Food intake management : a trendy way to maintain healthy weight

One way for the food & beverage industry to answer to consumers concern on maintaining a healthy weight is to offer alternative snacks which are lower in calories while ensuring to feel satisfied till a next regular and balanced meal.

05/06/08 Since they are more and more aware on how their diet impacts body appearance and health, consumers want to eat more balanced food and to control their calorie intake all over the day, not only in order to fight obesity and to loose weight, but mostly to stay on track and keep a healthy weight.

This is far from being easy, as in our nowadays lifestyles, we are often tempted to grab a snack between meals such as a cereal bar, a cake or biscuits. Moreover, common snacks are often high in fat, sugar and salt, and can leave you still hungry soon after eating. Consequently, snacking can lead to inappropriate weight gain.

One way for the food & beverage industry to answer to consumers concern on maintaining a healthy weight is to offer alternative snacks which are lower in calories while ensuring to feel satisfied till a next regular and balanced meal.

There is an increasing new product launches activity worldwide, meaning that satiety is becoming an important innovation driver within the general food industry. Also, this trend is supported by recent launches of top food multinationals.

Designing satiety-enhancing food
The control of food intake results from two mechanisms : one, called satiation, stops ingestion of food when the processor is full, and the other initiates eating when it is empty. This second mechanism that controls the food intake is satiety. It refers to postprandial (occurring after a meal) events that affect the interval to the next meal, thereby regulating meal frequency, which is also influenced by learned, social and behavioural habits.

Mechanisms of satiation and satiety are complex. They depend on mechanical (gastric distension) and chemical (different peptides released by intestinal cells) signals in response to the ingestion of food but also on hedonistic and psychological factors. There are many ways to induce a satiety effect. Still, most products launched on the market seem to follow a fibre-and-protein approach.

An approach supported by scientific evidence
Proteins are well-known for their properties on food intake. They have been used for years within the dietetic food sector in weight control snacks and meal substitutes. Many clinical studies have shown that high-protein foods have a positive impact on satiety by enhancing the feeling of fullness and increasing the delay of the next food intake. High-protein foods also lead to reduced energy intake during within the next meal. In addition to all the scientific background on proteins and satiety, a recent study conducted by Leatherhead Food International has specifically demonstrated that Pisane®, pea protein produced by Cosucra Groupe Warcoing has a significant effect on satiety.

Soluble fibres have also been studied extensively for their effect on satiety. Last research focusing on inulin-type fructans have shown that this particular type of soluble fibre stimulates the intestinal secretion of satiety peptides such as GLP-1, glucagon-like peptide-1 which acts at the level of central nervous system located in the brain in order to reduce food intake.

Combining nutritional advantages
On top of that, high-protein, high-fibre foods are more nutritious than common food while having a lower calorie content. Indeed, soluble fibres are an essential part of a balanced diet, especially with regards to the role on the transit regulation and on the promotion of digestive health. Proteins contain 4 kcal/g and are nutrients which are not metabolised as fat in the body while inulin fibre is a low calorie bulking agent with only 1kcal/g.

Solutions with inulin, chicory soluble fibre, and pea protein
Cosucra Groupe Warcoing SA has developed innovative recipes for manufacturers of different application sectors : dairy, bakery, confectionery, savoury, which want to explore new market opportunities offered by the “satiety” trend by developing products that help consumers to get a long-lasting feeling of fullness. A smoothie “shot”, a RTD soup, a fudge bar or an extruded cereals blend are examples of the various recipes proposed by Cosucra, which are suitable for “promotes satiety” claim.

Cosucra’s application concepts involving satiety are linked with pea protein (Pisane ), with inulin and oligofructose, chicory fibres (Fibruline & Fibrulose) or with both of them. These speciality ingredients feature many advantages for food manufacturers on top of the enrichment in soluble fibres and proteins with satiety properties :

 Pisane is a pea protein of high purity. It is a clean-labelling, non-GMO, low allergenic, consumer-friendly ingredient, extracted without chemical solvents from a reliable vegetable source (yellow pea, Pisum sativum).

 Fibruline and Fibrulose are inulin and oligofructose from chicory root. They are low viscous, soluble fibres, enabling high incorporation rates to meet high fibre and satiety claims conditions in a wide range of applications. Furthermore, their very low calorie content (~1kcal/g), make them ideal to formulate reduced calorie food and replace partially or totally sugars and / or fat content.

Thus, products formulated with such ingredients do not only promote satiety but have lower sugar and fat content than in common snacks.

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This feature is provided by Nutrition Insight’s sister website, Food Ingredients First.

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