Carisma, Australia's official low GI potato is making headway

The potato is back on the menu for many families in Australia thanks to the launch of Carisma, Australia’s first officially certified low GI potato.

Since its launch last year, consumers have bought more than 1,000 tonnes of Carisma – or approximately five million potatoes.

Naturally grown in Australia, Carisma is a great tasting potato with a Glycemic Index (GI) of 55 which is around 30% lower than other potatoes.

Its low GI qualities were uncovered by the Sydney University GI Research Service and it is the only potato to be officially recognised as low GI by the Glycemic Index Foundation.

“There are three reasons to choose Carisma. It is low GI, tastes good and potatoes have great nutritional value,” said Dr Alan Barclay, the Glycemic Index Foundation’s Chief Scientific Officer.

“Research is continuing to show that healthy, low GI diets have a range of benefits, including more sustainable weight loss, improvement in the management of diabetes and possibly even reducing the risk of heart disease.
 

Officially certified low glycemic index

“Consumers can trust the fact that foods with the GI Symbol have been tested at an accredited laboratory using the Australian Standard and meet a range of category-specific nutrient criteria that ensures that they are all-round healthy choices.”

Greg Davis, Coles General Manager of Fresh Produce, said Carisma is grown by some of the best potato farmers across the country in regions such as the Riverland in South Australia, Lockyer Valley in Queensland and various areas in Western Australia.

“We are always looking to bring our customers innovative new products and the Carisma is the biggest thing to hit the potato market in decades. For millions of customers watching their weight or buying low GI products for other health reasons, such as diabetes, it means potatoes are back on the menu,” Mr Davis said.

“We have been working closely with the Mitolo family – one of the country’s leading potato and onion producers – to make Carisma available through our supermarkets. We’re proud to work with local producers just like The Mitolo Group and we’re proud to be able to provide our customers with another compelling reason to shop at Coles.”

According to Frank Mitolo, Director of The Mitolo Group, the Carisma was a variety that held significant appeal well before it was known to be low GI.

“We were interested in Carisma before we completed the GI testing because it tastes and looks great,” he said. “We’re proud to be growing Carisma and making this versatile, great tasting, low GI potato available to Australians.”

Carisma potatoes can be cooked in a number of ways including boiling or sautéing. They are just as tasty when roasted or mashed however these methods may raise the GI of the potato. Carisma needs to be cooked al dente to achieve the low GI rating. Instructions are on-pack.

Carisma (carismapotatoes.com.au) is available exclusively through Coles at stores across Australia in all states except Tasmania (where it is likely to be available within the next 18 months).