Our Bureau

Kochi, Nov. 22 The Chennai-based Taj Mahal Agro Industries Pvt Ltd has introduced Moolgiri, the low glycemic rice brand in the Kerala market. The rice, said to be low in glycemic index, will be a healthier choice of diabetics.

Glycemic Index (GI) is the ability of a food to raise the blood glucose levels and it is more to do with the quality of carbohydrate than its quantity. Rice with low GI is said to help people lose and control weight and increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. High GI carbohydrates are rapidly digested and absorbed causing blood glucose levels to rise to high levels rapidly and drop off quickly.

By the selection of specially grain, optimal farming techniques and other innovative process, the company has been able to produce low glycemic rice, Mr C. Selvarajah, Director, International Marketing said at a press meet.

The recent study in Toronto in Canada concluded that Moolgiri rice has a GI value of 54.1 and therefore is a low glycemic index food (GI values less than or equal to 55 are considered low GI). He said that the company has a network of contract farmers having more than 10,000 acres of land in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

The company has installed latest machinery to clean, process, polish and pack the rice at its manufacturing facility at Chennai with a production capacity of 350 metric tonnes per day. It currently exports the product to Australia, New Zealand, Dubai and the US. There are also plans to export to the European Union also, he added.

Priced at Rs 48 per kg, Moolgiri rice will be made available in stores across the State. The company has appointed Janatha Trading Company in Thodupuzha as the distributors in Kerala.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu Business Line