High-Fiber Ingredients
Pages 1-27
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/1891127233.001
ISBN: 1-891127-23-3
Abstract
Topics Covered
- History of Dietary Fiber
- Composition
- Insoluble Dietary Fibers
- Soluble Dietary Fibers
- Production and Processing of High-Fiber Ingredients
- Cereal-Based Ingredients
- Plant Extracts or Isolates
- Fruit-Based Ingredients
- Other Sources
Introduction to Chapter
Fiber is an important aspect of diet and nutrition. It plays a role in many physiological digestive functions, such as providing bulk for waste elimination and regulating blood glucose and lipid levels. Traditionally, consumers have chosen foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as sources of dietary fiber. Recently, food manufacturers have responded to the consumer demand for foods with higher fiber content by developing products in which high-fiber ingredients are used. These ingredients have unique properties that raise the fiber level and also serve other functions in the formulation of food products. High-fiber ingredients can range from whole-meal flours of cereals to the exterior portion of shellfish. Synthetic ingredients such as polydextrose are also a source of high-fiber ingredients.
There are about 50 different types of high-fiber ingredients to choose from for developing a food product—a wide array of ingredients that encompasses a wide range of functionalities. Combining them with the ingredient processor's ability to tailor functions through processing leads to an even larger spectrum of choices. This handbook is written to help the food product developer and those involved in the manufacture of foods understand the properties, functions, and applications of high-fiber ingredients.
