Tate & Lyle file suit over infringement of sucralose technology
The defendants named in the Complaint are manufacturers Hebei Sukerui Science and Technology Co., Ltd, Hebei Research Institute of Chemical Industry and Hebei Chemical Engineering and Industry Research Institute.
23/05/06 Tate & Lyle has announced that its US subsidiary, Tate & Lyle Sucralose, Inc. filed suit yesterday in the US District Federal Court for Central Illinois against a Chinese manufacturing group based in Hebei province as well as six importers of sucralose into the US. The proceedings allege infringement of patented sucralose manufacturing technology in respect of sucralose manufactured in China.
"We have a robust estate of patents and will, as we have always said, vigorously defend and enforce them, protecting our trade secrets and preventing others from infringing our proprietary rights", Robert Gibber, General Counsel of Tate & Lyle said.
The defendants named in the Complaint are manufacturers Hebei Sukerui Science and Technology Co., Ltd (which also trades as Hebei Province Chemical Industry Academe, Dongfang Biological Chemical Company, Hebei Province Chemical Industry Academe Experimental Factory, Hebei Sukerei Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Hebei Sukerei Science and Technology and Shijiazhuang Hecheng Baite Chemical Technology Co., Ltd.), Hebei Research Institute of Chemical Industry and Hebei Chemical Engineering and Industry Research Institute (which also trades as Hebei Chemical Engineering and Industry Research Institute). The named importers are Profood International, Inc., Forbest International, Inc., Beijing Forbest Trade Co., Ltd., MTC Industries, Inc., JSZ International, Inc. and Amax Nutrasource, Inc.
Earlier this year Tate & Lyle reported that it had become aware of the re-appearance of a low-calorie tabletop sweetener product branded as Altern in a small number of Wal*Mart stores in the US. The success of the high intensityb sweetener sucralose, has prompted rival food groups to look at ways in which the intense sweetener can be manufactured on an industrial scale without infringing on Tate & Lyle’s patents. At the beginning of the year, Indian based Pharmed Medicare reported that it will introduce a second high quality source of sucralose.
