s contributions
Employees’ contributions
Benefits paid
Currency translation differences
(Decrease)/increase in fair value of plan assets
At 31 March 2013
Year ended 31 March 2014
Interest on plan assets
Actual return (lower)/higher than interest on plan assets 
Employer’s contributions
Employees’ contributions
Benefits paid
Transfer on settlement
Currency translation differences
Decrease in fair value of plan assets
At 31 March 2014

UK
£m
 1 005 

US
£m
 302 

Other countries
£m
 55 

50
(35) 
 26 
– 
(47)
– 
(6)
 999 

42
(41)
24
–
(49)
–
(1)
(25)
 974 

 13 
 18 
 20 
– 
(25)
 18 
44
 346 

13
12
18
–
(26)
–
(32)
(15)
 331 

2 
4 
 2 
 1 
(2)
–
7
 62 

1
–
1
1
(2)
(63)
–
(62)
– 

Total
£m
 1 362 

65
 (13) 
48 
 1 
(74)
 18 
45
 1 407 

56
(29)
43
1
(77)
(63)
(33)
(102)
 1 305 

(e) Funding of the plans
A full valuation is performed by actuaries for the trustees of each plan to determine the level of funding required. Employer contributions are agreed 
between the trustees of each plan and the Group on the basis of these valuations. The assumptions used by the trustees for funding purposes may 
differ from the assumptions made by the Group for accounting purposes. As a result, the funding deficits or surpluses on the plans may be very 
different from the accounting deficits or surpluses. 

During the year ending 31 March 2015, the Group expects to contribute approximately £33 million to its defined benefit pension plans and to pay 
approximately £4 million in relation to retirement medical benefits.

(f) Sensitivity analysis
At 31 March 2014, the sensitivity of the net deficit on the plans to changes in the principal assumptions was as follows (assuming in each case that the 
other assumptions are unchanged): 

Change 
in assumption
+/-

Increase/(decrease) in obligation
Decrease
in assumption
£m

Increase 
in assumption
£m

 50 bp
1 year
100 bp

50 bp
100 bp

75
68
(206)

2
(5)

(59)
(68)
255

(2)
6

Pension plans
Inflation rate
Life expectancy
Discount rate
Medical benefits
Medical cost inflation
Discount rate

122 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

31 Provisions for other liabilities and charges

At 1 April 2012
Provided in the year 
Released in the year 
Utilised in the year 
Exchange and other movements
At 31 March 2013
Provided in the year 
Released in the year 
Utilised in the year 
Exchange and other movements 
At 31 March 2014

Provisions are expected to be utilised as follows:
– within one year
– after more than one year 
Total

Insurance 
funds
£m
11
3
(2)
(2)
–
10
2
(1)
(4)
(1)
6

Restructuring 
and closure 
provisions
£m
4
2
–
–
–
6
–
–
(2)
–
4

Other
 provisions
£m 
13
9
(5)
(2)
4
19
–
(1)
(2)
(1)
15

Total
£m
28
14
(7)
(4)
4
35
2
(2)
(8)
(2)
25

2014
£m

15
10
25

At 31 March
2013
£m

20
15
35

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Insurance funds represent amounts provided by the Group’s captive insurance subsidiary in respect of the expected level of insurance claims.  
These provisions are expected to be utilised within five years.

Restructuring and closure provisions relate to restructuring within the Group and are expected to be utilised within five years. 

Other provisions primarily relate to Group legal matters and previously disposed businesses and are expected to be utilised within  
five years. 

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Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 123

 
 
 
 
 
Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
(47)
(38)
(20)
(6)
4
(107)

2014
£m
65
37
(57)
(4)
(3)
38

2014
£m
238
158
396

2014
£m
396
396

 At 31 March
2013
£m
223
156
379

At 31 March
2013
£m
379
379

 At 31 March
2013
£m
64
214
80
21
379

32 Change in working capital

Continuing operations
Decrease/(increase) in inventories
Decrease/(increase) in receivables
Decrease in payables
Increase in derivative financial instruments (excluding debt-related derivatives)
(Decrease)/increase in provisions for other liabilities and charges
Decrease/(increase) in working capital

33 Cash and cash equivalents 

Cash at bank and in hand
Short-term bank deposits 
Total

Presented in the financial statements as follows:

Cash and cash equivalents
Total

The effective interest rate on short-term deposits was 0.3% (2013 – 0.3%), with an average maturity of two days (2013 – two days).

The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents are denominated in the following currencies:

Euro
US dollar
Sterling
Other 
Total

34 Net debt
Reconciliation of the increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents to the movement in net debt:

2014
£m
70
248
52
26
396

 Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
 (68)
 95 
 27 
 13 
–
(43)
 (3)
 (476)
 (479)

2014
£m
50
44
94
–
(3)
35
126
(479)
(353)

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Net decrease in borrowings
Decrease in net debt resulting from cash flows
Fair value and other movements
Debt acquired on acquisition of subsidiaries 
Currency translation differences
Decrease/(increase) in net debt in the year
Net debt at beginning of year
Net debt at end of year

124 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

34 Net debt continued
Movements in the Group’s net debt are as follows: 

At 1 April 2012
(Increase)/decrease resulting from cash flows
Fair value movements/other
Reclassification
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2013
Decrease resulting from cash flows 
Fair value movements/other
Reclassification
Debt acquired on acquisition of subsidiaries
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2014

Balances at 31 March 2014 comprise:
Non-current assets
Current assets
Non-current liabilities
Current liabilities

Net debt is denominated in the following currencies:

 Cash and cash
 equivalents
£m
 424 
 (46)
 – 
 – 
 1 
 379 
50
–
–
–
(33)
 396 

 – 
 396 
 – 
 – 

 Borrowings and finance leases 

 Current
£m
 (141)
 77 
 7 
 (12)
 (6)
 (75)
39
–
(304)
(3)
4
 (339)

 – 
 – 
 – 
 (339)

 Non-current
£m
 (805)
 2 
 1 
 12 
 (31)
 (821)
5
21
304
–
52
 (439)

 Derivatives
£m
 24 
 16 
 5 
 – 
 (7)
 38 
–
(21)
–
–
12
 29 

 – 
 – 
 (439)
 – 

 23 
 13 
 (2)
 (5)

Euro
US dollar
Sterling
Other 
Total

35 Contingent liabilities
Trade guarantees

Trade guarantees

Assets held
 for sale
£m
 22 
 (22)
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
–
–
–
–
–
 – 

 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 

2014
£m
1
(401)
33
14
(353)

 Total
£m
 (476)
 27 
 13 
 – 
 (43)
 (479)
94
–
–
(3)
35
 (353)

 23 
 409 
 (441)
 (344)

At 31 March
2013
£m
(12)
(521)
49
5
(479)

2014
£m
1

 At 31 March
2013
£m
2

Trade guarantees have been given in the normal course of business by the Group at both 31 March 2014 and 31 March 2013. These are in respect  
of Revenue and Customs, ECGD recourse agreements, letters of credit and tender and performance bonds.

Sale of EU Sugars
As previously announced, American Sugar Holdings (ASR) raised a number of claims totalling in the region of £40 million that it believes it has under 
the Share and Business Sale Agreement relating to its acquisition of the Group’s EU Sugars business in September 2010. These claims in large part 
relate to the turbulence in the supply of raw sugar to the EU during the period prior to closing and the increase in certain rolling re-export 
commitments of the business. Some, but not all, of these issues were considered in the expert adjudication on the closing accounts in which,  
as noted in the Annual Report 2012, the expert strongly supported Tate & Lyle’s position. ASR (through its subsidiary T&L Sugars Limited)  
has now commenced formal proceedings in respect of these claims which the Group intends to defend vigorously.

Other claims
The Group is subject to claims and litigation generally arising in the ordinary course of its business, some of which are for substantial amounts.  
All such actions are strenuously defended but provision is made for liabilities that are considered likely to arise on the basis of current information  
and legal advice and after taking into account the Group’s insurance arrangements. 

While there is always uncertainty as to the outcome of any claim or litigation, it is not expected that claims and litigation existing at 31 March 2014  
will have a material adverse effect on the Group’s financial position.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 125

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

36 Commitments
Capital commitments

Commitments for the purchase of intangible assets
Commitments for the purchase of property, plant and equipment 
Total

2014
£m
1
39
40

 At 31 March
2013
£m
6
21
27

Operating lease arrangements
Operating lease payments represent rentals payable by the Group for certain of its land, buildings, plant and equipment. Certain operating lease 
agreements allow for renewal at the end of the original term at the option of the Group.

