Dietary fibre is a term that is used for plant-based carbohydrates that, unlike other carbohydrates such as sugars and starches, are not digested in the small intestine and reach the colon intact. Fibres are therefore a group of ingredients that have immense functional potential and should be an integral part of any balanced diet as the health benefits are undisputable.

Consumers have a growing awareness of the positive effects of increased fibre consumption and are ready to discover more ways to include it in their diet. For the food and beverage companies, fibres are turning into a selling point, and novel applications are emerging, providing added value for consumers. Whilst it can be a long journey from developing a brand-new ingredient, pushing it past the regulatory hurdles and establishing it in the consumers’ field of interest, harnessing fibres’ potential is an exciting challenge with promising pay-offs.

This white paper will help you get to grips with why dietary fibres are so important, what consumers think about them, and how this can help in the design of persuasive marketing communications demonstrating their benefits. In addition, this white paper provides an overview of the recent technological developments and challenges within the dietary fibre space, leading the way for the introduction of high-fibre products with high quality physico-chemical and organoleptic attributes.