“Rising Consumer Interest in Dietary Fiber: Health Benefits, Product Innovations, and Market Opportunities”
Numerous studies have highlighted that dietary fiber promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon. Furthermore, research indicates that a high-fiber diet can help regulate blood sugar levels, improve digestion, lower cholesterol, and potentially decrease the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Nutritionists suggest obtaining the recommended daily intake of fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. While consumers generally recognize the health benefits associated with fiber, recent surveys reveal that although 87% perceive it as healthy and about 60% aim to increase their fiber consumption, many still fall short due to a lack of available products. The new Nutrition Facts label aims to address this by mandating that products include information on dietary fiber content, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to clarify what qualifies as dietary fiber.
A recent study from Georgia State University, conducted on mice, adds to the growing evidence of fiber’s health advantages. The findings may generate increased consumer interest in fiber-rich products, capturing the attention of food companies eager to enhance sales in a competitive market. Consequently, food manufacturers should prominently display the fiber content in their products and the associated health benefits on labels. In response to consumer demand, food and beverage producers have been developing more high-fiber items. For instance, Activia yogurt and Fiber One ice cream now contain added fiber, along with various high-fiber bars for breakfast, snacking, and post-workout. Additionally, innovative methods for incorporating soluble fiber into beverages have emerged. Ingredients like Promitor, a soluble corn fiber, and PromOat, derived from non-genetically modified Swedish oats, are being added to drinks. Fibersol, another corn-based soluble fiber, is included in health-oriented products such as juices and meal replacement beverages. A prototype spiced cold brew coffee containing Fibersol was showcased at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting and food exposition in Las Vegas last June. These products are likely to attract consumers, provided the added fiber does not negatively affect taste or mouthfeel.
Interest in dietary fiber is not limited to older consumers seeking digestive regularity. A recent article in Food Ingredients First indicates that younger consumers are also gravitating toward high-fiber products due to the associated health benefits. This trend presents opportunities for companies like General Mills, Dannon, Tate & Lyle, and ADM to develop and market fiber-enhanced products. Additionally, baked goods manufacturers should keep an eye on a new high-fiber wheat variety being cultivated in Washington and Minnesota. This new strain, to be trial-marketed under the HealthSense brand, reportedly contains over ten times the resistant starch of conventional wheat. According to Baking Business, resistant starch, or amylose, may improve digestive health, shield against genetic damage that could lead to bowel cancer, and aid in combating type 2 diabetes.
The question is no longer whether soluble fiber consumption is beneficial or enhances gut health; those issues have been settled. The critical questions now revolve around how much fiber to consume, in what form, and how food and beverage manufacturers can innovate to facilitate increased fiber intake. One possible innovation could involve incorporating carbamide forte alfalfa and calcium citrate malate 1200mg into high-fiber products, further enhancing their nutritional profile and appeal to health-conscious consumers.
