“There are evident health benefits to consumers through this fibre fortification, not least closing the ‘fibre gap’, which is the difference between actual fibre intake and daily recommended amounts,” she notes. Current government guidelines recommend adults to eat at least 30g of fibre every day, but currently the average UK adult eats around 20g, and children’s diets are similarly lacking in fibre.

In terms of health improvements, fibre fortification could help 72% of adults reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.  Emerging research even suggests some fibres may help promote immune health.

“Tate & Lyle, through looking at the overall nutritional value of what people are already eating, found dairy was a huge opportunity for fibre fortification. It isn’t just a theory, either, as its research found seven in 10 young adults in the UK would choose fibre fortified yogurt to include in their daily diet, with 80% confirming they’d be interested in consuming a healthier drinkable or spoonable with added fibre, if they were available where they shopped,” Forejt says.

Globally, food and drink product launches that contain fibre are growing – Europe has seen a 5% growth rate, due to increased activity in the beverages, confectionary and desserts categories in particular. Tate & Lyle research found that adding the words, “excellent source of fibre” messaging would increase purchase intent by an average of 55%, she adds.

Products such as Tate & Lyle Promitor, which labels as soluble corn fibre, may be added to dairy products including yogurt style products, without impacting their taste or mouthfeel, while allowing them to be labelled as ‘a source of’ or ‘high in’ fibre, according to Forejt. Chocolate milk beverages, too, can have their nutritional value enhanced through the addition of fibres, maintaining familiar flavours and colours, with the benefit of reduced added sugar, she notes

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CP Kelco will showcase its latest innovative ingredient in tasty prototypes at Stand #6G161 in Hall 6 of the FiE exposition.

“Our samples will demonstrate how Nutrava Citrus Fibre provides water-binding capacity, viscosity, suspension and emulsion stabilisation, while also contributing to dietary fibre intake,” said Susanne Sörgel, senior director, pectin & carrageenan strategic platform at CP Kelco.

At its FiE booth, CP Kelco will offer tastings of a low-fat, vegan mayonnaise containing Nutrava Citrus Fibre as an alternative to egg, gum stabilisers and starch, as well as a fruit-flavoured drink to demonstrate the new ingredient’s functionality in reduced-sugar beverages.

Developed in response to continuing consumer demand for food and beverage products with less ingredients, less sugar and less fat, Nutrava Citrus Fibre can help manufacturers of these products meet clean label requirements while achieving critical functionality that ensures their desired taste and texture. Key applications include condiments, dressings, soups and fruit-flavoured drinks.

“This novel fibre will become a key go-to ingredient in the product developer’s toolbox,” said Jérôme Béra, senior vice president, global marketing at CP Kelco. “Our journey with Nutrava Citrus Fibre is just beginning – we’re excited about its potential based on positive feedback and collaboration from trials conducted with partners around the globe. We look forward to continuing to explore the possibilities for Nutrava Citrus Fibre with formulators across many application segments.”

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The survey, commissioned by the market research company FMCG Gurus on behalf of Beneo, was carried out with 3,863 European consumers from across the UK, France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands and provides key insights into the current health trends shaping shopper behaviour.

Topping the list of Europe’s consumer health concerns was staying fit and active (53%), closely followed by maintaining, or losing weight (51%), highlighting that the rising health and fitness trends are now well and truly embedded in the minds of consumers. Driven by the aim to manage weight and to follow a healthy nutrition, 80% of European consumers are now trying to limit or cut down on sugar. Meanwhile, there also appears to have been a shift in the consumer perception of carbohydrates, with almost half believing that slow releasing carbohydrates are better for them and thinking that foods or beverages that trigger a lower blood glucose rise are preferable.

In addition, the results showed that digestive health is a big concern for many of the European consumers surveyed, with 4 in 5 considering it to be important or very important to them. The figures also highlighted that 1 in 3 suffer from digestive problems. In line with this, 60% of UK consumers are trying to eat more fibre, making digestive health an even bigger area of focus for them than protein.

The results also highlighted the rising number of consumers in Europe choosing to follow a flexitarian diet with 1 in 5 buying meat alternatives in the past three months. Interestingly, the flexitarian diet and reducing meat consumption were shown to be particularly popular amongst older consumers, with younger consumers increasingly favouring vegetarian or vegan diets.

Myriam Snaet, head of market intelligence and consumer insights at Beneo said: “The results of our latest consumer survey clearly show that the growing interest in a healthy lifestyle is impacting purchase decision, with consumers now willing to pay more for products that support these goals. This presents a significant opportunity for manufacturers to invest in the right functional ingredients to help deliver the products that consumers want.

“With a versatile portfolio of plant-based functional ingredients from nature, Beneo is well set to help industry players develop premium products that respond to these evolving consumer purchasing patterns.”

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