Holista CollTech Limited (“Holista”) and Nadja Foods LLC (“Nadja Foods”) — baked goods supplier for chains such as McDonald’s and Subway — will co-develop clean-label “low-GI” muffins for distribution in the U.S. and Canada.Nadja Foods’ founder, president and CEO Nadja Piatka will use Australian-listed Holista’s (ASX: HCT) proprietary Glycemic Index (GI) formula to develop a range of all-natural muffins.
The mix — comprising extracts of okra (ladies’ fingers), dhal (lentils), barley and fenugreek — registered a GI of 48, the lowest of all muffins tested by Canadian research organisation GI Labs.
GI measures carbohydrate-containing products’ effect on blood glucose and insulin. Holista’s mix reduces the high blood sugar caused by consuming white flour-based products, without compromising taste or texture.
The muffins will be distributed to fast food companies, retailers, schools and hospitals. According to Nielsen research, the U.S. muffin market accounted for over US$1.0 billion in retail sales for 2014, and grows 4% annually.
The Holista-Nadja partnership comes amid concerns that growing consumption of white flour-based products may cause widespread “metabolic syndrome”. Symptoms include obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Founded in 1992, Nadja Foods supplies healthy food to restaurant chains and retail stores. It has been featured in media such as the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Barbara (Brueckner) Shpizner, VP, Innovation Manager at Mattson, said: “Breads, rolls, donuts and bagels account for over US$24 billion in U.S. retail sales. By changing these products’ GI from ‘fast carbs’ to ‘slow carbs’, we are empowering consumers to take control of their own health.”
Nadja Piatka said: “New scientific data shows that fast-digested carbohydrates like wheat are the leading cause of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Low-GI food is the most practical way to reverse this trend. I am pleased to be part of this revolution.”
Rajen Manicka, Holista’s Chairman and CEO, said: “The U.S. and Canada are the largest, most innovative markets for fast and processed foods, so we took time finding a partner. Nadja has the entrepreneurship and media savvy to facilitate this project, and is the top choice of leading food groups.”
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