Sugar reduction, label claim authenticity and upcycled ingredients spearhead fiber space

15 Feb 2023 --- When it comes to fortifying food products with fiber, formulators have stepped up the natural profile of the ingredients they use and are turning their focus to the fine print of how to label these nutrients and which branch of nutrition is best suited to it.

FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with industry specialists ADM, Sensus, Cargill, Beneo, Ingredion and CP Kelco about the industry requirements of the moment. 

Research shows that fiber is the “number one” ingredient consumers want in their diet to support good digestion, weight management and satiety.

Playing into active nutrition 
Fiber fortification lends itself well to the active nutrition market, where personalized solutions are desired. Ready-to-drink shakes and yogurt drinks, bars and clusters are ideal for tailored support. 

“Formats also beginning to incorporate more fiber include sparkling waters and energy drinks, providing more optionality for the expanding active nutrition arena,” says Deanne Dick, director, fiber at ADM.

Seventy-six percent of global consumers recognize a link between their digestive and overall health. “Of the consumers who have changed their diets and lifestyles because they are aware of the gut microbiome, 64% have increased fiber intake,” she says. 

Approximately 70% of surveyed consumers claim they would not purchase a product again if it caused gastrointestinal discomfort. “There is a clear need in the marketplace for more functional offerings that incorporate fiber without the concern for digestive discomfort,” Dick explains.

ADM’s “Fibersol is also shown to minimize blood sugar spikes after a meal in healthy individuals,” Dick outlines. 

According to Innova Market Insights, the use of fiber fortification claims in food & beverage launches has decreased globally, featuring a 6% year-over-year decline between 2020-2022, third quarter.

Sugar reduction and prebiotic effectsReady-to-drink (RTD) shakes and yogurt drinks are ideal applications for tailored support using fiber. 
Chicory root fibers (inulin and oligofructose) are plant-based soluble dietary fibers that can replace sugar and fat while improving taste and mouthfeel. 

“It also promotes digestive health by enriching the fiber content of food. Moreover, it has a prebiotic effect, stimulating the production of beneficial bacteria in the colon,” says Brigitte Peters, technical sales support at Sensus.

Inulin prevents water binding, which negatively affects mouthfeel. “Frutafit inulin and Frutalose oligofructose are ingredients that can be labeled as chicory root fiber, chicory extract, or dietary fiber. The natural source is an advantage compared to most other soluble fibers on the market,” says Peters.

The use of reduced sugar claims in food & beverage launches has increased globally, according to Innova Market Insights with a 13% year-over-year growth between 2020-2022. 

Boosting gut health
Consumer interest in immune health has intensified in the past few years, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Research points to gut health as the key to achieving overall well-being and awareness of the role of fiber in improving gut health,” concurs William Letsinger, senior director, strategic growth initiatives, CP Kelco.

“A very illustrative example is fiber gummies. These gummies look and taste like a common confectionery gummy but are full of fiber. The fiber comes from oligofructose syrup which is used instead of the (high sugar and high calorie) glucose or corn syrup,” says Peters.

“The oligofructose syrup is in handling and in functionality comparable to commonly used glucose syrup.” 

Scrutinizing product labels
According to ADM, consumers interested in functional and better-for-you offerings are more likely to scrutinize product labels and many are specifically looking at sugar content. 

Fibersol helps build back integrity through structural and binding qualities that can be lost when reducing sugar in health-forward offerings without impacting key sensory aspects. 

“This supports the development of multi-faceted foods and beverages, but it can also improve the sensory experience of reduced-sugar foods and beverages across categories,” Dick explains.

Fibersol requires minimal formulation adjustments due to its high solubility, low viscosity, clarity and heat, acid, shear, freeze and thaw stability. 

“They are label-friendly ingredients, nature-derived, familiar, and simple ingredients – exactly what consumers seek when they check the label,” explains Aysegul Ozcan, marketing manager for sweetness and texture at Cargill.

“More than six in ten EMEA consumers say they are extremely likely to check the ingredient list when purchasing food and beverages.” 

