UP EnerGI from Tip Top
George Weston Foods
A PATENTED white bread with low glycemic index (GI) has made George Weston Foods a Baked Goods finalist in the FOOD Magazine Challenge Awards.
The low-GI bread was developed to address the needs of consumers wanting a white bread, with the health benefits of grain and wholemeal.
White bread is still consumers’ most loved bread, according to research, which indicated that mothers were concerned white bread did not have the nutritional value of other breads.
Mothers indicated they would feel better about feeding children white bread if it were more nutritious, and in response, UP EnerGI was developed, becoming the first low-GI white loaf on Australian shelves.
The bread is said to sustain energy by releasing glucose slowly over a longer period of time helping to maintain concentration.
The bread, like other low-GI products, is said to have benefits for people suffering diabetes.
The lower the GI rating, the easier it is for the body to counter glucose levels using naturally produced insulin.
Targeting mothers with school-aged children, the product was launched during the back to school period, and the sustained energy message has been communicated across new packaging designs, TV advertising, magazine advertorial and outdoor executions.
After three years spent in R&D, George Weston Foods developed the bread to be high in dietary fibre, low in fat with no artificial preservatives, and the product scored a low GI rating of 54.