Chairman's Comment April 2006 | Print |
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Written by Michael Crawford   
Thursday, 27 April 2006

Drug Industry on the march of taking over the Food Industry

In 1972, the back cover of "What we Eat Today" by Michael and Sheilagh Crawford had this quote from the book:
"The advance of modern knowledge in the drug industry is so rapid and the gap in our understanding of food so great, that it would not be surprising if the drug industry took over from the food industry the business of feeding the nation"

It is happening!

A study published in the Alternative Medicine Review (2004:9(1):63-69)gave backing to Pharmachem Laboratory's efficacy to improve glycemic index.

StarchLite is an extract of the common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). It works by binding temporarily to alpha-amylase, the enzyme responsible for digesting complex carbohydrates, thereby delaying the absorption of carbohydrates and potentially promoting weight loss. Study results released earlier this year also showed that StarchLite has the potential to significantly reduce the glycemic index of white bread by 20.23 points, or 39.07 percen t.

It is suitable for use in all food and beverage products that normally have a heavy carbohydrate load, including cereals, frozen foods, packaged meals, pasta, pizza crust, soups and confectionary.

Whilst on the one-hand it might be used to make such products  not-so-unhealthy, it might also be used in products aimed at people who are actively trying to manage their weight or blood glucose levels.

In sensory evaluations carried out by independent research firm Tragon Corp, products made with StarchLite "compared favourably to conventional products" and in some cases were even preferred.

This is important, as it is generally recognised to be much easier to persuade consumers to switch to healthier versions of their favorite products than to cut them out of their diet altogether.

"Developing an ingredient that will reduce the caloric impact and GI of foods without negatively affecting the taste has been the ultimate goal of the food industry" said Mitch Skop, director of new product development. "Many low-cal products have been introduced, but don't pass the taste test."

Exam question:: how many other examples can you think of?
Statins! Folic Acid etc.
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