Consumers want shorter ingredient lists, easy-to-recognize ingredients and nothing artificial. Chicory root fibers are soluble dietary fibers that can replace sugar in healthier food and beverage formulations.  

CP Kelco’s Nutrava Citrus Fiber is listed as citrus fiber on a product label and does not have an E-number. 

“In our industry’s quest for clearer labeling and product transparency, citrus fiber is an ingredient that is easy for consumers to understand,” Letsinger explains. 

“We can help reformulate to increase revenue by replacing or reducing difficult-to-source ingredients with an easy-to-use ingredient that will not interrupt the manufacturing process and often decrease the overall cost of a recipe.”

Regulatory approval
Manufacturers are using on-pack claims to make it easy for consumers to understand product nutritional and health benefits.

Beneo’s chicory root fibers can come with prebiotic information, which appeals to more consumers since three in five (61%) global consumers say they are interested in prebiotics. 

Beneo’s chicory root fiber inulin has an authorized Art. 13.5 health claims in the EU concerning digestive health and regularity support that can be communicated on-pack in combination with prebiotics. In the US, many function claims are also possible because of scientific evidence supporting chicory root fibers. 

More than 70% of consumers now see digestive health as necessary for their physical, immune, and mental well-being. One in two consumers say they usually choose foods to improve their digestion. 

“As Beneo’s dietary fibers have decades of scientific proof to support digestive health, the company is well placed to support the increasing number of producers who are looking to meet this demand by adding prebiotic functional fibers to their recipe formulations,” says Anke Sentko, vice president regulatory affairs and nutrition communication at Beneo.

Ingredion’s Fibertex citrus fibers contain 90% fiber and support texture improvement, fat replacement, and stability in formulations. While its primary benefit is functional properties, it also provides approximately 70% total dietary fiber.

Functional benefits include clean label (and consumer-preferred label) replacement of undesired hydrocolloids, stabilizers and chemical emulsifiers in formulations. Functional properties include gelling, water-holding capacity and emulsification. The US Food and Drug Administration  approved its resistant starches as sources of dietary fiber.

Reducing calories
Cargill soluble fiber reduces sugar by up to 30%, supports calorie reduction, fiber enrichment and facilitates Nutri-Score improvement. “They shine in these complex applications, providing great performance in terms of taste, appearance, digestive tolerance, and mouthfeel,” says Ozcan.

“They are especially relevant for applications where existing solutions fall short, such as sugar confectionery where digestive tolerance can be an issue for young consumers, breakfast cereals where taste and coating performance needs to match existing products, and ice cream where consumers desire low-calorie products that still deliver on indulgence.” 

The company’s new soluble fibers offer improved stability, easy handling, and scalability, allowing formulators to gradually increase the degree of sugar substitution while retaining the recipe.

Daily fiber consumptionThe majority of consumers are choosing foods to improve their digestion. 
There is a significant gap between dietary fiber recommendations and actual fiber consumption. More than 90% of women and 97% of men do not meet recommended intakes for dietary fiber.

“There is a need to fortify foods with fibers, and increased awareness about the fiber gap may encourage consumers to seek products with added fiber claims,” Ozcan says.

Cargill soluble fiber is made using exclusively licensed micro-reactor technology developed in partnership with Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, in Germany. The resulting soluble fibers contain a minimum of 80% fiber content, with low color and low off-taste.

The European Food Safety Authority recommends consuming 25 g of fiber each day. “Countries have developed local guidelines that range from 18 to 40 g a day for adults,” says Jolanda Vermulst, market intelligence manager at Sensus.

Chicory inulin offers the opportunity to increase the fiber content of products like cereals, snacks and bakery products, without negatively affecting the appearance or sensory properties. “We see more of these products with a high added fiber claim being introduced in countries such as the UK, Germany and France,” adds Vermulst.

“Increasing fiber content – while adding value – should be the ultimate goal. That is why chicory root fibers are so invaluable as a fiber fortification ingredient,” Sentko explains.

“From a manufacturers point of view, they (chicory root fibers) reduce the sugar or fat content in products and can be included within recipe reformulations without major adaptations to the production process,” she says.