At the period-end date, the Group has outstanding commitments under non-cancellable operating leases which fall due as follows:

Within one year
Between one year and five years
After five years 
Total

2014
£m
21
68
85
174

 At 31 March
2013
£m
24
77
88
189

37 Acquisitions and disposals
Year ended 31 March 2014
Acquisitions
On 17 May 2013, the Group acquired a 100% equity interest in Biovelop, an early-stage Swedish manufacturer of oat beta glucan. The acquisition 
broadened the Group’s health and wellness offering and added a clean-label, speciality fibre with strong health claims to its existing corn-based 
portfolio. 

On 8 October 2013, the Group acquired a 51% equity interest in Jiangsu Howbetter Food Co., Ltd, a leading Food Systems business in China.  
The new venture, Tate & Lyle Howbetter, provides the Group with local infrastructure and capabilities to accelerate the growth of its Food Systems 
business in China. At the acquisition date, the Group entered into put and call option arrangements whereby at a future date it could be required to 
purchase, or could itself opt to purchase, the 49% non-controlling interest in Tate & Lyle Howbetter for an amount in cash based on the future results 
of that business. The Group initially recognised a liability of £2 million in relation to the put option and a corresponding debit to equity attributable  
to owners of the Company.

Goodwill of £10 million was recognised on business combinations during the year, which was determined as follows:

Cash consideration
Non-controlling interests (share of net assets acquired)
Less: Net assets acquired 
Goodwill

Cash flows:
Cash consideration paid
Cash outflow on acquisitions

2014
£m
15
1
(6)
10

15
15

Goodwill recognised during the year was attributable to the broadening of the Group’s product offering and other synergies expected to be achieved 
with the Group’s existing businesses. None of the goodwill recognised during the year is expected to be deductible for tax purposes.

Businesses acquired during the year contributed revenue of £2 million and a loss before tax of £2 million to the Group’s results. Had they been 
acquired at the beginning of the year, their contribution to the Group’s results would not have been materially different.

Acquisition-related costs were less than £1 million.

Disposal
On 31 May 2013, the on-sale by the acquirer of Orsan China (a monosodium glutamate producer in which Tate & Lyle held a stake that was sold in 
2009) resulted in a one-off operating gain of £3 million.

126 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

37 Acquisitions and disposals continued
Year ended 31 March 2013
Disposals
Continuing operations
Sucromiles 
On 1 August 2012, the Group completed the disposal of its share in Sucromiles SA (Sucromiles), its Colombian citric acid joint venture, to its former 
joint-venture partner, Organizacion Ardila Lulle, for consideration of £20 million. After transferring a cumulative currency translation gain to the income 
statement, there was a gain on disposal of £8 million that was recognised as an exceptional item within continuing operations. 

Discontinued operations
Vietnam Sugars 
On 29 June 2012, the Group completed the sale of Vietnam Sugar to TH Milk Food Stock Company for consideration of £45 million. After transferring 
a cumulative currency translation gain to the income statement, there was a gain on disposal of £21 million that was recognised as an exceptional 
item within discontinued operations.

Molasses 
On 20 March 2013, the Group completed the sale of land and buildings with book value of £2 million relating to the former Molasses business 
 to W&R Barnett Ltd. Cash consideration totalled £7 million resulting in a gain on disposal of £5 million that was recognised as an exceptional  
item within discontinued operations.

EU Sugars 
During the prior year, the Group received £2 million in respect of a working capital settlement from its disposal of the EU Sugars business  
to American Sugar Refining in September 2010. No change to the loss on disposal was recorded.

Other 
During the prior year, the Group disposed of the remaining assets of its Israel Sugar business, resulting in a gain of £2 million, which was offset  
by losses on the disposal of other assets relating to the Group’s discontinued Sugar operations. 

A net gain of £34 million was recognised on disposals of businesses during the prior year, which may be analysed as follows:

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Goodwill and intangible assets
Property, plant and equipment
Derivative financial instruments – assets
Inventories
Trade and other receivables
Trade and other payables
Derivative financial instruments – liabilities
Cash and cash equivalents
Taxation
Total assets disposed
Non-controlling interests disposed
Net assets disposed

Total consideration

Other items:
– Disposal costs
– Currency translation differences transferred to profit or loss
Net gain on disposal

Reported as:
– Exceptional items (Note 7)
– Non-exceptional items:

– Gain on disposal
– Loss on disposal

Total

Cash flows:
– Cash consideration
– Cash disposed
Net cash inflow on disposals

Continuing 
operations 
£m
–
3
–
9
9
(6)
–
5
–
20
–
20

Discontinued
operations
£m
2
20
4
10
13
(3)
(4)
22
(1)
63
(25)
38

20

–
8
8

8

–
–
8

20
(5)
15

61

(3)
6
26

26

2
(2)
26

58
(22)
36

2013
Total
£m
2
23
4
19
22
(9)
(4)
27
(1)
83
(25)
58

81

(3)
14
34

34

2
(2)
34

78
(27)
51

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 127

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

38 Assets classified as held for sale
At 31 March 2013, the Group’s investment in Mitr Lao Sugar Company was classified as held for sale. It was sold during the year for £1 million which 
resulted in no gain or loss. 

39 Related party disclosures
Identity of related parties
The Group has related party relationships with its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, the Group’s pension schemes and with key 
management being its directors and executive officers. No related party relationships with close family members of the Group’s key management 
existed in the current or comparative year.

Subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates
Transactions entered into by the Company with subsidiaries and between subsidiaries as well as the resultant balances of receivables and payables 
are eliminated on consolidation and are not required to be disclosed. The Group’s share of transactions entered into by the Company and its 
subsidiaries with joint ventures and between joint ventures as well as the Group’s share of the resultant balances of receivables and payables are 
eliminated on consolidation. For transactions and balances with joint ventures, there is an element which is not eliminated on consolidation relating  
to the external joint-venture partner which is required to be disclosed. Transactions and balances with and between joint ventures are as shown 
below. There are no such transactions with associates. 

Continuing operations
Sales of goods and services
– to joint ventures
Purchases of goods and services
– from joint ventures

Receivables
– due from joint ventures
Payables
– due to joint ventures 
Financing
– loans to joint ventures
– deposits from joint ventures

The Group had no material related party transactions containing unusual commercial terms.

The Group provides guarantees in respect of banking facilities of a joint venture totalling £9 million (2013 – £9 million).

Key management compensation
Key management compensation is disclosed in Note 9. 

 Year ended 31 March
2013
£m

2014
£m

154

304

2014
£m

10

21

8
12

174

279

 At 31 March
2013
£m

15

21

20
53

128 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
40 Currency exchange rates 
The principal exchange rates used to translate the results, assets and liabilities and cash flows of the Group’s foreign operations into pounds sterling 
were as follows:

Average rate
US dollar
Euro

Year-end rate
US dollar
Euro

41 Principal subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates
Subsidiaries based in the United Kingdom1

G.C. Hahn and Company Limited
Tate & Lyle Industries Limited
Tate & Lyle International Finance PLC2
Tate & Lyle Investments Limited2
Tate & Lyle LLC

1  Registered in England and Wales, except Tate & Lyle LLC which is registered in Delaware, USA.
2   Direct subsidiaries of Tate & Lyle PLC.

Type of business
Blending
Holding company
In-house treasury company
Holding company
Holding company

Year ended 31 March
2013
£1 =

2014
£1 =

1.59
1.19

2014
£1 =

1.67
1.21

1.57
1.24

At 31 March
2013
£1 =

1.52
1.18

Percentage of
equity attributable
to Tate & Lyle PLC
100
100
100
100
100

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

41 Principal subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates continued
Subsidiaries operating overseas

Country of incorporation 
or registration
Argentina

Company
Tate & Lyle Argentina SA

Australia
Belgium
Bermuda
Brazil

Chile

China

France

Germany

Gibraltar
Italy
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands

Tate & Lyle ANZ Pty Limited
Tate & Lyle Services (Belgium) N.V.
Tate & Lyle Management & Finance Limited
Tate & Lyle Brasil S.A.1

G.C. Hahn & Co. do Estabilizantes e Tecnologia para Alimentos Ltda.
Tate & Lyle Chile Commercial Ltda

Tate & Lyle Howbetter Co. Ltd1
Tate & Lyle Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd1

G.C. Hahn & Co. Food Stabiliser Business (Shanghai) Ltd.1
G.C. Hahn & Cie. S.A.R.L.
Tate & Lyle Ingredients France S.A.S.
G.C. Hahn & Co. Stabilisierungstechnik GmbH
G.C. Hahn & Co. Cooperationsgeschaft mbH
Tate & Lyle Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited
Tate & Lyle Italia S.P.A.
Tate & Lyle Mexico, S. de R.L.de C.V.
Tate & Lyle Morocco SA
Nederlandse Glucose Industrie B.V.
Tate & Lyle Netherlands B.V.

