Holista CollTech Ltd and Kawan Food Bhd, an exporter of frozen Asian food products, have partnered to produce healthier alternatives to traditional Indian flatbreads, such as roti canai, roti and chapati. The companies hope to tackle Malaysia’s growing obesity problem by offering healthier options to the nation’s staple foods.

The partnership begins with the launch of a low glycemic index (GI) roti canai product and is set to launch more low GI products in the future. The low GI roti canai will be released in Malaysia by April 2019 and in the US by June 2019.

“Indian flatbread is big in Malaysia and Kawan Food is the biggest player in this space. This partnership is the best way for us to impact as many people with this innovation,” Dato Dr. Rajen Manicka, Managing Director and CEO of Holista, tells. Low GI roti canai“We seek to be the first in the world to offer healthy flatbreads such as roti canai, effectively carving out a new niche in the food ingredients sector in Malaysia and beyond,” says Timothy Tan, Managing Director of Kawan Food.

GI indicates the rate at which foods containing carbohydrates raise human blood sugar levels. As healthier diets become increasingly popular among consumers, the low GI is an attractive quality for a product, according to Kawan Food and Holista.

Roti canai is a Malaysian staple food, but it is high in calories and fats, adding to the country’s obesity problem. According to the Economic Intelligence Unit, Malaysia is Asia's most obese nation with a 13.3 percent obesity rate.

Using its proprietary mix of ingredients trademarked as GI Lite, Holista is developing a line of low GI Indian flatbreads that Kawan Food will manufacture, market and distribute. Kawan Food expects the GI Lite range of products to add up to AU$4 million (US$ 2,87 million) to Holista’s top line.

“Our low GI versions of this popular staple food will help to address the growing problem of obesity and diabetes in Malaysia and abroad,” says Manicka.

Holista’s all natural, clean-label formula comprises a blend of okra, barley, lentils and fenugreek. When mixed with white flour, it lowers the GI reading of the final product without compromising taste or texture.

“We start with the roti canai (parata) but will also be looking at chapati and other products in Kawan's range,” Manicka tells.

Presentation of the product at local fare“Apart from being lower in GI will, the product is also lower in fat but it maintains its great taste,” says Manicka.

Holista is to start conducting GI testings at the University of Sydney this month, in line with international GI standards. The company aims to achieve a GI level roughly 40 percent below the current global average of 70 for flatbreads.

Kawan Food is a supplier of frozen ethnic food with main product categories such as bakery, bun, chapati, dessert, finger food, frozen vegetable, paratha and spring roll pastry. It currently exports to approximately forty countries including the US, Canada, UK, France, Australia and United Arab Emirates. Notably, the company has been listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange since 2005.

Holista is well versed in the low GI space. Last year, Holista’s Reverse Sugar Sweetener hit the market. It touts zero-calorie status and suitability for diabetics. Moreover, Holista’s Low-GI sugar has a patent filed for the world’s first low GI sugar made of all natural ingredients and reduces the rate that glucose is digested in the body