It is the first time HPB and the Food Innovation & Resource Centre (FIRC) are collaborating to develop a healthier staple food and offering it to all food manufacturers.
A research centre at Singapore Polytechnic has developed wholegrain yellow noodles made with beta-glucan, a soluble fibre, and rice noodles containing resistant starch, in a project funded by the Health Promotion Board (HPB).
They aim to work with food manufacturers to develop the prototypes into commercial products.
Both noodles have a lower glycemic index, which means the carbohydrates they contain are broken down by the body into glucose at a slower rate. This can be helpful for people with diabetes, as they have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal.
In addition, beta-glucan can lower bad cholesterol, of which a high amount can lead to a build-up of cholesterol in the arteries.
It is the first time HPB and the Food Innovation & Resource Centre (FIRC) are collaborating to develop a healthier staple food and offering it to all food manufacturers.
FIRC provides food manufacturers with technical expertise in product and process development.
The diabetic-friendly noodle project, which started in May, includes research and development, as well as trials which will be completed by the end of the year.
The Government is working with noodle and cooking oil makers, with healthier sugars a next possibility under the Healthier Ingredient Development Scheme which will invest $20 million to support manufacturers in creating healthier staple foods.