Poland

Singapore
South Africa

G.C. Hahn & Co. Technika stabilizowania Sp.z.o.o.
Tate & Lyle Global Shared Services Sp.z.o.o
Tate & Lyle Singapore Pte Ltd
Tate and Lyle South Africa Proprietary Limited

Spain
Sweden
USA

G.C. Hahn Estabilizantes y Tecnologia para Alimentos
Tate & Lyle Sweden AB
Staley Holdings LLC
Tate & Lyle Custom Ingredients LLC
Tate & Lyle Finance LLC
TLHUS, Inc.
Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas LLC
Tate & Lyle Sucralose LLC
TLI Holding LLC

1  Non-coterminous year end.

Joint ventures

Country of incorporation 
or registration
Bulgaria
Hungary
Mexico
Netherlands
Romania
Slovakia
Turkey
USA

Company
Amylum Bulgaria EAD1,2
Hungrana Kft1,2
Almidones Mexicanos SA2
Eaststarch C.V.
Amylum Romania S.R.L.1
Amylum Slovakia, spol s.r.o.1
Amylum Nisasta Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sireketi1
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company, LLC

Type of business
Cereal sweeteners and starches, 
sucralose distribution 
Sucralose distribution and blending 
Holding company 
Management and finance 
Citric acid, sucralose distribution, 
cereal sweeteners and starches 
Blending 
Cereal sweeteners and starches, 
sucralose distribution 
Blending 
Sucralose distribution, 
cereal sweeteners and starches 
Blending 
Blending 
Research and development centre
Blending 
Holding company 
Reinsurance 
Blending 
Sucralose distribution 
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
Holding company 
Cereal sweeteners and starches, 
sucralose distribution 
Blending 
Holding company 
High-intensity sweeteners 
Blending, cereal sweeteners and 
starches 
Blending 
Oat beta glucan
Holding company 
Blending 
In-house banking 
Holding company 
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
High-intensity sweeteners 
In-house banking

Type of business
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
Holding company 
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
Cereal sweeteners and starches 
Industrial ingredients 

Percentage of 
equity attributable 
to Tate & Lyle PLC

100
100
100
100

100
100

100
51

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

(100)
(50) 

Percentage of
equity attributable 
to Tate & Lyle PLC3
50
25
50
50
50
50
50
50

(100) 
(100) 
(100) 

1  Share capital held by Eaststarch C.V.
2  Non-coterminous year end.
3   The proportion of shares held by Tate & Lyle PLC, its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates is shown in brackets where it is different from the percentage  

of equity attributable to Tate & Lyle PLC.

130 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

41 Principal subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates continued
Associate

Country of incorporation or registration
Thailand

Company
Tapioca Development Corporation1

Type of business
Starch production

1  Indirect associate of Tate & Lyle PLC.

Percentage of 
equity attributable
to Tate & Lyle PLC
33.3

The results, assets and liabilities and cash flows of those entities whose financial years are not coterminous with that of the Group are consolidated  
or proportionately consolidated in the Group’s financial statements on the basis of management accounts for the year ended 31 March.

A full listing of the Company’s subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates is available from the Company Secretary at the Company’s registered office 
at 1 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AT.

42 Reconciliation of adjusted performance measures
For the reasons set out in Note 1, Tate & Lyle presents adjusted performance measures including adjusted operating profit, adjusted profit before tax 
and adjusted earnings per share. For periods presented, these adjusted performance measures exclude, where relevant, exceptional items, the 
amortisation of acquired intangible assets, net retirement benefit interest, tax on those adjustments and an exceptional tax item in discontinued 
operations.

The following table shows the reconciliation of the adjusted performance measures to the most directly comparable measures presented in 
accordance with IFRS.

£m (unless otherwise stated)
Continuing operations 
Sales 
Operating profit 
Net finance expense 
Profit before tax 
Income tax expense 
Profit for the year

Basic earnings per share 
Diluted earnings per share 
Effective tax rate 

Discontinued operations 
Sales 
Operating profit/(loss) 
Net finance expense 
Profit/(loss) before tax 
Income tax credit
Profit/(loss) for the year 
Non-controlling interests 
Profit/(loss) attributable to shareholders

Basic earnings/(loss) per share 
Diluted earnings/(loss) per share 

Total operations 
Sales 
Operating profit
Net finance expense 
Profit before tax 
Income tax expense
Profit for the year 
Non-controlling interests 
Profit attributable to shareholders

Basic earnings per share 
Diluted earnings per share
Effective tax rate

*  See Note 43. 

Reported

Year ended 31 March 2014
Adjusting 
items

Adjusted

3 147
325
(35)
290
(45)
245

52.8p
52.1p
15.6%

–
–
–
–
28
28
–
28

–
24
8
32
(15)
17

3.7p
3.6p

–
–
–
–
(28)
(28)
–
(28)

6.0p
5.9p

(6.0)p
(5.9)p

3 147
325
(35)
290
(17)
273
–
273

58.8p
58.0p
5.9%

–
24
8
32
(43)
(11)
–
(11)

(2.3)p
(2.3)p

3 147
349
(27)
322
(60)
262

56.5p
55.7p
18.5%

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–

3 147
349
(27)
322
(60)
262
–
262

56.5p
55.7p
18.5%

Reported

3 256
334
(33)
301
(46)
255

54.9p
53.8p
15.3%

10
18
–
18
–
18
(1)
17

3.7p
3.6p

3 266
352
(33)
319
(46)
273
(1)
272

58.6p
57.4p
14.4%

Restated*
Year ended 31 March 2013

Adjusting 
items

Adjusted

–
22
4
26
(13)
13

2.8p
2.8p

–
(26)
–
(26)
–
(26)
–
(26)

(5.6)p
(5.5)p

–
(4)
4
–
(13)
(13)
–
(13)

(2.8)p
(2.7)p

3 256
356
(29)
327
(59)
268

57.7p
56.6p
18.0%

10
(8)
–
(8)
–
(8)
(1)
(9)

(1.9)p
(1.9)p

3 266
348
(29)
319
(59)
260
(1)
259

55.8p
54.7p
18.5%

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 131

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

43 Adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) ‘Employee Benefits’ 
At the beginning of the year, the Group adopted IAS 19 (Revised 2011) Employee Benefits, which changed the way it accounts for defined benefit 
pension and other retirement benefit plans. IAS 19 (Revised 2011) had no effect on the Group’s financial position but it changed the allocation  
of movements in the net deficits or surpluses on the plans within and between the income statement and other comprehensive income.

In previous years, the Group’s income statement reflected an expected return on the plan assets and an interest cost on the benefit obligation. 
Differences between those assumptions and the actual outcomes were included in the net actuarial gain or loss that was recognised in other 
comprehensive income. Under the revised standard, the Group’s income statement reflects a net interest cost or credit calculated by applying the 
discount rate used in measuring the present value of the benefit obligation to the deficit or surplus on the plan. Essentially, therefore, in the Group’s 
income statement the expected return on the plan assets has been replaced by an interest credit. Differences between the actual return on the plan 
assets and the interest credit are recognised on a separate line in other comprehensive income.

Asset management costs continue to be deducted in arriving at the actual return on plan assets. Plan administration costs that were previously 
deducted in arriving at the actual return on the plan assets are now charged to operating profit.

Comparative amounts for 2013 have been restated on a consistent basis. An analysis of the effect of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) on the Group’s results  
for 2014 and 2013 is presented below. 

£m unless otherwise stated
Continuing operations
Sales
Operating profit
Finance income
Finance expense
Profit before tax
Income tax expense
Profit for the year from continuing operations
Profit for the year from discontinued operations
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive expense
Total comprehensive income

Continuing operations
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

Total operations
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

Year ended 31 March 2014

Year ended 31 March 2013

Under 
previous
policy

Effect of 
IAS 19R

As
reported

As 
previously
reported

Effect of
IAS 19R

As 
restated

3 147
327
2
(29)
300
(49)
251
28
279
(119)
160

54.1p
53.4p

60.1p
59.3p

–
(2)
–
(8)
(10)
4
(6)
–
(6)
6
–

(1.3)p
(1.3)p

(1.3)p
(1.3)p

3 147
325
2
(37)
290
(45)
245
28
273
(113)
160

52.8p
52.1p

58.8p
58.0p

3 256
336
 3
(30)
 309
(49)
 260
 18
 278
(149)
 129

56.0p
54.9p

59.7p
58.5p

–
(2)
 (2)
(4)
 (8)
3
 (5)
 –
 (5)
5
 –

(1.1)p
(1.1)p

(1.1)p
(1.1)p

3 256
334
 1
(34)
 301
(46)
 255
 18
 273
(144)
 129

54.9p
53.8p

58.6p
57.4p

132 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

44 Future adoption of IFRS 11 ‘Joint Arrangements’
With effect from 1 April 2014, the Group adopted IFRS 11 Joint Arrangements which will change significantly the accounting for its interests  
in joint ventures.

