Aug 6 2010 --- The BENEO-Institute has announced that the Ministry of Health in India has approved further food categories for which BENEO’s low glycaemic sugar replacer ISOMALT can be used. The decision is an important contribution to healthy nutrition in India, considering that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the country suffers from a prevalence of diabetes with 31.7 million cases of diabetes, accounting for nearly 19 per cent of all diabetics worldwide. Worse still, studies predict a growth rate by 2.5 until 2030.

Originally used in India for applications such as chewing gum, chocolate and confectionery, the new approval means that ISOMALT can now be used for an even wider range of food categories. Among these are the very popular ‘Traditional Indian Sweets’ category, which includes sweets such as Halwa, Mysore Pak and Boondi Ladoo. In addition, the sugar replacer can now also be used for instant sweetmeat mixes, bakery products, jams, jellies and marmalades, ice cream, frozen desserts and yoghurts.

As well as being known for their commitment to promoting scientific research and knowledge-sharing within the field of functional ingredients, the regulatory experts within the BENEO-Institute also play an important role in developing and maintaining the legislative basis and regulatory compliance for the use of BENEO ingredients throughout the globe.

Anke Sentko, Vice-President Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition Communication at BENEO explains further: “Within the BENEO-Institute, we have worked alongside the Ministry of Health in India, their Committee experts, the Nutrition Institute and Food technology experts to ensure that all necessary information was available to make an informed decision on ISOMALT.  As a result of this complex process, we are very happy that our sugar replacer can now be used in further food categories within the Indian market.  Not only does this open up a much wider range of product opportunities for us, but it again proves the nutritional and technological benefits of ISOMALT within a growing portfolio of products.  It also means that we are able to offer our food manufacturers exciting new product development opportunities in the arena of functional foods in India.”

The knowledge base surrounding the importance of a low glycaemic diet and consequently a diet with lower insulin profiles is continually increasing. In a twelve-week human intervention study the effect on long-term blood glucose parameters were investigated; within the study type 2 diabetic patients had only 30 grams of ISOMALT per day and consequently reduced their glycaemic load within an otherwise unchanged diet. A significant improvement in the metabolic control was demonstrated, a result that is in agreement with earlier findings. These effects are not only relevant for diabetic patients. An improvement of those parameters is supportive of a healthier lifestyle in general.

As the only sugar replacer made from pure beet sugar, ISOMALT is ideal for those food manufacturers looking for a low glycaemic, reduced-calorie and toothfriendly, alternative to conventional sugar.  With a sugar-like taste, ISOMALT is slightly less sweet, facilitating the creation of a taste-profile to suit any food. It is non-hygroscopic, so it does not cake and remains dry and free-flowing, even with prolonged storage and at high temperatures.  ISOMALT provides healthy products without compromising on taste and texture. As a result, it is the number one in sugar-free hard candies and one of the leading sugar replacers around the world. ISOMALT can be found in approximately 2,000 products worldwide.