Is fiber the “next protein”? Roquette unpacks how brands can lead the gut health megatrend

Roquette’s recent webinar highlighted that fiber is becoming the “cornerstone” of future gut health innovation. 

Nutrition Insight speaks with the co-presenter, Iva François, global product marketing leader of Fibers at the French company, to learn why supplement and food brands must shift toward clinically validated prebiotic solutions as scientific definitions evolve. 

“The key takeaway from the webinar is that fiber has become the foundation of gut health innovation, moving beyond a nutritional recommendation to a major consumer-driven health platform.” 

“The webinar highlighted that consumers increasingly view gut health as connected not only to digestion but also to weight management, immunity, stress, sleep, and overall well-being. 

At the same time, fiber is emerging as a ‘megatrend,’ with leading food industry CEOs describing it as the ‘next protein.’”

She further highlights the significant opportunities this would have for brands since consumer interest in fiber is peaking, yet most populations are fiber-deficient. Consumers are aware of this gap and are seeking to close it.

Adding to the advantages, François says fiber is the top ingredient that consumers link to gut health, even more so than probiotics. Gut health claims are rapidly growing into mainstream food and beverage categories. 

“Brands that successfully combine fiber enrichment with scientifically supported gut health benefits are well-positioned to meet one of the strongest nutrition trends in the market,” she says.

Deeper understanding of fiber and prebiotics

According to François, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics’ (ISAPP) latest definitions are changing the way the industry thinks about fibers, moving away from the idea that all fibers are equal.

Fiber-enriched foods are emerging as a key strategy for future gut and metabolic health.“ISAPP defines a prebiotic as ‘a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.’ This shifts the focus from simply adding fiber or increasing fiber content to demonstrate that fiber is selectively utilized by beneficial microorganisms, produces measurable changes in the microbiome, and delivers a proven health benefit in humans.”

“The webinar repeatedly emphasized that health benefits are ingredient-specific, prebiotic effects must be clinically substantiated, and brands should align their ingredient selection with the scientific reference definition when targeting gut health claims.”

She adds that the future is not about adding more fiber into formulations, but about using evidence-based fiber with clinically proven prebiotic function.

Nutriose solves two major issues 

The webinar focused on Roquette Nutriose as a solution to meet consumer needs to fill the fiber gap. François says the NutraStrong-certified soluble fiber can be a practical choice for formulation.

“From a consumer and formulator perspective, it offers a scientifically substantiated prebiotic ingredient, support for gut microbiota modulation, and clinically proven evidence supporting gut health, blood glucose management, satiety, and metabolic health.”

“It also has outstanding digestive tolerance: slow fermentation and digestive tolerance up to 45 g/day, a critical consideration when increasing fiber intake. With more fiber — up to more than 90% fiber content depending on grade — while being easily integrated due to high solubility and excellent process stability.”

François adds that Nutriose has various applications due to its bland taste, being stable across heat, ultra-high temperature, extrusion, low pH, and various shelf-life conditions.

Prebiotic soluble fibers like Nutriose help support the microbiome without compromising taste or digestive comfort.“The webinar positioned Nutriose as a solution that helps brands increase fiber content without compromising sensory quality or consumer experience, which is an important advantage in everyday food and beverage applications.”

Opportunities in education and positioning

The biggest opportunities for innovation are likely at the intersection of education and product positioning, says François.

“The webinar showed that consumers understand the importance of gut health and increasingly recognize prebiotics. They are also actively trying to consume more fiber, yet still fail to achieve recommended daily intake levels.”

“This suggests a knowledge-action gap. Brands that can clearly communicate how much fiber a product provides, what percentage of daily intake it contributes to, why prebiotic fibers differ from generic fibers, and how fiber supports whole-body health will likely create stronger consumer engagement.”

Concurrently, she explains that product positions can change beyond making digestive health claims. Fibers can enable positions on gut-brain axis support, weight management, GLP-1 companion nutrition, stress and wellness, metabolic health, and everyday preventive nutrition.

“The objective is not just making products with more fiber but helping consumers understand why that fiber matters.”

“Evidence is not enough”

Roquette’s webinar underscored that scientific evidence alone is not enough, as successful products balance the science with formulation performance and consumer experience.

François says the objective is not just making products with more fiber but helping consumers understand why that fiber matters.Brands should focus on five key principles, François recommends. The first one is choosing clinically substantiated ingredients where benefits are ingredient-specific and human clinical evidence is essential. 

“Secondly, prioritize digestive tolerance, as consumers will not repurchase products that create digestive discomfort, so lowly fermented fibers with strong tolerance profiles are preferred. Thirdly, preserve sensory quality since taste remains king, so fiber enrichment should not negatively affect flavor, texture, or appearance.”

“Also, ensure formulation performance, as fibers must resist processing conditions, including low pH, heat treatment, extrusion, and shelf life requirements. Lastly, they must fit into daily consumption habits. Consumers want fiber in everyday products they already enjoy: from beverages, dairy, and dairy alternatives to sports nutrition, snacks, and breakfast foods.”

She states: “The winning products will integrate meaningful levels of fiber into convenient and appealing formats.”

François presents Roquette’s Nutriose as a solution, since it combines clinically proven prebiotic efficacy, digestive tolerance, and formulation performance and versatility.

“Ultimately, the brands that succeed will be those that translate robust science into enjoyable, easy-to-adopt everyday products that help consumers close the global fiber gap.”