Sweet treat for a health diet

Ruwini Jayawardana

Many of us would love to include a sweet treat in our daily diet. However in today's surroundings we need to think twice before indulging in that piece of chocolate cake or pastry. Good eating habits go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle. So here is a way to think smart and still include a delicacy to your meal.

Meet Maliban's groundbreaking introduction to the local market in the form of a sugar-free biscuit. The concept was spearheaded by Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Chairman A G Ratnapala Samarweera.

He notes that it is no walk in the park developing the product as sugar and biscuits usually go hand in hand.

"Sugar contributes not only to the sweetness but also the texture development, mouth-feel, flavour enhancement, colour and surface development as well as function as a bulking agent in producing biscuits. The challenge we faced was to remove the sugar without affecting any of these functions in the biscuits," Maliban Quality Assurance and research Development General Manager Waruna Fernando expressed.

The step they took was to replace sugar with agents like Maltitol for bulking and sweetening.

Sucralose sweetener a reputed Splenda brand too was added as a sugar substitute. Cerial corn and wheat fiber heightens the nutritional value of the product.

The product contains less than 0.5 percent sugar and abides not only by Sri Lankan but also Singapore, EU and USA regulatory standards for sugar free products.

The product is a result of a study done by the Medical Faculty at the Jayawardenepura University.

"This is a natural way to enjoy a healthy snack. We need to practice healthy eating habits and maintain a good weight management system today.

Many people are suffering from obesity and complications like strokes, heart diseases, kidney diseases and cancer as a result of consuming food which have artificial ingredients," Nutritionist Hettigedara explained.

The Feel God sugar-free biscuit is an innovative product which comes in 110g and 220g packs. It is a result of thorough research and understanding of our consumer needs. This is a part of our 'Healthy Living' category.

We hope to add many more products to this sector in the future," Maliban Brand Manager Duvindra Corea.