Adds details on deal, dealmaking in the UK throughout, shares in paragraph 4

June 8 (Reuters) - Britain's Tate & Lyle TATE.L has agreed to a £2.7 billion ($3.60 billion) takeover in cash by U.S. rival Ingredion INGR.N, the companies said on Monday, creating a leading specialty food and beverage ingredients company.

The deal comes as food companies reposition portfolios to capture demand for products that are lower in sugar, higher in protein and more functional, even as near-term growth is constrained by subdued consumer sentiment.

Under the deal, which values the British ingredients firm at £3.8 billion including its debt, Tate & Lyle shareholders will receive 595 pence per share in cash, at a premium of nearly 59% to its last closing before talks were disclosed in mid-May and 20 pence in dividends.

Tate & Lyle shares surged 11% to 544 pence in early trade.

A combination of Tate & Lyle, which owns artificial sweetener Splenda, with Ingredion will help the firms meet increasing demand for ingredients that are affordable and nutritious, the firms said.

Food companies are looking to capitalise on consumers seeking more flavour amid a surge in GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, which can suppress appetite and dull taste perception, by developing ingredients that enhance flavour and texture.

The companies forecast deal synergies of $130 million to be realised by the end of 2030 and at least a 15% rise in the earnings of the enlarged firm effective from the first year.

"We believe the next chapter with Ingredion will create a business with even greater potential, greater scale, and increased investment in innovation in support of customers," Tate & Lyle Chairman David Hearn said in a statement.

The deal will end Tate & Lyle's 87-year listing on the London Stock Exchange, marking another loss of a household name for the UK market.

A rush of foreign bids for UK companies has put Britain on track to outstrip all previous records for dealmaking in 2026.

($1 = 0.7504 pounds)