Cargill will launch a major pan-European study into consumer understanding of glycaemic response this year.
Many scientists believed that foods that helped manage blood glucose more effectively could help consumers control their weight and reduce their risk of developing metabolic syndrome. However, this was a difficult concept for most people to grasp, said Cargill business development manager (nutritional sweeteners) Thomas Draguhn.
"There is a trend in labelling to differentiate between the qualities of sweeteners and between fast and slow carbs, but we're not sure how advanced consumer understanding really is in this area. So we want to test understanding of phrases like 'sustained energy release', 'slow carbs' and 'insulin response'."
However, awareness would only grow if academics and the food industry agreed on the key messages surrounding blood glucose, how best these should be communicated, and to which groups of consumers, he added. "There is still no European consensus on labelling, measuring GI [glycaemic index], or what hard claims could be made in this area under the new Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation.
"However, Cargill has conducted clinical trials for Xtend isomaltulose [a novel, slowly digestible sweetener, that can help reduce glycaemic and insulinemic response in foods] so we do have the evidence to back up our claims.
"The challenge will be finding ways of talking about it that the consumer can grasp. That's why we are doing the research."
Communication issues were also top of the agenda at an industry workshop on glycaemic reponse held in Nice, France, before Christmas, said International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) senior scientist Dr Loek Pijls. "Frankly, I just don't think the average consumer really understands the concept of GI. The question is, is this something of real value for healthy people or just something for people with diabetes?" he said. Much would depend on whether the focus was on the role of glycaemic reponse in weight management, or on its role in reducing risk factors for disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes, he added.