Wheat field

The joint venture will work to develop wheat varieties with human health benefits

Partnership for new healthy wheats

Arista Cereal Technologies is a new joint venture formed to accelerate the development of new healthy wheat varieties.

  • 20 October 2007 | Updated 27 June 2012

A joint venture

Arista Cereal Technologies is a joint venture formed between Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients and CSIRO through the Food Futures Flagship, the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC).

The venture will deliver new high-amylose wheat varieties developed by CSIRO and Limagrain, and build commercial relationships to take products through to the market.

Benefits

The new wheat varieties are expected to provide significant human health benefits.

Wheat with high levels of amylose, a particular form of resistant starch, can be used to produce foods with a low glycaemic index and potential benefits for bowel health.

Importance of resistant starch

Cereals contain several different kinds of starch in their grains, including resistant starch.

Resistant starch escapes digestion in the small intestine and passes into the colon, where it is broken down by the resident bacteria. As it breaks down, it releases short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) that:

  • can promote bowel health
  • are associated with a reduced risk of developing colo-rectal cancer.

Due to our diet of highly processed and refined foods, the average Australian consumes low levels of resistant starch.

Wheat high in resistant starch has the potential to improve gastrointestinal and metabolic health at the population level.

Find out more about our work in increasing resistant starch in grains to improve bowel health by going to the attached link under related topics.

The partners

A A$12.5 million partnership, Arista Cereal Technologies is conducting research and development into high-amylose (resistant starch) wheat from technology developed by CSIRO and Limagrain.

The GRDC is providing expertise in relation to the Australian and international grains industries.

Grains Research and Development Corporation

The Grains Research and Development Corporation is one of the world's leading grains research organisations, responsible for:

  • planning, investing and overseeing research and development
  • delivering improvements in production, sustainability and profitability across the Australian grains industry.

The GRDC links innovative research with industry needs.

It invests in research and development for the greatest benefit to its stakeholders - graingrowers and the Australian Government on behalf of the community.

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients in France is owned by Groupe Limagrain - the largest seed breeder in the European Union.

With expertise in cereals and their benefits for the food industry, Limagrain works in partnership with organisations and companies to produce specific grain-based products.

Limagrain is an agricultural cooperative group, specialised in plant breeding and in valorisation of commercial crops through specialised agroindustrial, food and food ingredient channels.

As the world’s fourth largest seeds business, Limgrain also extends its know how in plants to the development, production and commercialisation of cereal ingredients and bakery products.

Find out more about our work in New wheat with a healthy future.