In these financial statements, the Group’s interests in joint ventures are accounted for by proportionate consolidation, whereby the Group’s share  
of the income and expenses, assets and liabilities and cash flows of joint ventures are combined on a line-by-line basis with those of Tate & Lyle PLC 
and its subsidiaries. IFRS 11 prohibits the use of proportionate consolidation and requires that joint ventures are accounted for using the equity 
method of accounting. Under the equity method of accounting, the Group’s share of the after tax profits and losses of the joint ventures will be shown 
on one line of the consolidated income statement, its share of their net assets will be shown on one line of the consolidated statement of financial 
position and the consolidated statement of cash flows will reflect cash flows between the Group and the joint ventures (investments in and dividends 
from joint ventures) within cash flows from investing activities. While these changes will not affect the Group’s earnings or its net assets, they will affect 
many of the individual line items presented in the Group’s financial statements.

Comparative amounts for 2014 will be restated on a consistent basis in the Group’s financial statements for future periods. We present below  
an analysis of the effect of IFRS 11 on selected line items.

As currently 
reported
£m

Elimination of
proportionate
consolidation
£m

Adoption of 
equity 
accounting
£m

As will be
restated
£m

Consolidated profit or loss and comprehensive income
Year ended 31 March 2014
Continuing operations
Sales
Operating profit
Finance income
Finance expense
Share of profit after tax of joint ventures
Profit before tax
Income tax expense
Profit from continuing operations
Profit from discontinued operations
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive expense
Total comprehensive income

Consolidated cash flows
Year ended 31 March 2014
Net cash inflow from operating activities
Net cash outflow from investing activities
Net cash outflow from financing activities
Net cash inflow

Consolidated assets and liabilities
At 31 March 2014
Non-current assets
Current assets
Total assets
Total equity
Non-current liabilities
Current liabilities
Total equity and liabilities

3 147
325
2
(37)
–
290
(45)
245
28
273
(113)
160

384
(137)
(197)
50

1 319
1 208
2 527
1 050
718
759
2 527

(393)
(74)
–
–
–
(74)
13
(61)
–
(61)
22
(39)

(98)
116
–
18

(137)
(146)
(283)
(224)
(6)
(53)
(283)

–
–
–
–
61
61
–
61
–
61
(22)
39

–
–
–
–

224
–
224
224
–
–
224

2 754
251
2
(37)
61
277
(32)
245
28
273
(113)
160

286
(21)
(197)
68

1 406
1 062
2 468
1 050
712
706
2 468

Going forward, the Group will present segment and adjusted financial information on a proportionate consolidation basis since this reflects  
the management of our joint ventures on an integrated basis with the Group’s subsidiaries.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 133

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Financial Statements

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS  
OF TATE & LYLE PLC

Responsibilities for the financial 
statements and the audit
Our responsibilities and those  
of the Directors 
As explained more fully in the Directors’ 
Statement of Responsibilities set out on  
page 73, the Directors are responsible for the 
preparation of the Parent Company financial 
statements and for being satisfied that they  
give a true and fair view. 

Our responsibility is to audit and express  
an opinion on the Parent Company financial 
statements in accordance with applicable  
law and ISAs (UK & Ireland). Those standards 
require us to comply with the Auditing Practices 
Board’s Ethical Standards for Auditors. 

This report, including the opinions, has been 
prepared for and only for the Company’s 
members as a body in accordance with 
Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 
2006 and for no other purpose. We do not,  
in giving these opinions, accept or assume 
responsibility for any other purpose or to any 
other person to whom this report is shown  
or into whose hands it may come save where 
expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.

Other Matter
We have reported separately on the Group 
financial statements of Tate & Lyle PLC for  
the year ended 31 March 2014.

John Waters (Senior Statutory Auditor) 
for and on behalf of  
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors

London

28 May 2014

(a)  The maintenance and integrity of the Tate & Lyle 

website (www.tateandlyle.com) is the responsibility 
of the Directors; the work carried out by the 
auditors does not involve consideration of these 
matters and, accordingly, the auditors accept  
no responsibility for any changes that may have 
occurred to the financial statements since they 
were initially presented on the website.

(b)  Legislation in the United Kingdom governing  
the preparation and dissemination of financial 
statements may differ from legislation 
in other jurisdictions.

Report on the Parent Company 
financial statements
Our opinion  
In our opinion the Parent Company financial 
statements, defined below:

(cid:116)(cid:1) give a true and fair view of the state of the 

Parent Company’s affairs as at 31 March 2014;

(cid:116)(cid:1) have been properly prepared in accordance 
with United Kingdom Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practice; and

(cid:116)(cid:1) have been prepared in accordance with the 
requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

This opinion is to be read in the context of what 
we say in the remainder of this report.

What we have audited
The Parent Company financial statements, 
which are prepared by Tate & Lyle PLC, 
comprise:

(cid:116)(cid:1) the Parent Company balance sheet as at 

31 March 2014;

(cid:116)(cid:1) the notes to the Parent Company financial 
statements, which include a summary of 
significant accounting policies and other 
explanatory information.

The financial reporting framework that has been 
applied in their preparation comprises 
applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting 
Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted 
Accounting Practice).

In applying the financial reporting framework, 
the Directors have made a number of subjective 
judgements, for example in respect of 
significant accounting estimates. In making 
such estimates, they have made assumptions 
and considered future events.

Certain disclosures required by the financial 
reporting framework have been presented 
elsewhere in the Annual Report 2014 (“the 
Annual Report”) rather than in the notes  
to the Parent Company financial statements. 
These are cross-referenced from the Parent 
Company financial statements and are  
identified as audited.

What an audit of financial 
statements involves 
We conducted our audit in accordance with 
International Standards on Auditing (UK & 
Ireland) (“ISAs (UK & Ireland)”). An audit involves 
obtaining evidence about the amounts and 
disclosures in the financial statements sufficient 
to give reasonable assurance that the financial 
statements are free from material misstatement, 
whether caused by fraud or error. This includes 
an assessment of:

(cid:116)(cid:1) whether the accounting policies are 

appropriate to the Parent Company’s 
circumstances and have been consistently 
applied and adequately disclosed;

(cid:116)(cid:1) the reasonableness of significant accounting 

estimates made by the Directors; and
(cid:116)(cid:1) the overall presentation of the financial 

statements. 

In addition, we read all the financial and 
non-financial information in the Annual Report 
to identify material inconsistencies with the 
audited Parent Company financial statements 
and to identify any information that is apparently 
materially incorrect based on, or materially 
inconsistent with, the knowledge acquired by us 
in the course of performing the audit. If we 
become aware of any apparent material 
misstatements or inconsistencies we consider 
the implications for our report.

Opinions on other matters prescribed 
by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion:

(cid:116)(cid:1) The information given in the Strategic Report 

and the Directors’ Report for the financial year 
for which the Parent Company financial 
statements are prepared is consistent with  
the Parent Company financial statements.
(cid:116)(cid:1) The part of the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report to be audited has been properly 
prepared in accordance with the Companies 
Act 2006.

Other matters on which we are 
required to report by exception
Adequacy of accounting records and 
information and explanations received
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required 
to report to you if, in our opinion:

(cid:116)(cid:1) we have not received all the information and 
explanations we require for our audit; or

(cid:116)(cid:1) adequate accounting records have not been 
kept by the Parent Company, or returns 
adequate for our audit have not been received 
from branches not visited by us; or

(cid:116)(cid:1) the Parent Company financial statements and 

the part of the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report to be audited are not in agreement 
with the accounting records and returns.

We have no exceptions to report arising  
from this responsibility.

Directors’ remuneration
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are  
required to report to you if, in our opinion, 
certain disclosures of Directors’ remuneration 
specified by law have not been made.  
We have no exceptions to report arising  
from this responsibility.

