RSSL 'launches' its Low GI Biscuit

New product development specialists within RSSL's product development department LinTech are using IFE to 'launch' a new low GI biscuit. The new product will be available for taste testing on stand NB 1104 at IFE.

Although the new biscuit, with the codename HN05, isn't destined for the supermarket shelves, it does demonstrate the potential for developing a 'low GI' version of a product that's normally thought of as being packed with sugar.

LinTech won't reveal the secrets of its recipe, except to say that low GI sweeteners have been used in place of sucrose, along with wholemeal flour and oats.

According to Jane Staniforth of RSSL, "Reformulating a product to reduce its GI is a complicated process, especially when trying to maintain acceptable sensory characteristics. However, with its NPD expertise in a broad range of products and wide knowledge of ingredients, LinTech is able to help manufacturers develop low GI options more rapidly than would be the case by in-house trial and error."

RSSL is also able to carry out the measurement of a food's GI to WHO/FAO methodology using a panel of volunteers whose blood glucose levels are measured at regular intervals following consumption of a specified amount of the food. It's essential to measure the GI of every product since GI values cannot reliably be calculated from tables, or assumed from previous analysis. "We're one of the few places where new product development and GI measurement can be done under one roof," says Jane Staniforth, "which helps bring a quicker time to market for any new product."