Kerry, a taste and nutrition company, has launched Emulgold, a naturally sourced soluble dietary fibre ingredient for the white bread manufacturing market.
Bread fortified with the ingredient can provide up to a 300% increase in fibre per serving, the company claims, approximating the fibre content of whole wheat—all while maintaining the taste and consistency of white bread.
The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) recommends adults consume 25g of fibre per day, but most reportedly do not. According to a survey done by Kerry, more than 60% of consumers believe eating more fibre is the best way to manage digestive health. Consumer understanding of the connection between fibre and prebiotics is increasing, the company says, along with suggested benefits such as supporting weight loss, reducing cholesterol and blood sugar levels, fuelling gut bacteria, helping in diabetes prevention, and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A study in the Journal of Pharmacy and Nutritional Sciences in 2015 showed nearly 600 million Europeans don’t consume enough fibre. It also found implementation of high fibre diets would lead to a reduction in fibre deficiency-related diseases, and potentially save the region €278m ($315m) in healthcare costs.
Matthew May, Head of European Bakery Business Development at Kerry said: “Most consumers’ daily diets are significantly deficient in fibre, and this can greatly affect personal health and quality of life. This important public health challenge is being taken up by food and drink manufacturers through such programs as the UK Food and Drink Federation’s recently launched initiative dubbed “Action on Fibre”. Emulgold is a naturally sourced fibre, designed for use in the manufacture of white bread products, that can deliver a threefold increase in the volume of fibre consumed—without affecting the taste, texture and other traditional aspects of white bread that make it so appealing.”
Produced using the resin of the acacia tree, the ingredient delivers an 85% or higher concentration of soluble dietary fibre to enable a “high in fibre” claim, Kerry claims. The product also has high digestive tolerance, enabling food manufacturers to promote digestive benefits and processing functionality while eliminating the risk of undesired laxative effects. Sensory and texture analysis results reportedly suggest taste and aroma are unaffected, along with loaf volume, softness, crumb and crust colour, while there is a small impact on dough rheology.
Acacia-derived fibre promotes the growth of healthy bacteria—bifidobacterial and lactobacilli—in the human digestive system, as shown in clinical studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
