The low-GI roti canai comprises a blend of okra, barley, lentils and fenugreek. — Pictures by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Fancy having a tasty piece of roti canai without adding it to your waistline? Here’s some good news for you.

Food ingredient specialist Holista CollTech Ltd (Holista) together with frozen Asian food manufacturer Kawan Food Berhad (Kawan Food) announced today a joint collaboration to produce healthy Asian flatbreads, including roti canai, roti and chappati, for local and international markets.

Deemed suitable for diabetics or the health-conscious by its manufacturers, Holista’s clean-label (all-natural) formula comprises a blend of okra, barley, lentils and fenugreek.

Holista, which is listed in Australia and headquartered in Petaling Jaya, will use its proprietary mix of ingredients trademarked as GI Lite to develop a range of low-glycemic index Indian flatbreads with Kawan Food.

For the uninitiated, glycemic index (GI) is a relative ranking of carbohydrate that indicate the effects of sugar on a person’s blood glucose level.

Simply put, high GI foods cause the blood sugar to rise rapidly, while low-GI ones cause a slow and predictable rise and fall of blood sugar.

Holista managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Rajen Manicka (left) and Kawan Food managing director Timothy Tan unveil the first low-GI roti canai.

Holista managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Rajen Manicka said roti canai is a breakfast favourite and staple food in Malaysia, but had significant amount of calories and fats, aggravating the existing problem of obesity in the country.

“The food is high in starch and fat, contains refined wheat flour and causes spike in blood sugar, which may lead to multiple health complications such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease if over-consumed,” said Dr Rajen.

“We hope the low-GI version of this popular staple food will help to address the growing problem of obesity and diabetes in Malaysia and abroad.

“When mixed with white flour, it lowers the GI reading of the final product without compromising taste or texture.”

Kawan Food managing director Timothy Tan said the company is proud to work with Holista 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.

Tan also hinted that the ready-to-cook roti canai dough would be available in packs of five pieces at a slightly higher price than the brand’s conventional flat breads.

Research and product trials will begin this month at the University of Sydney, where testing will be done as per international standards for GI before the products hit the Malaysian market in April.

Besides Malaysia, the company also aims to expand its breakthrough low-GI roti canai to United States in June.