Filling Up on Fiber

By Melissa Althen


This past year the International Food Information Council (IFIC) polled consumers on the most sought-after potentially beneficial food component. The number one response was dietary fiber (DF). The study also found that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of functional foods.

Fiber has been linked to regularity for some time, but more and more consumers are now learning about its many other benefits. At the forefront is fiber’s role in satiety and maintaining a healthy digestive system. The perception that weight control can be achieved through a “miracle pill” diet is shifting toward a holistic acceptance that healthy weight must be part of a regimented lifestyle change that includes eating whole foods rich in nutrients.

The Institute of Medicine recommends people consume between 19 and 38 grams of fiber per day, yet people are still only eating roughly half the recommended amount. Even while eating a well-balanced variety of nutritious foods, it can be difficult to consume the amount of fiber a body needs. Herein lies the opportunity for product developers to create fiber-enriched foods that deliver added fiber while maintaining top-notch flavor.

Organic foods already have a leg up on conventional foods when it comes to fiber content. Naturally occurring fiber is often lost due to over-processing during refining. Organic foods, however, are minimally processed, preserving more of the food’s inherent nutrients.

The Lowdown on Fiber
The American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) defines fiber as “the edible parts of plants or analogous carbohydrates that are resistant to digestion and absorption in the human small intestine with complete or partial fermentation in the large intestine.”

According to the AACC, dietary fiber includes polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, lignin and associated plant substances. These are naturally found in foods such as legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Grains continue to be the predominant source of fiber in the U.S. food supply. To put fiber content into perspective, Table 1 on page 18 represents the amount of fiber in standard servings of common whole foods.

When examining the health benefits of fiber, one could say that fiber is a somewhat overlooked “superfood.” In addition to aiding regularity, the health benefits of fiber include:
• lowering of blood cholesterol and decreasing risk of coronary heart disease

• acting as a prebiotic through fermentation in the intestines

• controlling and preventing diabetes through slowed absorption of simple
carbohydrates

• reducing the risks of some types of cancer

• controlling satiety and aiding in weight management, and

• helping absorb vital nutrients and minerals

Fiber is broken into two categories: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is exactly that—soluble in water. In water, it forms a gel and can act as a thickening agent. This gel slows the passage of food through the small intestine, generating an extended sense of satiety. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids, trapping cholesterol and carrying it out of the body. It can slow down the absorption of simple carbohydrates, giving foods a lower glycemic index.

Insoluble fiber cannot bind with water and provides bulk in the intestines. It aids in regular passage of food and removal of toxic waste from one’s digestive system.

Formulating with Fiber
The FDA maintains the following acceptable nutrient content claims for dietary fiber:
• Good Source of Fiber: 2.5 g DF/serving

• Excellent Source of Fiber: 5 g DF/serving

• Enhanced, Fortified, High Fiber: 5+ g DF/serving

Insoluble Fiber. One of the first changes consumers will make when trying to increase fiber is to seek out whole grains—with whole wheat still ranking as one of the most popular options. For processors, innovations such as pregelatinized, cold-swelling wheat, rye and barley flours can also help build viscosity in dough and aid in moisture control, says Grace Marroquin of Marroquin International.

While switching from refined flour to whole-wheat flour is one way to bump up insoluble fiber, Marroquin notes that the growing demand for gluten-free products has led product developers to look into other high-fiber alternatives. One of the wheat substitutes she has worked to bring to market is organic pea flour and pea fiber. Researchers at the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba found that participants who consumed muffins made with whole pea flour or pea fiber on average decreased insulin resistance by 20 percent and had fasting insulin levels 20 percent lower than participants consuming control muffins made with wheat flour. One of the biggest breakthrough findings in this study, notes lead researcher Christopher Marinangeli, is that these changes happened after just 30 days and without weight loss.

“Insulin resistance and insulin levels tend to decrease naturally with weight loss,” he says. “However, those eating the pea fiber were able to see improvement in a short timeframe and did not have wait until they had lost weight in order to have these positive health benefits.”

He adds that pulses are very versatile. “When you think of pulses, most
people think of something that you throw in a soup or chili, but pea flours can be used in anything you would use wheat to make. The results are quite palatable and because peas are high in protein, antioxidants and fiber, you get many added health benefits,” says Marinangeli. “Peas are really quite a superfood.”


