Inulin propionate ester (IPE) is a dietary fibre that has been developed and tested by scientists at Imperial College London and at SUERC, Centre for the Isotope Sciences at the University of Glasgow.
It maximises the known benefits of a high-fibre diet, helping people to feel fuller for longer, with the aim of reducing the daily calorie surpluses that can drive long-term weight gain.
The white powder will in future be added to everyday foods such as smoothies, shots and cereals, or baked into bread. It can also be eaten as a standalone supplement.
Unlike medicines or weight loss drugs, IPE is a different approach to tackling obesity, keeping weight off before it develops into a problem.
Professor Gary Frost, Chair in Nutrition and Dietetics at Imperial College London’s Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, said: “A small calorie surplus each day will lead to significant weight gain with time."
"Even one extra kilo a year in young adults is enough to create serious weight problems by middle age. We already know that a higher fibre intake can counter this, but we also know that most people find it difficult to take in enough fibre and are falling far short of the recommended intake levels.”
Randomised controlled trials by the team have shown that around 10 g of IPE per day can regulate appetite and help prevent weight gain.
The ingredient is a mixture of inulin — a natural substance found in chicory and onions — and propionate, a naturally occurring short-chain fatty acid. IPE works by delivering propionate directly to receptors in the colon that trigger appetite‑regulating hormones: a targeted delivery system that “supercharges” the gut’s normal bacterial fermentation process.
Professor Douglas Morrison of SUERC, University of Glasgow, said: “We have brought together two natural ingredients to stimulate appetite‑regulating hormones at exactly the right site in the gut."
"Although GLP‑1 receptor agonists have shown great results in helping people lose weight, IPE could help stop the kind of slow, steady weight gain that makes those drugs necessary.”
IPE was first developed in the lab by Professor Morrison, who collaborated during the next decade and a half with Professor Frost to explore the molecule’s potential as a food ingredient, with a series of clinical studies published in peer-reviewed journals.
Some of these longer-term studies suggested additional benefits, including preservation of lean body mass, improved liver fat levels and potential effects on immune and metabolic health.
The work was rewarded late last year when the European Food Safety Authority issued a positive opinion.
Final authorisation was granted by the European Commission and it has now been formally added to the EU List of Authorised Novel Foods.
Despite its regulatory success, IPE is still early in its commercial journey. The research team can currently produce it only at a pilot scale of a few hundred kilograms at a time.
The developers hope to bring this "cheap and effective" dietary intervention into mainstream foods, potentially offering a new tool to address the ongoing obesity crisis.
Professor Morrison said: “We know that there is a lot of commercial interest currently in how to engineer optimum nutrient delivery to the gut, to lead to the best possible outcomes for consumers, and we hope to capitalise on that interest.”
Professor Frost added: “IPE’s inclusion in the Novel Foods List gives people who are beginning to struggle with their weight a new way of preventing further weight gain. We look forward to seeing how it will be incorporated into different foods and eating plans.”
