One year after the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) guidance, which identified eight specific fibers as dietary fibers, the industry is bound to see a boom in NPD in the space, according to Jon Peters, President at Beneo Inc. Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst at last week’s IFT Food Expo in New Orleans, US, Peters noted that after the regulatory update, several companies had to take a step back and consider how their fiber ingredients could be reformulated to fit into the market. “A lot of companies had to wait to see what would happen and what the regulatory changes meant, but I think there are products that will launch shortly in the space,” Peters highlights. 

Beneo’s chicory root fibers fall well under the US FDA guidelines. “For us at Beneo, the clarification on dietary fibers meant that we received clearance on our chicory root fibers. It is quite niche from a positional standpoint because we have two of the three International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) recognized prebiotics, inulin and GOS,” Peters explains. 

“There are three fibers, inulin, FOS and GOS, which have substantial scientific evidence for ISAPP to say that they have a prebiotic impact. That means that they are more than just a fermentable fiber, it means that they have a beneficial impact on the good bacteria in the gut,” he stresses. 

Innova Market Insights data show that the digestive health market is going through an NPD boom with a 21 percent average annual growth reported in new product launches carrying a fiber claim in 2018, globally.

During this year’s IFT Food Expo, Beneo showcased the power of its prebiotic chicory root fiber for digestive health and identified industry trends that consumers look out for, such as plant-based. Consumers in the US are recognizing the microbiome as essential for their overall well-being and are looking for ways to support their digestive health, naturally, the functional ingredients manufacturer says. 

Consumer awareness on gut health drives NPD
“We see an increased awareness around prebiotics and fiber, so we see a trend wher consumers are interested in prebiotics and probiotics for overall health,” adds Peters. At the show, Beneo showcased the potential of its prebiotic chicory root fiber for digestive health. 

“Digestive health remains a key trend in the US with consumers being increasingly interested in the microbiome and how a healthy gut impacts the entire body,” Peters continues. 

According to 2018 consumer survey by Innova Market Insights, 44 percent of US consumer are increasing their consumption of fiber, with a reported 33 percent of UK consumers doing so, as well. When asked for reasons why they are consuming fiber, the majority of US consumers (64 percent) listed digestive health. 

Beneo’s natural prebiotic fibers are touted as giving consumers great-tasting ingredients that effectively support digestive health by feeding the microbiome. Chicory root fiber comes from a purely natural process and thus meets consumer expectations, according to Peters. 

Plant based, clean label and organic claims
Plant-based and firmly established with clinical studies, BENEO’s inulin and oligofructose can naturally support digestive health as they ‘feed’ the microbiome so that beneficial bacteria can selecively grow and support the health of their host. Plant-based is an industry-wide trend that Peters believes sustainability is a major part of and it what is driving popularity. 

“There are a lot of plant proteins in IFT this year, more so than ever before and of all kinds. At Beneo, we are looking forward to launching our ingredients in the US by the end of this year or the beginning of 2020. You can already see the positive press in the market place around vegetarian alternatives,” Peters says. 

Transparency and clean label also remain popular trends, Peters notes. “Everyone is talking about clean labels and this was evident across the show floor.”

However, he says that consumers should be wary of the ingredients used in plant-based alternatives and look for clean label options. “There are lots of ingredients in plant-based alternatives to make them taste as they do and if you look at the nutritional components in terms of fat and salt content as well as processing, they are lacking.”

Beneo’s inulin and oligofructose are obtained from chicory root via a gentle hot water extraction. This natural production process distinguishes them from other fibers which are made indigestible by chemical and enzymatic modifications. 

These include so-called “soluble corn fiber” (which is not a natural fiber derived from corn as the name may suggest) or the food additive “polydextrose”, each of which requires a chemical process. “We have the capability to produce organic chicory root inulin, so the organic market here continues to grow,” Peters notes. 

Scientific backing and more innovation
Scientific studies with BENEO’s prebiotics have shown a direct correlation between microbiota, bowel regularity and inner well-being. The results showed that inulin intake selecively changed three bacterial genera: Bifidobacterium, anaerostipes and bilophila. It increased the relative abundance of bifidobacterium and anaerostipes, both known as ‘good’ bacteria, supporting a balanced microbiota. The selectivity of Beneo’s Orafti inulin was further demonstrated through decreased levels of bilophila, a potential pathogen also related to increased gas production. This decrease upon inulin consumption was linked with both softer stools and reduced constipation, leading to a better quality of life.

Beneo offers functional ingredients derived from chicory roots, beet sugar, rice and wheat. In recent years the company has taken an increasingly localized approach to R&D and NPD. This is highlighted through recently opened regional application centers in Singapore [to address Asian markets], New Jersey [North American markets] and Sao Paolo [South American markets]. This allows Beneo to be in close contact with customers and consumers to fit their needs and thereby step away from a Euro-centric environment, the company notes. 

By Kristiana Lalou, with additional reporting from Robin Wyers