Meeting consumer demands for added fibre

Dr Einerhand, director of health and nutritional science, Tate & Lyle, explained to Nathan Gray at the HiE trade show in Madrid that the company’s own global research highlights the consumer demand for fibre-rich products, and that it applies to all the age groups.

“The majority of consumers understand the word ‘fibre’, and they also understand ‘dietary fibre’, but it gets a bit more complicated when you’re talking about prebiotics, or talking around soluble and insoluble fibre,”​ explained Dr Einerhand.

“It is important to be aware of the fact that how you label the fibre will determine if consumers directly understand what you mean.”​

And understand how consumers view the potential health benefits can help food formulators meet consumers needs. “Consumers associate fibre with digestive health, feeling regular, maintaining healthy digestive […] beyond that it’s about weight management,”​ she explained