The Dietary Fibre Conference, which takes place every 3 years, was held this year in Helsinki following Dublin, Ireland, in 2000 and Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, in 2003. Within the scope of this year's conference was the growing lack of daily intake in dietary fiber despite its benefits for human health, as well as the developing concept of dietary fiber as a "multifunctional complex of components”, with varied associated effects, which are not always easy to demonstrate or explain.
In this context, more than 270 participants from 30 countries from both industry and academia attended the conference, of which, more than 80 presented a scientific display, whilst 40 of them gave speeches. The program was divided into many themes, from the "bioactive components of cell walls” to "soluble fibers”, through to "colonic fermentation” aspects and "health aspects in human studies” or "dietary fiber products and technology”.
Roquette attended the conference and presented two posters covering its range of soluble fibers, NUTRIOSE®.
- One was about the opportunity of using NUTRIOSE® 06, one ingredient of this range, as a prebiotic product, which particularly increases saccharolytic flora, decreasing potentially harmful bacteria, and promoting short chain fatty acid production, whilst at the same time, having an outstanding tolerance threshold.
- The other presented firstly the specific alterations in glycosidic linkages brought by the manufacturing process of the dextrin NUTRIOSE®, leading to resistance to some digestive enzymes and conferring its specific digestion pattern.
Secondly, it demonstrated the differences between two products of the range, NUTRIOSE® 06 and 10. It described also an Interlaboratory study, set up by Roquette Frères, aimed at evaluating the performance and suitability of an enzymatic-gravimetric method (AOAC 2001-03) for quantifying the fiber content of NUTRIOSE®.
This was an excellent and stimulating opportunity for Roquette to meet some customers, partners and competitors working in the same area of interest.