Other information in the Annual 
Report
Under ISAs (UK & Ireland), we are required to 
report to you if, in our opinion, information in the 
Annual Report is:

(cid:116)(cid:1) materially inconsistent with the information in 

the audited Parent Company financial 
statements; or

(cid:116)(cid:1) apparently materially incorrect based on, or 

materially inconsistent with, our knowledge of 
the Parent Company acquired in the course of 
performing our audit; or
(cid:116)(cid:1) is otherwise misleading.

We have no exceptions to report arising from 
this responsibility.

134 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

PARENT COMPANY BALANCE SHEET

Fixed assets 
Tangible assets 
Investments in subsidiary undertakings 
Investment in associate 
Total
Current assets 
Debtors 
Cash at bank 

Creditors – amounts falling due within one year 
Net current (liabilities)/assets 
Total assets less current liabilities
Creditors – amounts falling due after more than one year
Net assets

Capital and reserves
Called up share capital
Share premium account
Capital redemption reserve
Profit and loss account 
Total shareholders’ funds

Notes

2
3
4

5

6

7

10
11
11
11

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2014
£m

13
999
1
1 013

1 501
1
1 502
(1 533)
(31)
982
(2)
980

117
406
8
449
980

At 31 March
2013
£m

9
1 006
1
1 016

1 535
–
1 535
(1 407)
128
1 144
(2)
1 142

117
406
8
611
1 142

The Parent Company’s financial statements on pages 135 to 140 were approved by the Board of Directors on 28 May 2014 and signed on its behalf 
by:

Javed Ahmed, Tim Lodge   Directors

The Notes on pages 136 to 140 form part of these financial statements.

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Tate & Lyle PLC

Registered number: 76535

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Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 135

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1 Principal accounting policies
Accounting basis
Tate & Lyle PLC (the Company) is a public 
limited company incorporated and domiciled  
in the United Kingdom. The Company’s  
ordinary shares are listed on the London  
Stock Exchange.

The Company’s financial statements are 
prepared under the historical cost convention  
in accordance with the Companies Act 2006 
and applicable UK accounting standards. 

The Company’s principal accounting policies 
are unchanged compared with the year ended 
31 March 2013.

For the reasons set out on page 28, the 
Company’s financial statements are prepared 
on a going concern basis.

As permitted by Section 408(2) of the 
Companies Act 2006, the Company’s profit and 
loss account and statement of total recognised 
gains and losses are not presented in these 
financial statements. Profit and loss account 
disclosures are presented in Note 14.

Tangible fixed assets
Tangible fixed assets are stated at historical 
purchase cost less accumulated depreciation. 
Cost includes the original purchase price of the 
asset and the costs attributable to bringing the 
asset to its working condition for its intended 
use. Depreciation is provided on a straight-line 
basis to write off the cost of tangible fixed 
assets over their estimated useful life. Tangible 
fixed assets comprise furniture, fixtures, fittings 
and computer software which are depreciated 
over a period of five to ten years. Impairment 
reviews are undertaken if there are indications 
that the carrying values may not be recoverable.

Investments
An undertaking is regarded as a subsidiary 
undertaking if the Company has control over  
its operating and financial policies.

An undertaking is regarded as an associate if 
the Company holds a participating interest and 
has significant influence, but not control, over  
its operating and financial policies. Significant 
influence generally exists where the Company 
holds more than 20% and less than 50% of the 
shareholders’ voting rights.

Investments in subsidiary undertakings and in 
associates represent interests that are directly 
owned by the Company and are stated at cost 
less amounts written-off for any permanent 
diminution in value.

Amounts owed by or to subsidiary 
undertakings
Amounts owed by or to subsidiary undertakings 
are stated at amortised cost using the effective 
interest method. Amounts owed by subsidiary 
undertakings are written off where deemed 
unrecoverable. 

Research and development
All expenditure on research and development  
is charged to the profit and loss account  
when incurred.

136 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

Leases
Operating lease payments are charged to the 
profit and loss account on a straight-line basis 
over the lease term.

Retirement benefits
The Company participates in a defined benefit 
pension scheme in which certain of its 
subsidiaries also participate. The Company, 
which is not the principal employer, cannot 
identify its share of the underlying assets and 
liabilities of the scheme. Accordingly, as 
permitted by FRS 17 Retirement Benefits,  
the Company accounts for the scheme as  
a defined contribution scheme and charges  
its contributions to the scheme to the profit  
and loss account in the periods in which  
they fall due.

Deferred tax
Deferred tax is recognised on a discounted full 
provision basis on timing differences between 
the recognition of gains and losses in the 
financial statements and their recognition for  
tax purposes that have arisen but not reversed 
at the balance sheet date. Deferred tax is not 
recognised on permanent differences or on 
timing differences arising on unremitted profits 
of overseas subsidiaries. Deferred tax assets 
are recognised only to the extent that it is 
considered more likely than not that there will 
be sufficient future taxable profits to permit tax 
relief of the underlying timing differences.

Foreign currency translation
Transactions denominated in foreign  
currencies are translated into pounds sterling  
at the exchange rate ruling on the date of the 
transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities 
denominated in foreign currencies are 
retranslated into pounds sterling at the 
exchange rate ruling on the balance sheet date. 
Currency translation differences are credited  
or charged to the profit and loss account.

Non-monetary assets denominated in foreign 
currencies are not usually retranslated. An 
investment in an overseas subsidiary 
undertaking or associate is, however, 
retranslated if it is financed by foreign currency 
borrowings and the borrowings are designated 
as a hedging instrument in relation to the 
investment. If this is the case, the resulting 
translation gain or loss on the investment is 
recognised in the profit and loss account where, 
to the extent that the hedge is effective, it will be 
offset by the translation gain or loss on the 
related borrowings.

Share-based incentives
As described in Note 26 to the Group financial 
statements, the Company operates share-
based incentive plans under which it grants 
awards over its ordinary shares to its own 
employees and to those of its subsidiary 
undertakings. All of the awards granted  
under the existing plans are classified  
as equity-settled awards.

For awards granted to its own employees,  
the Company recognises an expense that is 
based on the fair value of the awards measured 
at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option 
pricing formula. Fair value reflects any market 
performance conditions and all non-vesting 
conditions. Adjustments are made to the 
compensation expense to reflect actual  
and expected forfeitures due to failure  
to satisfy service conditions or non-market 
performance conditions.

Generally, the expense is recognised in the 
profit and loss account on a straight-line basis 
over the vesting period and a corresponding 
credit is recognised in the profit and loss 
account reserve. 

For awards granted to employees of  
its subsidiary undertakings, the Company 
recognises a capital contribution to the 
subsidiary and a corresponding credit  
to equity calculated on the same basis as  
the expense that it recognises for awards  
to its own employees. 

Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Company 
has a present obligation as a result of a past 
event, it is probable that a transfer of economic 
benefits will be required to settle the obligation, 
and a reliable estimate can be made of the 
amount of the obligation.

Guarantees
From time to time, the Company provides 
guarantees to third parties in respect of the 
indebtedness of its subsidiary undertakings and 
joint ventures. The Directors consider these 
guarantees to be insurance arrangements and, 
therefore, the Company recognises a liability in 
respect of such guarantees only in the event 
that it becomes probable that the guarantee will 
be called upon and the Company will be 
required to make a payment to the third party.

Own shares
Own shares represent the Company’s ordinary 
shares that are held by the Company in treasury 
or by a sponsored Employee Benefit Trust that 
are used to satisfy awards made under the 
Company’s share-based incentive plans.  
When own shares are acquired, the cost  
of purchase in the market is deducted from  
the profit and loss account reserve. Gains  
or losses on the subsequent transfer or sale  
of own shares are also recognised in the profit 
and loss account reserve.

Dividends 
Dividends on the Company’s ordinary 
shares are recognised when they have been 
appropriately authorised and are no longer at 
the Company’s discretion. Accordingly, interim 
dividends are recognised when they are paid 
and final dividends are recognised when they 
are declared following approval by shareholders 
at the Company’s AGM. Dividends are 
recognised as an appropriation of shareholders’ 
funds. Details of dividends paid and proposed 
are set out in Note 12.

2 Tangible fixed assets

Cost
At 1 April 2013
Additions
Transfer to a subsidiary
At 31 March 2014 
Accumulated depreciation
At 1 April 2013
Charge for the year
At 31 March 2014
Net book value at 31 March 2013
Net book value at 31 March 2014

3 Investments in subsidiary undertakings

Cost
At 1 April 2013
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2014 
Impairment
At 1 April 2013
Provision for impairment
Currency translation differences
At 31 March 2014
Net book value at 31 March 2013
Net book value at 31 March 2014

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£m

12
9
(4)
17

3
1
4
9
13 

£m

1 565
(2)
1 563

559
7
(2)
564
1 006
999

A list of the Company’s principal subsidiaries is presented in Note 41 of the Group financial statements. 