Beneo’s Orafti Inulin and oligofructose prebiotic chicory root fibers “can be easily added to a wide range of food and drink products to achieve high fiber levels without delivering a ‘bran’ or ‘fiber’ taste. They also have the added benefit of enabling the reduction of fat and sugar content in recipe formulations,” says Sentko.

“With a rising number of consumers showing an interest in prebiotics and the gut microbiome, more manufacturers are looking to tap into this trend.” The annual average growth of new food and beverage product launches globally, carrying a prebiotic claim from 2017 to 2021, was 11%.” 

Upcycled ingredients
CP Kelco’s Nutrava Citrus Fiber is made from “sustainably sourced” citrus peels, a by-product of the juice industry in Brazil. The product can help formulators navigate supply chain challenges. 

It reduces the use of starch, eggs, oil, butter, tomato solids or paste, fruit solids, locust bean gum and xanthan gum or replaces it. 

“The typical dietary fiber content of Nutrava Citrus Fiber is 80% with an approximately balanced amount of soluble and insoluble fiber. It also retains a high amount of pectin,” says Letsinger.

“It supports dietary fiber intake, emulsion stability, mouthfeel enhancement and water-holding capacity. It supports applications as diverse as bakery, beverages, condiments and sauces, dairy, dairy alternatives, meat and meat alternatives.” 

“There is a growing concern among consumers about food waste, which drives innovation on upcycled ingredients,” says Ecem Elsan, marketing manager for sustainability at Cargill. “CitriPure is a good example of the efficient use of whole fruit, reducing waste as we valorize the side streams from the juice processing industry.”

Metabolite-producing starches and fiber
Resistant starches such as insoluble fiber made from potato, tapioca, and corn are resistant to enzyme activity in the upper digestive tract and enter the colon, where they are fermented by bacteria, producing metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). 

“When categorizing the quality of fiber ingredients, we take into consideration its efficacy to induce one or more of three key benefits: nutritional benefits, the positive impact on health and its functional attributes to deliver desired taste and texture,” says Lauretta Katsriku, global platform leader, nutrition, health & wellness at Ingredion.

“With this in mind, our top fiber ingredients include resistant starches (RS2 and RS4), prebiotic fiber (scFOS) and our line of citrus fibers,” she says.On-pack claims make it convenient for consumers to absorb information about the nutritional value of a product.

These metabolites support the activity and function of gut bacteria. The benefits include improved regularity, a balanced microbiome, a low glycemic response, improved insulin sensitivity, a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, blood glucose support and energy management.

It works well in bakery, snacks, pasta, keto products, and smoothies. 

Prebiotic fiber remains undigested when consumed until it reaches the colon, where it acts as food for beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and fermentation begins. 

Fermentation yields SCFA, which confers health benefits. The human colon plays a critical role in our immune system and interactions between the gut microbiota and the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) support immune function. 

The bifidogenic effect of short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) has been shown to stimulate GALT activity. This is well documented in the digestive tracts of infants and widely used in infant formula with digestive health and increased calcium absorption benefits.

“It is about 30% the sweetness of sugar and works well in sugar replacement formulations. It also acts as a humectant and works well in applications such as cereal bars,” says Katsriku.

Low-carb and keto
Fiber fortification is vital in “low carb” and “keto” diets, specifically in bakery products and healthy snacks. Soluble and insoluble fibers can be used in these applications. Insoluble fibers can replace a portion of flour to significantly lower the net carbs and reduce the total amount of calories. 

Ingredion leverages this by providing different types of resistant starches to support these food trends. “Our global network and expertise allow us to have different bases such as tapioca, potato, rice and corn produced and leveraged in different countries, from Asia to the Americas,” explains Katsriku. 

A portion of refined wheat flour (white flour) can be replaced with resistant starch in applications such as bread and pasta to provide a healthier alternative. Consumers tend to limit their consumption of these food products due to the heavy carbohydrates and lower nutritional value linked to flour. 

By Inga de Jong