Sundar Dietetics launches sugar-free products

Sundar Dietetics, a division of Sundar Chemicals, has launched a range of sweets and a natural sugar substitute in Chennai. The products are targeted at individuals with diabetes in Chennai.

Diabetics Dezire- the range of Indian sweets contains 'levulose' a natural sweetner that is present in apples and oranges. Diabetics benefit as 'levulose' does not require insulin for its metabolism and also has a very low glycemic index.

The glycemic index of food is a measure of how a particular food raises blood sugar levels.While glucose has a glycemic index of 100, levulose has an index of 23. Individuals with diabetes have very low or nil secretions of insulin in their bodies thereby hindering the breaking down of sugar molecules which enters the blood stream directly increasing blood sugar levels.

Sundar Dietics claims that clinical trials have been conducted on the products by Dr V Seshiah Diabetes Care and Research Institute on 30 Type Two diabetic patients. The results have been positive concerning the use of levulose in sugar substitutes and Indian sweets.

According to K Ramu, chairman and managing director of Sundar Chemicals, an investment of Rs 1 crore has been made by the company for research and development, clinical trials and to set up the facility to manufacture the sugar substitute and range of Indian sweets.

Initially the products will be available only in Chennai, but will be soon launched across the state in the next few months before being gradually retailed in the other southern states.

The Indian range of sweets will be marketed through an exclusive showroom in the city, while the sugar substitute will be sold through about 100 retail outlets. The sweets include gulab jamun, rasagolla, rasamalai, jangiri and jalebi. The showroom will not only retail the range of sweets, but also be a glycemic health zone that sells savouries made from soya.