Edith Briois
Reproduced courtesy of food Marketing & Technology magazine
Edith Briois is Marketing Development Manager with Roquette in Lestrem, France.
A sedentary lifestyle and an unbalanced diet are contributing to an undesirable reduction in fibre consumption and a dramatic increase in obesity. Both are a public health concern and rapidly becoming a global phenomenon. Leaving aside their associated psychological problems and issues of appearance, the consequences include potentially lethal conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Underlying these developments is excessive consumption of sugars, a problem that now needs urgent attention.
Today, it is recommended that calorie intake obtained from simple sugars be less than 10% of total calorie intake. Consumers absorb much of those simple sugars from soft drinks, a beverage sector in which it is easy to make reductions. Light (zero calorie) drinks are therefore widely available. Unfortunately, many consumers find their taste unsatisfying.
Produced and marketed by a French specialist, NUTRIOSE® soluble fibers are helping to change these consumer perceptions. For example, in the beverage sector, NUTRIOSE sets new standards in taste for sugar-free or reduced-in-sugar soft drinks – a difficult challenge to meet. NUTRIOSE® compensates for the lack of body and mouthfeel always associated with sugar-free drinks. At the same time it brings some added health benefits, like fiber enrichment.
This article focuses on the NUTRIOSE® soluble fiber range, using beverages to illustrate its benefits.
1. NUTRIOSE® soluble fiber
The soluble fibers in the NUTRIOSE® range are dextrins, which European Directive 95/2/EC regards as “traditional ingredients”. Their fiber content is usually measured by method AOAC-2001-03
NUTRIOSE® fibers are most often used in the following three areas:
- reduction in sugar and calorie content
- fiber enrichment
- formulation of slow energy release products.
- Description of the NUTRIOSE® range
NUTRIOSE® soluble fibers are offered in a complete range. Its products differ in their botanic origin – NUTRIOSE® FB is obtained from wheat; and NUTRIOSE® FM from maize (guaranteed non-GMO) – and in their fiber content and glucidic profile as seen in table 1*.
- Technological aspects of NUTRIOSE®
All the products in the NUTRIOSE® range are easy to use and are available in the form of micro-granulated powder, offering the following advantages:
- excellent flow
- easy dispersion
- rapid dissolution.
They also offer a high degree of solubility. Moreover, their low viscosity in a solution means they can be used at high concentration levels.
The products in the NUTRIOSE® range are also stable when cooked (oven, sterilisation, pasteurisation, UHT treatment, extrusion, etc), in acid conditions and during preservation.
This means that the amount of NUTRIOSE® used will be the same as the amount found in the finished product, even at the end of the optimal expiry date. There is thus no need to add an additional quantity of NUTRIOSE.
- Nutritional aspects (NUTRIOSE® FB06)
NUTRIOSE® offers an excellent tolerance factor due to the fact that it is progressively digested. It also has a prebiotic effect. Details are in table 2*.
- Statutory aspects of NUTRIOSE® in Europe
The products in the NUTRIOSE® range are ingredients. In the ingredients list of a finished product intended for the end-user, NUTRIOSE® can be declared a dextrin, if necessary with the additional wording of “dietary fiber” or “soluble dietary fiber” (as required by local regulations). Botanic origin must be declared when it is wheat (as in the case of the NUTRIOSE® “FB” range).
For reasons of convenience, and to accord with European directive 2000/13/EC art.6.6, NUTRIOSE® can appear in the ingredients list under the generic name of starch.
2. Case study: NUTRIOSE soluble fiber in beverages
With their average sweetening matter ratios of more than 80g/litre, beverages contribute a large proportion of the simple carbohydrates in urgent need of reduction.
The first and easiest step is therefore to reduce the amount of sweetening matter. However, this has its limits as consumers insist on organoleptic qualities (intensity, taste) similar to standard/traditional products.
In a large number of beverage applications, this is achieved by replacing sugar with polyols. However, this is not allowed in Europe, where the problem can be overcome by the special combination of nutritional and physico-chemical properties characterising NUTRIOSE®:
- a high tolerance factor that allows beverages to be consumed throughout the day
- a reduced caloric value that contributes to an overall calorie reduction
- a structure and molecular weight that provide body, just as a DE 15-19 malto-dextrin would
- neutral taste that leaves aromatic notes unaffected.
- a high degree of stability that, regardless of pH and process, resists the acidity of beverages,
- easy use and incorporation.
Attributes like these have made it possible to develop new low-calorie recipes for beverages, including some with a 50% reduction in saccharose, whose sugary flavour can be replaced by intense sweetening agents as shown in Recipe1*.
NUTRIOSE® also helps to provide the additional fibers necessary for good bowel function and that have also been recommended to help fight obesity. When added to a fruit juice (as for example in Recipe 2*) NUTRIOSE® restores fruit fiber content and contributes to nutritional balance and well-being.
NUTRIOSE® allows claims to be made for calorie and/or sugar reduction, as well as fiber content.
Summary : Sales of food and beverage categories that consumers believe to be unhealthy are, in general, falling. NUTRIOSE® helps food and beverage producers develop healthier products and to respond to growing regulatory pressure to provide healthier food.
*: tables and recipes available on Pdf file.
For further information contact :
Roquette - 62080 Lestrem Cedex France
Tel: + 33 3 21 63 36 00
E-mail: Foodbusiness@roquette.com