High-Amylose Wheat: A Breakthrough in Healthy Eating

For decades, health authorities have recommended reducing white bread consumption due to its low fiber content. Now, a new wheat variety, high-amylose wheat, developed by CSIRO over 20 years, is set to revolutionize flour-based products by allowing for significantly higher fiber levels.

CSIRO plant scientist Crispin Howitt stated that the starch composition in the grain has been altered, increasing the fiber content in the produced flour by approximately six-fold. This beneficial fiber, known as resistant starch, remains undetectable in the taste or texture of baked goods such as white bread, pasta, pizza bases, and tortillas.

Commercialization and Production

Flour miller Joel Tazzyman from Allied Pinnacle, one of Australia's largest flour producers, confirmed that baked goods made with this flour are naturally higher in fiber without compromising taste or texture. In 2023, Allied Pinnacle signed an exclusive agreement with Woolworths to market and use high-amylose wheat flour under the brand name "Wise Wheat."

Wise Wheat is now utilized in Woolworths' in-store bakeries and sold in retail packaging. Allied Pinnacle is preparing to meet increasing demand, anticipating its use in a variety of other consumer products.

Grain growers, including Jock Binnie and Jimmy Nixon, have been selected to cultivate high-amylose wheat, with production set to increase after proving profitability and market demand.

Health Benefits and Global Impact

The potential health benefits of high-amylose wheat extend globally, particularly for populations following a Western diet based on white bread and similar products. The objective is to enhance the fiber content of commonly consumed foods without requiring dietary changes.

CSIRO plant breeders collaborated internationally for over two decades to create this high-fiber wheat, focusing on increasing amylose, a component of starch that is not readily digested. By increasing amylose, the level of resistant starch and thus fiber is elevated.

Resistant starch is known to improve digestive and bowel health by avoiding digestion in the stomach and small intestine, instead feeding good bacteria in the large intestine.

It also releases glucose more slowly into the bloodstream, contributing to a lower glycemic index (GI) for high-amylose wheat products. This can assist in reducing the impact of type 2 diabetes, a condition with significant medical costs.

Furthermore, this grain has been linked to protection against colorectal (bowel) cancer, which accounts for a substantial number of annual fatalities.

Future Development

The current high-amylose wheat variety yields up to 30% less than other wheat types, necessitating a premium payment to growers. The next challenge for plant breeders is to develop higher-yielding varieties. High-amylose wheat is currently also being grown in Europe and America.

Dr. Regina, a former CSIRO principal research scientist instrumental in the wheat's development, described it as a breakthrough in human health and health food science.