A sugar-free ‘sweet treat’ by Maliban for health conscious consumers

In an age of fast food and unhealthy lifestyles that have become the harbinger of unwelcome health issues, studies have shown that the South Asian region is increasingly becoming a hotspot for the diabetes epidemic.

In Sri Lanka, research has indicated that one in five adults are either diabetic or pre-diabetic. With this situation, sugar free and healthy food are gradually becoming not only a necessity but a preference among health conscious Sri Lankans in general.

After years of extensive research, Maliban has launched a breakthrough in production by introducing the first ever Sri Lankan sugar-free biscuit based on the concept and guidance of A.G. Ratnapala Samaraweera, Chairman of Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Ltd.

“Developing this product was no easy task as sugar plays a major role in biscuits contributing not only to their sweetness but also texture development, mouth-feel, flavour enhancement, colour and surface development and not to mention its function as a bulking agent,” stated Warna Fernando, General Manager – Quality Assurance and Research Development – Maliban. Therefore, the challenge for Maliban has been to remove the sugar component without affecting any of these functions.

The replacement ingredients for sugar in the new biscuit are Maltitol for bulking and sweetening and Sucralose sweetener, a reputed Splenda brand, both naturally occurring sugar substitutes.

Apart from the wheat flour, salt, vegetable fat, two other significant ingredients that make this biscuit even healthier are cereal corn and wheat fibre.

“The Feel Good sugar free biscuit is an innovative product and is a result of our understanding of the needs of the Sri Lankan consumer. A very timely product, this is only the first step that Maliban has taken in launching a range of health related products under the ‘healthy living’ category. Sri Lankan consumers can look forward to many more health related products in the future from the House of Maliban,” stated Duvindra Corea, Brand Manager Maliban. 

Uniquely crispy and full of fibre, this delicious Feel Good Sugar Free biscuit by Maliban contains less than 0.5% sugar and abides not only by Sri Lankan but also Singapore, EU and USA regulatory standards for sugar free products.

The study results of a research conducted by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jayawardenepura confirms that the product is a Low Glycemic Load product and the tests conducted by TUVSUD PSB Ltd., a laboratory in Singapore has proven that the biscuit is free of sugar or its derivatives.

“We have not stopped at that but have also conformed to the SLSI 251:2010 and Sri Lanka Food Regulation and are proud to have produced a product that caters to lifestyle related health issues and also meets export standards,” concluded Fernando.  

This innovative product by Maliban comes in 110g and 220g packs, conveniently priced at Rs. 100 and Rs. 190 respectively and is available at supermarkets and pharmacies island-wide.   

 Strengthened by ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22001, OHSAS 18001 certificates and various other international and national accolades, Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Ltd.

 remains a pioneer in the confectionary sector bringing taste and innovation throughout generations and aspires to move forward in the market by understanding consumer requirements and launching superior products to satisfy the needs of the market.