The provision for impairment during the year reflects an adjustment to the recoverable amount of the Company’s investment in Tate & Lyle Ventures 
Ltd and Tate & Lyle Services Belgium NV. The directors believe that the carrying value of the investments is supported by the value of their underlying 
net assets.

During the year, the Company made capital contributions to subsidiary undertakings in respect of share-based incentive awards granted to their 
employees of £nil (2013 – £7 million).

4 Investment in associate
The Company holds a 16.6% interest of ordinary shares in Tapioca Development Corporation, a company incorporated in Thailand.

5 Debtors

Due within one year
Amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings
Other debtors 
Total

2014
£m

1 495
6
1 501

At 31 March
2013
£m

1 531
4
1 535

The effective interest rate applicable to amounts owed by subsidiary undertakings at 31 March 2014 is 2.1% (2013 – 2.3%). Amounts owed by 
subsidiary undertakings are receivable on demand. There is no security for non-trading amounts.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 137

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

6 Creditors – amounts falling due within one year

Amounts owed to subsidiary undertakings
Other creditors
Accruals and deferred income 
Total

2014
£m
1 518
6
9
1 533

At 31 March
2013
£m
1 392
5
10
1 407

The effective interest rate applicable to amounts owed to subsidiary undertakings at 31 March 2014 was 2.2% (2013 – 2.3%). Amounts owed to 
subsidiary undertakings are repayable on demand. There is no security for non-trading amounts.

7 Creditors – amounts falling due after more than one year

Preference shares 
Total

2014
£m
2
2

At 31 March
2013
£m
2
2

On a return of capital on a winding-up, the holders of 6.5% cumulative preference shares shall be entitled to £1 per share, in preference  
to all other classes of shareholders. Holders of these shares are entitled to vote at meetings, except on the following matters: any question  
as to the disposal of the surplus profits after the dividend on these shares has been provided for; the election of directors; their remuneration;  
any agreement between the directors and the Company; or the alteration of the Articles of Association dealing with any such matters.

8 Contingent liabilities
At 31 March 2014, the Company had given guarantees in respect of loans and overdraft facilities of certain of its subsidiaries and joint ventures 
totalling £1,535 million (2013 – £1,645 million), against which amounts drawn totalled £859 million (2013 – £938 million). Other trade guarantees have 
been given in the normal course of business by Tate & Lyle PLC in respect of Revenue and Customs, ECGD recourse agreements, letters of credit, 
and tender and performance bonds.

9 Financial commitments
Operating lease rentals payable during the year were £1 million (2013 – £1 million).

Operating lease commitments for land and buildings fall due as follows:

Within one year
Later than one year and no later than five years
After five years
Total

At 31 March 2014, the Company had outstanding capital commitments of £nil (2013 – £5 million). 

2014
£m
1
6
11
18

 At 31 March
2013
£m
1
6
12
19

138 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

10 Called up share capital
Allotted, called up and fully paid equity share capital

At 1 April 
Allotted under share option schemes 
At 31 March

11 Reconciliation of movements in shareholders’ funds

At 1 April 2012
Year ended 31 March 2013
Profit for the year
Proceeds from shares issued
Purchase of own shares
Share-based payments 
Ordinary dividends paid (Note 12)
At 31 March 2013
Year ended 31 March 2014 
Loss for the year 
Purchase of own shares 
Share-based payments 
Ordinary dividends paid (Note 12)
At 31 March 2014

Year ended 31 March 2014

Year ended 31 March 2013

Shares 
468 192 900
9 983
468 202 883

£m
117
–
117

Shares
468 160 519
32 381
468 192 900

Called up  
share capital
£m 
117

Share 
premium 
account
£m
406

Capital 
redemption 
reserve
£m 
8

Profit
 and loss 
account
£m 
525

–
–
–
–
–
117

–
–
–
–
117

–
–
–
–
–
406

–
–
–
–
406

–
–
–
–
–
8

–
–
–
–
8

212
1
(23)
13
(117)
611

(11)
(29)
2
(124)
449

£m 
117
–
117

Total
£m
1 056

212
1
(23)
13
(117)
1 142

(11)
(29)
2
(124)
980

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At 31 March 2014, the profit and loss account reserve was stated after a deduction of £37 million (2013 – £29 million) for the cumulative cost of own 
shares held indirectly in an Employee Benefit Trust or directly as treasury shares in relation to share-based compensation plans. Further information 
on own shares is presented in Note 24 to the Group financial statements.

Ordinary shares carry the right to participate in dividends and each share entitles the holder to one vote on matters requiring shareholder  
approval except for ordinary shares held in the Employee Benefit Trust or as treasury shares. The amount available for the payment of dividends  
by the Company at 31 March 2014 was £449 million (2013 – £611 million).

12 Dividends
Dividends on ordinary shares in respect of the financial year: 

Per ordinary share:
– interim dividend paid
– final dividend proposed
Total dividend 

 Year ended 31 March
2013
pence

2014
pence

7.8p
19.8p
27.6p

7.4p
18.8p
26.2p

The Directors propose a final dividend for the financial year of 19.8p per ordinary share that, subject to approval by shareholders, will be paid on  
1 August 2014 to shareholders who are on the Register of Members on 27 June 2014.

Final dividend paid relating to the prior year
Interim dividend paid relating to the year
Total dividend paid

 Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
83
34
117

2014
£m
88
36
124

Based on the number of ordinary shares outstanding at 31 March 2014, the final dividend for the financial year is expected to amount to £92 million.

13 Related parties
As permitted by FRS 8 Related Party Disclosures, related party transactions with the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries are not disclosed.  
There were no transactions with other related parties except for the provision of guarantees in respect of banking facilities of a joint venture  
totalling £9 million (2013 – £9 million).

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 139

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Financial Statements

NOTES TO THE PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS | CONTINUED

14 Profit and loss account disclosures 
The Company recognised a loss for the year of £11 million (2013 – profit of £212 million).
Fees payable to the Company’s auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, for the audit of the Company’s financial statements amounted  
to £0.1 million (2013 – £0.1 million).

The Company employed an average of 136 people (including directors) during the year (2013 – 121). Staff costs are shown below:

Wages and salaries
Social security costs
Other pension costs 
Share-based incentives 
Total

Year ended 31 March
2013
£m
11
3
1
6
21

2014
£m
11
1
1
3
16

Directors’ emoluments disclosures are provided in the Directors’ Remuneration Report on pages 52 to 71 and in Note 9 of the Group financial 
statements.

At 31 March 2014, 5,862,890 (2013 – 6,073,157) outstanding share options were attributable to employees and directors of the Company as follows:

Year issued
2010
2011
2012
2013
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2003
2009
2009
2009
2010
2011
2011
2012

Number of 
shares
5 532
13 398
14 819
12 170
2 672
4 464
4 989
7 063
13 442
6 762
7 506
16 559
49 986
1 047 850
1 222 200
1 142 877
96 022
419 403
257 870
656 640
473 042
378 337
4 496
4 791

Subscription 
prices (pence)
488.00
552.00
607.00
652.00
376.00
418.00
488.00
552.00
607.00
652.00
–
–
–
–
–
–
325.00
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

Dates normally 
exercisable
2014
2015
2016
2017
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2011–2018
2012–2018
2013–2019
2014–2020
2015–2021
2016–2022
2007–2014
2011–2017
2012–2018
2012–2018
2013–2019
2014–2020
2013–2019
2014–2020

Sharesave Scheme – 3 year options 

Sharesave Scheme – 5 year options 

Performance Share Plan

Executive share option scheme 
Javed Ahmed – compensatory awards 

Javed Ahmed – long-term incentive awards 

Group Bonus Plan

140 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

INFORMATION FOR INVESTORS

Shareholding enquiries
General enquiries
Information on how to manage your 
shareholdings can be found at  
www.shareview.co.uk. The website also 
provides answers to commonly asked 
shareholder questions and has links to 
downloadable forms, guidance notes  
and company history fact sheets.

Email enquiries (Equiniti Shareview 
Enquiry Service)
If your question is not answered by the 
information provided online you can send 
your enquiry via secure email from the above 
website. You will be asked to complete a 
structured form and to provide your 
shareholder reference number, name and 
address. You will also need to provide your 
email address if this is how you would like  
to receive your response.

