Glycaemic index and resistant starch analysers

Stadvis has signed a worldwide licence to commercialise an automated technique developed by the CSIRO Food Futures National Research Flagship to measure glycaemic index (GI) and resistant starch (RS) in foods and cereals.

The GI and RS Analysers were developed by CSIRO in order to provide a fast and reliable means of measuring GI and RS in a range of new grains and food products being developed by the Food Futures Flagship. The instrument simulates the digestion of starch in a sample of food in the human gut. The technique involves digestion of the food using a progressive introduction of enzymes and buffers, combined with mechanical agitation and temperature.

The prediction of GI in foods is important for research into diabetes, obesity and general health. RS is an important type of fibre, consisting of undigested starch, and products of starch digestion, which pass into the large bowel, considered an important factor in the prevention of colon-rectal cancer and other bowel diseases.

The GI and RS Analysers are patented by the CSIRO and are claimed to be the first of their kind in the world.