Soluble Fiber. Whole foods are certainly desirable as fiber sources because of the additional nutrients they contain, but often an additional source of fiber is necessary to meet FDA claims. Jim Mitchell, technical leader on fiber for Ciranda, notes, “Most whole grains and fruits have associated antioxidants and micronutrients that are beneficial for health. Unfortunately, the insoluble fiber tends to dominate many whole foods, so using whole foods to get a high amount of fiber can lead to the woody texture that is unappealing to most consumers. Supplementing whole grains, nuts, or fruits with pure soluble fiber can provide a good option in terms of high fiber, acceptable texture, and all the benefits associated with both types of fiber.”

Inulin, typically extracted from root and rhizome sources, is a common source of soluble fiber and acts as a prebiotic as well. Although there are several varieties, inulin made from agave has a bland, slightly sweet flavor profile and is highly adaptable, allowing formulators to boost fiber while at the same time reducing fat, sugar and flour in many applications. Inulin is hygroscopic and can help with humectancy in baked goods.

Mitchell adds, “Psyllium is gaining more recognition as a fiber source as studies show its effectiveness at lowering cholesterol.” Psyllium is a mucilage, or gelling agent, derived from the seeds of various members of the plant genus plantago. As a thickener, it possesses greater binding ability than starch mucilage, and has been used in products such as ice cream and frozen desserts.

Gums have been used extensively throughout the food industry as stabilizers and thickening agents. Mar Nieto, PhD, with TIC Gums advises, “For soluble fiber, good sources are various gums or gum polysaccharides that are usually over 85 percent soluble fiber such as gum Arabic, inulin, larch, guar, pectin, xanthan, cellulose gums, konjac glucomannan and many others.” In addition to adding fiber, gums contribute to desirable mouthfeel and can offer freeze/thaw stability.

In reference to avoiding fibrous texture, Nieto adds, “Depending on the finished application, fibrousness or grittiness can or cannot be a problem.” He points out that in breads, the fibrousness coming from insoluble fiber is not usually a problem for most consumers. In beverages or liquid and semi-liquid products, however, insoluble fiber will always taste gritty in the mouth.

“This grittiness could be reduced significantly when used in combination with soluble fiber which provides a smoothing effect,” says Nieto. “Fiber extracts and concentrates will enable a formulator to use both soluble and insoluble fiber in these problematic products, resulting in a very acceptable texture and mouthfeel.”

Other Emerging Fiber Sources. Product developers should also be aware of other less thought-of ingredients when looking for ways to incorporate fiber. Organic coconut flour is an alternative to common grain flours providing 6 g of DF per 14 g serving. Manitoba Harvest’s Organic Hemp Pro Fiber contains 14 g of fiber per serving, and is manufactured from cold-pressed hemp seeds. Chocolate liquor (the food of the Gods) contains approximately 4.3 g of DF per 28-g serving. What consumer wouldn’t like another good reason to eat chocolate?

How Much Fiber Is Too Much? Certainly the goal in product development is creating a food consumers will repeatedly purchase. Experience with fiber can be both good and bad, depending on how acclimated the consumer is to fiber. Too much fiber in a product can leave a consumer with abdominal discomfort—not an experience many would choose to revisit.

Fiber on the Market
The most common place to find high-fiber organic foods is on the cereal aisle. Nature’s Path’s selection includes Flax Plus cereals in Maple Pecan, Vanilla Almond Granola, and Pumpkin Raisin varieties. Arrowhead Mills taps into organic heritage grains with their Kamut & Cranberries Flakes and Spelt & Cranberries Flakes.

Eden Organic has created four new whole-grain chilis: Black Bean & Quinoa, Great Northern & Barley, Kidney Bean & Kamut, and Pinto Bean & Spelt.

Fiber is also popping up in less expected places. Sambazon brings fiber to the frozen desserts with Organic Acai Sorbet. Each serving contains 4 g DF, giving consumers a way to feel better about indulging. Clif Bar’s Luna line now features three varieties of 95 percent organic Luna cookies, each with 3 g of DF. Julie’s Organic Strawberry Yogurt Bars contain 3 g of prebiotic fiber per serving.

Conclusion
As consumers grow more knowledgeable about the health benefits of fiber, they will continue to seek foods that increase their daily fiber intake. Fiber as a weight-control tool will be increasingly influential on consumer food choices. Organic processors have the advantage of minimal processing and a variety of functional ingredients at their fingertips to meet the demands of the fiber-conscious consumer. Fiber will undoubtedly continue to appear in unexpected foods, providing consumers endless opportunities to fill up on fiber.

Melissa Althen is the research and development manager at Parker Products, Inc. (www.parkerproducts.com). Parker is a leader in the manufacture of organic inclusions for dairy, snack food, bakery and confectionery industries. The company offers custom development of ingredients including high-fiber inclusions such as streusel, granola, and candy. You can reach Melissa at melissa@parkerproducts.com.