Less than 10% of people globally get enough fibre, leading to a host of health woes. But there’s good news! Technical manager, Carien Schoeman from Savannah discusses the health and technical functionality of fibre.

Globally less than 10% of people are getting enough fibre in their diet. That amounts to a global population-wide deficiency, what nutritionists are calling the ‘fibre gap.’ Diets low in fibre are associated with gastrointestinal health problems, increased risk of heart attacks, high cholesterol, obesity, strokes, and type 2 diabetes to name but a few. Fortunately, when it comes to the importance of dietary fibre intake, public awareness has been steadily growing over the last decade. Many consumers are already actively asking for convenient food and drinks that include higher amounts of fibre.

Fibre is the closest thing we have to a true superfood or super nutrient, as it has immense health benefits for consumers as well as technical advantages for food manufactures. Fibre can be broken up into two different types: soluble and insoluble fibre. With the right type of fibre at hand, food manufacturers can only benefit from answering the consumer demand on increase fibre products and resolve technical challenges at the same time.
Understanding the two types of fibre
Both soluble and insoluble fibres are from plant origin and are important for wellness and their technical functionality in products. Soluble fibre, as the name indicates, are fibres that are soluble in water. There are many different soluble fibres but only 3 have proven to have a probiotic effect, two of which are Inulin and Oligofructose. The prebiotic effect of chicory root fibre gives selective increase of bifidobacteria that has been linked to the following health benefit: improved bowel function, blood glucose management, stronger inner defence, improved bone health and body weight management. Prebiotics are valuable for all age groups from infants to the elderly and every stage in between. Savannah offers both these soluble fibres in the Orafti range from Beneo, which are extracted from the chicory root. Not only are these proven prebiotics that aids in a healthy gut microbiome, but they can also be used as technical functional tools in sugar and fat reduction which will also lead to a lower caloric effect on the final product.

Orafti: reducing sugar and fat with fibre
Orafti L85LL is a liquid oligofructose which can successfully replace sugar in cakes and muffins, with a sugar reduction of more than 50%, being easily achievable. In confectionaries like gummies Orafti L85LL is used to reduce the sugar content. In Chocolate, the use of inulin in the form of Orafti HSI, can reduce the sugar content by 30%, giving a more pronounced creamy taste. High performance inulin can be used in sugar free applications with ease to give structure and mouthfeel. Orafti Inulin can also be used in savoury applications for mouthfeel, texture and as a fat replacement in soft cheeses, spreads, and sauces.
Insoluble fibre on the other hand is not soluble in water, also sometimes referred to as roughage. In South Africa food legislation, it is considered as the only fibre contributing to dietary fibre. Insoluble fibre, due to its nature of not being soluble in water, has different health benefits and technical functionality in food products. Insoluble fibres are found in wheat, oats, bamboo, apples, sugarcane, potatoes, psyllium husk and peas and includes plant cellulose and hemicellulose. CFF represented by Savannah offers a high-quality range of insoluble fibres. From a health perspective, insoluble fibres are beneficial because they attract water in the gut, aiding in bowl function and thus promoting bowl health and regularity. Insoluble fibre also has a role to play in insulin sensitivity and may help reduce the risk of diabetes.
From a technology perspective insoluble fibre can be used in a variety of products from bakery to sauces. It must be noted that because insoluble fibre does not dissolve it will result in a textured mouthfeel in some products.
