Healthy sugar battles obesity

Sugar is widely associated with health concerns and obesity, but Sunshine Sugar aims to be the first in the world to install the technology to produce a sugar that is rich in antioxidants with a low glycaemic index, called nucane.

The NSW Sugar Industry aims to become the leading Australian producer of nucane and has signed a licence agreement with food technology innovator Nutrition Innovation for its technology.

Nutrition Innovation’s patented technology and algorithm has been designed to retain naturally occurring minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium in the production of cane sugar which has been certified as low GI to World Health Organisation Standards. This allows mills and refineries to produce low GI sugar on an industrial scale as an alternative to white refined sugar in an attempt to produce healthier food and drinks.

“What the team here have invented is a potential game changer for world health. nucane is aimed at helping to combat the global obesity and diabetes epidemic via partnerships between sugar mills and brands to increase healthier options for consumers worldwide. It can be used in all forms of food and beverages,” Nutrition Innovation CEO Matthew Godfrey said.

Chris Connors, CEO of Sunshine Sugar, agreed, suggesting the company will install this technology in its Condong mill in order to manufacture nucane “on a scale that makes it widely available and affordable”.

“Sunshine Sugar is in fact the only 100% Bonsucro certified and Australian owned sugar operations in the world and is proud to be an Australian company leading the way in this initiative,” Connors concluded.