Consumers in Asia are serious about their fibre intake, and many are making a conscious effort to ensure that they are getting enough fibre. A recent consumer survey1 showed that 88 percent of respondents in Indonesia and 84 percent in Thailand are trying to get at least a certain amount of fibre, or as much of it as possible, in their daily diet.
This, however, does not mean that consumers are giving up on their eating habits altogether. A Nielsen2 survey revealed that global sales of both healthy and indulgent food categories grew between 2012 and 2014. This interesting contrast means that while consumers increasingly look for healthy food, they are not compromising on their common diet including rich, creamy and sweet food as well.
Why fibre?
Much has been written about the importance of consuming enough fibre in our diet. The Health Promotion Board in Singapore recommends that each adult should eat between 20 and 30 grams of fibre per day. Dietary fibres pass through the stomach and the intestine intact, leaving one feeling fuller for longer. They also add bulk to stool and decrease transit time, facilitating bowel movements. Further health benefits can be reflected in lower blood cholesterol, hence lowering the risk of coronary heart disease. A slower digestion speed also improves the control of blood glucose levels.
Generally, consumers turn to vegetables, fruits, cereals and beans to boost their fibre intake. However, BENEO Asia Pacific’s Managing Director, Christian Philippsen believes food manufacturers can offer consumers bars, cakes and chocolates that are rich in fibre too. In other words, manufacturers should take the opportunity to help consumers literally have their cake and eat it!
Functional fibres
According to Christian, manufacturers can leverage functional fibres like BENEO’s inulin and oligofructose to deliver fibre-fortified indulgent food. BENEO’s inulin and oligofructose have 100 percent vegetable origins as they are derived from chicory roots via a gentle hot water extraction. Due to their technical properties they are well known for reducing the sugar and fat amount in various applications while maintaining taste and texture.
Additionally, BENEO’s functional fibres bring a host of other benefits. Being prebiotic, they aid in the balance of the intestinal flora by stimulating beneficial bifidobacteria growth – an important element of good digestive health. They are also proven to support a low glycaemic diet and weight management.
Less sugar still sweet
Sugary food products like cakes, cookies and chocolates tend to come with large quantities of high glycaemic carbohydrates (e.g. sucrose, glucose, maltodextrin). By incorporating the prebiotic fibres inulin or oligofructose, manufacturers can reduce the sugar count while maintaining taste and texture. Inulin and oligofructose are soluble fibres with a mild sweet taste and sweetening power of up to 65 percent of sucrose. Having only 2 kcal/g, inulin and oligofructose also help to reduce the calorie count of final products.
Furthermore, oligofructose can also be used in combination with high intensity sweeteners to create a more balanced and sugar-like palate without any off-taste. At the same time they add fibre.
Additionally, manufacturers can develop food that has a lower blood glucose response by incorporating functional fibres like inulin and oligofructose. BENEO received a positive 13.5 EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) health claim for the blood glucose lowering properties of its oligofructose and inulin. High glycaemic carbohydrates are digested by our bodies very quickly, resulting in a fast and high release of glucose into the bloodstream, thus triggering a large insulin response. Having a high glycaemic diet, with its significant insulin demands, can lead to the onset of non-communicable diseases in the long term. Leading scientists confirmed that low glycaemic diets reduce the risk of type II diabetes and coronary heart disease, help to control blood glucose in people with diabetes and potentially help to manage weight. .
Creaminess with less fat
Some hearty foods in the dairy category are commonly associated with rich texture and very high amounts of fat. Manufacturers may choose to tap on BENEO’s inulin to offer fat reduced but still creamy food options. Inulin is an excellent fat replacement in traditionally low-fat creamy products, such as yoghurts and creamy desserts. It helps these foods to retain their familiar full-fat body and mouthfeel while reducing the calorie amount and adding fibre. Being white, odourless, soluble, as well as having no off-taste, inulin stabilises water into a creamy structure. In the manufacturing process, inulin can be easily incorporated into moist or semi-moist food categories. It can also be used to improve the stability of dairy mousses and foams.
Go ahead, indulge a little
Fibre-rich food does not need to be boring. Consumers can maintain a healthy diet and reward themselves with their favourite food without feeling guilty. With functional fibres like BENEO’s inulin and oligofructose, manufacturers can now offer a best-of-both-worlds approach by delivering indulgent and fibre-enriched food that can continue to satisfy consumers’ cravings.
