Expanded sweetener molecule development program aims to broaden access to plant-based sweetening solutions tailored to diverse customer food and beverage categories.

Vancouver, British Columbia and Rehovot, Israel--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2026) - BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:BHST) (FSE: 8MV0), a leader in Botanical Synthesis™ technology and sustainable plant-based molecule development, today announced the expansion of its collaboration with Tate & Lyle PLC (Tate & Lyle), a global leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, broadening the scope of their joint sweetener development program to include multiple plant-based sweetener molecules.

The expanded collaboration builds on the initial agreement signed in 2024 and reflects strong technical progress to date, as well as Tate & Lyle's ambition to equip food and beverage manufacturers with a flexible toolkit of sweetening solutions that can be tailored to different formulation needs.

As customer requirements around taste, cost and labelling continue to evolve, no single sweetener can address all food and beverage category needs. Tate & Lyle's approach focuses on developing complementary sweetening options that can be used independently or together - enabling product-specific optimisation while supporting sugar and calorie reduction goals.

The collaboration draws on BioHarvest's Botanical Synthesis™ platform, which supports the development of plant-based, non-GMO ingredients, reducing the industry's reliance on traditional agricultural extraction for rare or hard-to-source botanicals. This approach aligns with Tate & Lyle's focus on delivering ingredient innovation that balances performance, scalability and responsible sourcing considerations.

The partnership builds on Tate & Lyle's long-standing commitment to sugar and calorie reduction and its track record in sweetener innovation. The company's heritage includes major industry milestones, from the discovery of sucralose in 1976, to the commercialisation at scale of allulose in 2015 and high-purity bioconverted stevia Reb M in 2018.

Today, Tate & Lyle's development pipeline is focused on advancing sweetening solutions that deliver great taste while supporting sugar and calorie reduction, helping customers meet evolving consumer expectations around health and wellbeing. This includes sweet ingredients that reduce sugar and calories and have the potential to support broader health and wellbeing needs.

A 2025 proprietary Tate & Lyle survey across seven global markets found that over half of respondents planned to reduce their sugar consumption in the following 12 months, with strong consumer interest in great-tasting sweeteners derived from fruits and plants^[1]. The intent to reduce sugar was greater than the intent to reduce calorie and fat consumption, showing how top of mind sugar reduction is for consumers.

Tate & Lyle's innovation approach is informed by more than a decade of global research into consumer perceptions of ingredients. This ensures that considerations such as sensory performance, value creation and label acceptance are embedded into ingredient development from the outset.

Victoria Spadaro-Grant, Chief Science and Innovation Officer at Tate & Lyle, said:

"Expanding the scope of our collaboration with BioHarvest to include multiple plant-based sweetener molecules reflects the technical progress achieved to date and the aim to further expand our broad toolbox of sweetening solutions. As we define what customers ultimately look for in next-generation sweeteners - sugar-like taste, solutions anchored in nature, reduced calories and responsible use of resources - it is clear that several unmet needs in the market today are unlikely to be addressed with a single sweetener.

"The flexibility from the expanded collaboration with BioHarvest is critical as customers seek food and beverage category-specific solutions that balance taste, cost and labelling requirements, while supporting sugar and calorie reduction.

"This programme strengthens our innovation pipeline in a disciplined and efficient way and reinforces our commitment to advancing the future of sweetness through differentiated, science-led solutions."

Zaki Rakib, Chief Executive Officer of BioHarvest Sciences, added:

"Broadening the development program demonstrates confidence in the versatility of our Botanical Synthesis™ platform and in the progress delivered through our collaboration with Tate & Lyle. Together, we are enabling access to differentiated, plant-based sweetening solutions designed to support a range of sensory, application and economic requirements."

For media enquiries, contact: tateandlyle@citypress.co.uk

About Tate & Lyle PLC:

Supported by our 165-year history of ingredient innovation, we partner with customers to provide consumers with healthier and tastier choices when they eat and drink. We are proud that millions of people around the world consume products containing our ingredients and solutions every day.

Through our leading expertise in sweetening, mouthfeel and fortiﬁcation, we develop ingredients and solutions which reduce sugar, calories and fat, add ﬁbre and protein, and provide texture and stability to food and drink in categories including beverages, dairy, bakery, snacks, soups, sauces, and dressings.

Tate & Lyle recently acquired CP Kelco, a leading provider of pectin, speciality gums and other nature-based ingredients to create a leader in mouthfeel, significantly enhancing our solutions capabilities. Following this combination, we now have more than 5,000 employees working in around 75 locations in 38 countries, serving customers in more than 120 countries. Science, Solutions, Society is our brand promise and how we will achieve our purpose of Transforming Lives through the Science of Food. By living our purpose, we believe we can successfully grow our business and have a positive impact on society. We live our purpose in three ways, by supporting healthy living, building thriving communities and caring for our planet.

Tate & Lyle is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol TATE.L. American Depositary Receipts trade under TATYY. For the year ended 31 March 2025, and on a pro forma basis which assumes for illustrative purposes that the combination with CP Kelco took place on 1 April 2024, revenue for the enlarged Tate & Lyle Group would have been £2.12 billion. For more information, please visit www.tateandlyle.com or follow Tate & Lyle on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook or YouTube.

About BioHarvest Sciences Inc:

BioHarvest Sciences (NASDAQ:BHST) (FSE: 8MV) is an industrial plant cell culture company pioneering Botanical Synthesis™, a patented non-GMO platform technology that produces high-value, plant-derived compounds without growing the plant itself. By combining proprietary plant cell biology, elicitation technologies, AI-driven development and industrial-scale bioreactors, the Company creates "precision botanics" with enhanced potency, purity, consistency and commercial scalability.

Backed by more than $100 million invested in its technology platform, 15 patents and multidisciplinary scientific capabilities, BioHarvest operates two complementary growth engines: a rapidly growing direct-to-consumer business and an expanding CDMO division serving pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, fragrance and nutrition markets. BioHarvest's platform has achieved commercial validation through VINIA®, its flagship blood flow health product, which has generated nearly $100 million in cumulative sales. The Company's CDMO business is advancing multiple high-value development programs, including rare fragrance, novel sweetener, and saffron-derived compounds, while securing long-term royalty participation opportunities through strategic partnerships.

BioHarvest's proprietary Botanical Synthesis platform enables the sustainable production of scarce and highly valuable botanical compounds at industrial scale, positioning the Company at the forefront of next-generation plant-based innovation. With a growing pipeline of commercial collaborations, expanding manufacturing capabilities and increasing global industry interest, BioHarvest is establishing itself as a strategic innovation partner for companies seeking differentiated, science-driven botanical solutions.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements are based on management's current expectations, beliefs, and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. For the CDMO Services Business Unit, there is no assurance of additional future contracts, and readers are cautioned that increased revenue is not necessarily an increase in net income or profitability as costs will likely increase as well. There is no assurance that signed research agreements will proceed past a contracted stage, or that a developed molecule or compound will be commercialized or will generate royalties to the Company. Successful commercialization of any compound developed will be subject to consumer preferences, advertising budgets and other factors affecting market acceptance of new products which are uncertain and cannot be assured. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. Additional information is contained in the Company's SEC filings, available at http://www.sec.gov.

BioHarvest Company Contact:

Dave Ryan, VP Investor Relations
(604) 622-1186
info@bioharvest.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Chuck Padala, Managing Director
LifeSci Advisors
chuck@lifesciadvisors.com

¹ Tate & Lyle Proprietary Ingredient Tracker Research - 2025 (Includes 7 Markets - US, Brazil, Germany, UK, UAE, China, and India; 1,000 respondents per market

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