Telephone enquiries
0871 384 2063 (for UK calls)1
+44 (0)121 415 0235 (for calls from outside 
the UK).

1   Calls to this number are charged at 8p per 
minute plus network extras. Lines are open 
from Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 5.30 pm  
UK time (excluding UK public holidays).

Written enquiries
Equiniti Limited, Aspect House, Spencer 
Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN99 6DA.

Individual Savings Account (ISA)
Tate & Lyle’s ordinary shares can be held in 
an ISA. For information, please call the 
Equiniti ISA Helpline on 0871 384 2244.

Tate & Lyle website and 
share price information

Tate & Lyle’s website provides direct links  
to other Group company sites and to sites 
providing financial and other information 
relevant to the Company. The share price  
is available on the website with a  
20-minute delay. 

 www.tateandlyle.com

Financial calendar

2014 Annual General Meeting
Announcement of half-year results for the six months to 30 September 2014
Announcement of full-year results for the year ending 31 March 2015 
2015 Annual General Meeting

24 July 2014
6 Nov 20141
28 May 20151
29 July 20151

1  Provisional date.

Dividends paid on ordinary shares during the year ended 31 March 2014
Payment date
2 Aug 2013
3 Jan 2014

Final 2013
Interim 2014

Dividend description

Dividend per share
18.8p
7.8p

Dividend calendar for dividends on ordinary shares

Announced
Payment date

1  Provisional date.
2  Subject to approval of shareholders.

2014 final

29 May 2014
1 Aug 20142

2015 interim

6 Nov 20141
2 Jan 20151

2015 final

28 May 20151
31 July 20151,2

Dividends paid on 6½% cumulative preference shares
Paid each 31 March and 30 September.

Capital gains tax
The market values on 31 March 1982 for the purposes of indexation up to April 1998 in relation  
to capital gains tax of Tate & Lyle PLC shares then in issue were:

Ordinary share of £1 each
Equivalent value per ordinary share of 25p
6½% cumulative preference share

201.00p
50.25p
43.50p

Tate & Lyle American Depositary Shares (ADSs)
The Company’s shares trade in the USA on the over the counter (OTCQX) market in the form  
of ADSs and these are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). The shares are  
traded under the ticker symbol TATYY. Each ADS is equivalent to four ordinary shares.  
For more information, contact The Bank of New York Mellon at:

BNY Mellon Shareowner Services 
PO Box 30170 
College Station 
TX 77842-3170 
Tel:  +1 888 269 2377 (for US calls)  

+1 201 680 6825 (for calls from outside the US)

On 10 April 2007, Tate & Lyle was approved for the International PremierQX tier of International 
OTCQX. This provides a gateway to US securities markets for international companies that are 
listed on a qualified international exchange. Tate & Lyle’s ADR is identified with an International 
PremierQX logo and investors can find current financial information and other disclosures on  
www.otcqx.com and www.pinksheets.com.

Electronic communications
Shareholder documents are only sent in paper format to shareholders who have elected to receive 
documents in this way. This approach enables the Company to reduce printing and distribution 
costs and its impact on the environment. 

Shareholders who have not elected to receive paper copies are sent a notification whenever 
shareholder documents are published, to advise them how to access the documents via the  
Tate & Lyle website, www.tateandlyle.com. Shareholders may also choose to receive this 
notification via email with a link to the relevant page on the website. Shareholders who wish  
to receive email notification should register online at www.shareview.co.uk, using their  
shareholder reference number that is either on their share certificate or other correspondence.

Beware of share fraud
Shareholders should be very wary of any unsolicited calls or correspondence offering to buy  
or sell shares at a discounted price. These calls are typically from fraudsters operating ‘boiler 
rooms’. Boiler rooms use increasingly sophisticated means to approach investors and often leave 
their victims out of pocket. If you are concerned that you may have been targeted by fraudsters 
please contact the FCA Consumer Helpline on 0800 111 6768.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 141
Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 141

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Useful Information

FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY

Per share information
Earnings per share: 
– basic2 
–  adjusted basic2 
Earnings per share: 
– diluted2 
–  adjusted diluted2 
Dividends per ordinary share 
Closing share price at 31 March
Closing market capitalisation at 31 March (£million)

Business ratios 
Interest cover (times)3
Adjusted profit before tax divided by net finance expense
Gearing 
Net debt as a percentage of total net assets2 
Adjusted operating margin 
Adjusted operating profit as a percentage of sales2 
Return on net operating assets 
Adjusted operating profit as a percentage of average 

net operating assets2 
Dividend cover (times) 
Basic earnings per share divided by dividends per share2 
Adjusted basic earnings per share divided by dividends per share2 

Year ended
 31 March

2014

58.8p
56.5p

58.0p
55.7p
27.6p
667.5p
3 125

11.6x

34%

Restated1
2010 

Restated1
2011

Restated 1
2012

Restated 1
2013 

4.6p
40.0p

4.6p
40.0p
22.9p
454.2p
2 092

5.8x

84%

8.1%

33.7p
48.1p

33.2p
47.3p
23.7p
577.5p
2 703

6.9x

48%

9.6%

63.8p
57.4p

62.7p
56.4p
24.9p
705.0p
3 301

11.1x

45%

58.6p
55.8p

57.4p
54.7p
26.2p
850.0p
3 980

11.1x

46%

11.1%

10.7%

11.1%

14.0%

20.0%

22.8%

21.5%

22.2%

0.2x
1.7x

1.4x
2.0x

2.6x
2.3x

2.2x
2.1x

2.1x
2.0x

1  Restated for the adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) Employee Benefits. 
2  These metrics have been calculated using the results of both continuing and discontinued operations.
3  Interest cover has been calculated using the same basis as set out in the Group’s external bank covenants.

142 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Employment of capital
Goodwill and intangible assets 
Property, plant and equipment
Other non-current assets 
Working capital 
Net pension deficit
Net assets held for sale (excluding cash included in net debt)
Net operating assets 
Net debt
Net tax asset/(liability)
Total net assets 

Capital employed
Called up share capital 
Reserves 

Non-controlling interests 

Results summary
Continuing operations
Sales 
Adjusted operating profit 
Amortisation of acquired intangible assets 
Exceptional items
Operating (loss)/profit 
Adjusted net finance expense
Net retirement benefit interest expense
Net finance expense
(Loss)/profit before tax 
Income tax credit/(expense)
(Loss)/profit for the year from continuing operations 
Profit/(loss) for the year from discontinued operations 
Non-controlling interests 
Profit for the year attributable to owners of the Company 

Continuing operations
Adjusted profit before tax3
(Loss)/earnings per share: 
– basic 
– diluted 

2010 
£m
340
1 208
21
302
(257)
18
1 632
(814)
36
854

115
712
827
27
854

2011
£m
320
855
24
279
(139)
62
1 401
(464)
36
973

117
833
950
23
973

2012
£m
325
922
28
370
(140)
63
1 568
(476)
(34)
1 058

117
916
1 033
25
1 058

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2013
£m
356
958
33
497
(265)
1
1 580
(479)
(65)
1 036

117
919
1 036
–
1 036

At 31 March
2014
£m
389
865
34
412
(220)
–
1 480
(353)
(77)
1 050

117
932
1 049
1
1 050

Year ended 31 March

Restated1,2

2010
£m

Restated1 
2011
£m

Restated1 
2012
£m

Restated1 
2013
£m

2 533
266
(14)
(298)
(46)
(53)
(14)
(67)
(113)
98
(15)
40
(4)
21

213

(3.3)p
(3.3)p

2 720
319
(13)
(5)
301
(54)
(13)
(67)
234
(45)
189
(29)
(4)
156

265

40.9p
40.3p

3 088
346
(12)
68
402
(30)
(4)
(34)
368
(69)
299
2
(4)
297

316

64.2p
63.0p

3 256
356
(10)
(12)
334
(29)
(4)
(33)
301
(46)
255
18
(1)
272

327

54.9p
53.8p

2014
£m

3 147
349
(10)
(14)
325
(27)
(8)
(35)
290
(45)
245
28
–
273

322

52.8p
52.1p

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1  Restated for the adoption of IAS 19 (Revised 2011) Employee Benefits. 
2  Restated to reflect the former Sugars businesses which have been classed as discontinued operations.
3  Adjusted profit before tax excludes exceptional items, the amortisation of acquired intangible assets and net retirement benefit interest.

Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014  | 143

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Useful Information

GLOSSARY

A
Acidulants Ingredients such as citric acid that 
are used to add a ‘sour’ taste to foods and soft 
drinks and to act as a preservative.

