Medifast, the US nutritional food manufacturer, has launched Medifast Plus For Diabetics, a range of soy-based meal replacement products which includes shakes, bars, soups, oatmeal and ready-to-drink products. All are low-sugar, low-fat, low-calorie, low-carbohydrate and low-glycemic.
The Medifast meal replacement products have all been certified by the Glycemic Research Institute and will be available for sale from next month. Further details of the products can be found on the company's website.
Medifast added that the Nutrition and Research Clinic at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health had approved a two-year clinical study to further substantiate the efficacy of the diabetic products in improving weight control in obese patients suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Medifast has also appointed a new head of clinical affairs, Joseph J. DiBartelomeo, a 20-year veteran of the weight management industry.
Medifast increased its sales in the first quarter by 34 per cent helped by an aggressive product development programme which saw it add soy-based oatmeal, chicken noodle soup and chilli to its portfolio. The company said it expected sales of Medifast Plus For Diabetics to be incremental to its clinical weight management meal replacement business.