Australian-listed Holista CollTech Limited (HCT.AX) announced a global scientific breakthrough, validated by a leading University in Sydney, a blend of natural ingredients that significantly reduces the high blood sugar caused by consuming white bread and other bakery products.

The University conducted the final clinical study in December 2015 together with biotechnology firm Holista and Switzerland-based Veripan AG, Europe's largest independent supplier of specialty baking ingredients.

The study confirms that white bread blended with Holista's proprietary GI Lite formula -- made from extracts of okra (ladies' fingers), dhal (lentils), barley and fenugreek -- and Veripan's natural sourdough PANATURA® recorded a Glycemic Index (GI) reading of 53, the lowest level achieved worldwide by any clean-label white bread.

Holista and Veripan will jointly distribute PANATURA® GI, enabling clients to launch the world's first clean-label low-GI white bread or "diabetic bread". The two companies will target Australia first, followed by Europe, North America, China, India and the rest of Asia. The global white bread market is worth $170 billion.

PANATURA® GI will only increase production costs marginally and comprise approximately 5-7% of the final formulation.

According to public health experts, rising consumption of white flour-based products is leading to a "metabolic syndrome" epidemic, characterised by obesity, diabetes and heart disease.