Singapore Polytechnic develops new technique to help food manufacturing companies test glucose level in food products

28 Nov 2018

Article featured the new technique developed by SP’s Food Innovation and Resource Centre (FIRC) to help food-manufacturing companies determine the Glycaemic Index (GI) of their food products in a fast and cost-effective manner. This GI is a value assigned to foods based on how quickly they cause an increase in blood glucose levels. Called the Glycaemic Index Speed Test (GIST), this laboratory-based test determines a food's glycaemic index (GI), a measure of its impact on a person's blood sugar levels, using simulated digestion. The conventional method of measuring GI used by the food manufacturing industry, which involves selecting volunteers and testing their blood, takes three to six months and costs about $3,000. But with GIST, results can be delivered in one to two weeks at a cost of about $800 only. Currently GIST has been implemented on a total of 17 projects across eight companies, including Nutrition Innovation and Chinatown Food Corporation Pte Ltd. (Lianhe Zaobao, p6)