Australian firm Horizon Science has developed a technique for retaining rich nutrients from parts of the sugar cane that are normally discarded during processing.  

 

  The innovation, which has been developed with backing from New Zealand’s investment fund BioPacificVentures and with support from the Queensland State and Australian Federal governments, could help control the diabetes epidemic in both countries.   

 

Horizon took three years to develop the sugar at its Far North Queensland sugar mill. According to the firm, the end result is a totally natural sugar with around half the GI (Glycaemic Index) rating of glucose and almost 25% lower than that of white sugar.  

 

 The glycaemic index measures how quickly certain foods release carbohydrates into the body, which then raise consumers’ blood glucose levels. A low GI and slowly digestible carbohydrates have been reported by a number of studies to reduce body fat and prevent diabetes.  

 

 The advantage of the new ingredient, to be released in 2008, is that it can be used in cooking and baking, just like ordinary sugar, whereas artificial sweeteners often require changes to recipes.   

 

 Horizon Science said that the world’s first patented totally natural low GI sugar “provides significant new opportunities for Australia’s sugar industry to add value across its total supply chain.”  

 

 Australia and New Zealand together represent the fifth largest biotech hub in the world.