Adjusted operating profit (PBITEA)
Operating profit (as defined separately), 
adjusted for amortisation of acquired intangible 
assets and net exceptional items.

Adjusted profit before tax (PBTEA) Profit 
before taxation (as defined separately), adjusted 
for amortisation of acquired intangible assets, 
net exceptional items and net retirement benefit 
interest.

Aflatoxin A by-product of a grain fungus, 
present in the 2012 US corn harvest.

B
BI Bulk Ingredients division.

Bio-PDO® Multi-purpose monomer 
propanediol made from corn sugar (as  
opposed to being made from a petrochemical 
source). Used in cosmetics, detergents,  
carpets and textiles.

C
Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)  
One metric tonne of carbon dioxide or an 
amount of any other greenhouse gas with  
an equivalent global warming potential, 
calculated consistently with international  
carbon reporting practice.

CCC Cash conversion cycle, defined for the 
purposes of the Annual Bonus Plan as the 
number of days between cash expenditure and 
collection, taking account of inventory, payables 
and receivables; based on the average of the 
four quarter-end results.

‘Clean label’ A term used in the food and 
beverage industry generally to refer to simpler 
ingredient lists for consumer appeal. Detailed 
interpretations may vary.

Constant currency Changes in constant 
currency are calculated by retranslating 
comparative period results at current period 
exchange rates.

Continuing operations Operations of the 
Group excluding any discontinued operations 
(as defined separately).

Continuous process facility A facility 
designed to manufacture a finished product  
via continuous process (rather than a batch 
process).

Co-products Corn gluten feed, corn gluten 
meal and corn oil.

Corn gluten feed The largest Tate & Lyle 
co-product, used by dairy and beef  
cattle markets.

CR Corporate responsibility.

D
Discontinued operations An operation is 
classified as discontinued if it is a component  
of the Group that: (i) has been disposed of,  
or meets the criteria to be classified as held  
for sale; and (ii) represents a separate major line 
of business or geographic area of operations  
or will be disposed of as part of a single 
co-ordinated plan to dispose of a separate 
major line of business or geographic area  
of operations.

E
EFSA European Food Safety Authority.

F
Food Systems The Tate & Lyle blending 
business which is part of SFI and which sources 
ingredients and uses them to develop bespoke 
combinations of ingredients for customers.

Formulations science This is the study  
of how ingredients interact in complex mixtures 
to deliver specific attributes. In food, multiple 
food components are blended to create  
desired texture, flavour, appearance, and  
taste. Formulation science is used to develop 
predictions of how combinations of ingredients 
will impact these important performance 
attributes. This is an interdisciplinary science 
that includes chemistry, materials science and 
elements of measurement science, statistics 
and mathematical modelling.

Functional food ingredients Ingredients  
that offer benefits that go beyond the basic 
nutritional role of the ingredient. For example, 
some carbohydrates are reported to have  
other benefits such as improved  
gastrointestinal function.

G
Greenhouse gas (GHG) Any of the following: 
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous 
oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), 
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride 
(SF6).

H
HAMULSION® food system A thickening 
agent comprising a blend of different 
ingredients.

HFCS High fructose corn syrup, also called 
isoglucose in Europe.

I
ICD Innovation and Commercial Development 
group, supporting our two business divisions, 
SFI and BI.

K
KPI Key performance indicator.

N
Natural A ‘natural’ description usually refers to 
a food ingredient that is present in nature and 
has been minimally processed. However, 
interpretations vary as does the legal and 
regulatory landscape in different countries.

O
Operating profit (also referred to as profit 
before interest and tax (PBIT)) Sales less net 
operating expense.

P
Profit before tax (PBT) Sales, less net 
operating expense, less net finance expense.

PROMITOR® Soluble Corn Fiber A prebiotic 
soluble fibre.

PromOat® Beta Glucan A soluble fibre  
made from wholegrain oats used to bring  
the health benefits of oat beta glucan to  
food and beverages.

PULPIZ® Pulp Extender A starch that mimics 
tomato pulp texture and taste.

PUREFRUIT™ Monk Fruit Extract  
A zero-calorie sweetener made from monk fruit.

R
REZISTA® speciality food starch A modified 
starch made from waxy corn which builds  
and protects texture in foods.

S
Separations science Technology and 
techniques used to isolate individual 
compounds from complex mixtures. It includes 
distillation, filtration, and a variety of other 
techniques.

SFI Speciality Food Ingredients division.

SME Small- and medium-sized enterprises.  
For Tate & Lyle, this means regional or global 
customers with turnover below the level of 
approximately £500 million.

SODA-LO® Salt Microspheres  
A salt-reducing ingredient made from salt.

SPLENDA® Sucralose A zero-calorie 
sweetener made from sugar.

STA-LITE® Polydextrose A soluble fibre with 
prebiotic properties made from corn and used 
to provide body and texture in reduced calorie, 
no-added sugar and high-fibre foods.

T
TASTEVA® Stevia Sweetener  
A zero-calorie sweetener made from stevia. 

Trading cash flows The Group’s adjusted 
operating profit stated before the non-cash 
charges for depreciation and amortisation.
U
USDA US Department of Agriculture.

144 |  Tate & Lyle PLC Annual Report 2014

DEFINITIONS/EXPLANATORY NOTES

Non-reliance statement
This Annual Report has been prepared  
solely to provide additional information to 
shareholders to assess the Group’s strategy 
and the potential of that strategy to succeed, 
and should not be relied upon by any other 
party or for any other purpose.

Cautionary statement
This Annual Report contains certain forward-
looking statements with respect to the financial 
condition, results, operations and businesses  
of Tate & Lyle PLC. These statements and 
forecasts involve risk and uncertainty because 
they relate to events and depend upon 
circumstances that may occur in the future. 
There are a number of factors that could  
cause actual results or developments to differ 
materially from those expressed or implied  
by these forward-looking statements and 
forecasts. Nothing in this Annual Report  
should be construed as a profit forecast.

Tate & Lyle PLC
Tate & Lyle PLC is a public limited company 
listed on the London Stock Exchange and is 
registered in England and Wales. More 
information about Tate & Lyle can be found on 
the Company’s website, www.tateandlyle.com.

Basis of preparation
Unless stated otherwise, the Group’s financial 
statements are prepared in accordance with 
International Financial Reporting Standards 
(IFRSs) as adopted by the EU.

Amortisation
Unless stated otherwise, the use of the  
word ‘amortisation’ on pages 1 to 73 in this 
Annual Report relates to the amortisation  
of intangible assets acquired through  
business combinations.

Continuing operations
Unless stated otherwise, all comments  
in this Annual Report refer to the continuing 
operations adjusted to exclude exceptional 
items, amortisation of intangible assets 
acquired through business combinations and 
net retirement benefit interest. A reconciliation  
of reported and adjusted information is included 
in Note 42.

Definitions
In this Annual Report, ‘Company’ means  
Tate & Lyle PLC; ‘Tate & Lyle’ or ‘Group’  
means Tate & Lyle PLC and its subsidiary  
and joint-venture companies.

Environmental statement
This Annual Report has been printed on  
UPM Fine offset, a paper produced using  
wood fibre from fully sustainable forests with 
Forest Stewardship Council®  (FSC®) 
certification. All pulps used are elemental 
chlorine free and the manufacturing mill holds 
the ISO 14001 and the EMAS accreditations  
for environmental management.

Printed in the UK by Pureprint using vegetable 
inks and their Alcofree and Pureprint 
environmental printing technology. Pureprint  
is a CarbonNeutral® company, is registered  
to the Environmental Management System ISO 
14001 and is FSC chain-of-custody certified.

If you have finished with this Annual Report  
and no longer wish to retain it, please pass  
it on to other interested readers or dispose  
of it in your recycled paper waste.

The CO2 emissions from the production  
and distribution of this Report have been  
offset through the purchase of carbon credits  
in the Pureprint Gold programme. The offsets 
are always in Gold Standard accredited  
projects and currently come from the Basa 
Magogo project in South Africa. The first Gold 
Standard project of its kind in the world, this 
innovative behaviour-change programme 
teaches local communities in South Africa  
to burn coal more efficiently thereby reducing 
carbon emissions and reducing health risks  
by producing less smoke.

Registered office
Tate & Lyle PLC
 1 Kingsway
London WC2B 6AT
Tel: +44 (0)20 7257 2100
Fax: +44 (0)20 7257 2200
Company number: 76535
www.tateandlyle.com

Credits
Photography
Peter Wynn Thompson
Rob White

Designed and produced by
C O N R A N   D E S I G N   G R O U P

www.tateandlyle.com