Bridging the fiber gap: Tereos launches website on dietary fiber

13 Feb 2018 --- Consuming an adequate amount of fiber plays an important role in a wide range of health-related issues, by helping to reduce obesity, improve cholesterol and glycemic index levels and contribute to weight management. To educate consumers about dietary fibers, Tereos has launched a new website, which it says makes it easy to understand the company's Actilight fiber ingredient, its benefits and origin. 

Tereos’ Actilight, an oligofructose also known as fructo-oligosaccharides, is a dietary fiber obtained from sugar beet. The ingredient is used by food manufacturers for its taste and nutritional qualities, and can be used in products ranging from infant formula, yogurts, ice creams and sorbets, to biscuits, cereal bars and nutritional supplements.

“With this initiative, we intend to encourage fiber consumption,” says Pierre Brun, Product Manager for Life Science & Nutrition Ingredients at Tereos. “Consumers want to know more about the origin. Talking about raw material origin adds a positive dimension to the perception of our ingredient, sugar beet being well-known by consumers. We also wanted to let consumers be aware that oligofructose is naturally present in a wide range of plants such as wheat, banana, asparagus, artichoke, etc. With our ingredient, we are just offering a concentrate of fiber, a convenient way of eating more fibers.”  

“Consumers have become more demanding. They are looking for information about healthier options, and expect it to be simple and easily understandable. That is the principle that guided the design of the new website of Actilight Fibre,” explains Brun.

In terms of fiber content, one teaspoon of Actilight is equivalent to 10 bananas, 700 g of rye or 40 cloves of garlic. The new Actilight Fibre website also reminds that the most simple way of getting enough fibers is to eat a variety of vegetable products every day, Tereos reports.

Not enough fiber in our diets
According to the results of INCA 3, a study about the food consumption and habits of the French population published by the ANSES (French National Agency for Food, environment and work safety) in July 2017, fiber uptake (20g per day in average for adults) appears too low compared to the recommendations of the same agency (30g per day for adults). Therefore, food manufacturers are encouraged to increase the dietary fiber content in their products. Consumers should also give preference to high fiber foodstuffs such as fruit and vegetables, pulses and cereals. 

Innova Market Insights notes that fiber is definitely one to watch owing to its health benefits and being one of the nutrients of concern that we all should be eating more of. The challenge for the food & drink industry will be to communicate fiber’s benefits as well as making fiber-fortified products palatable to consumers.