In recent years, intestinal health has become one of the most concerned health problems in the world, and the intestinal health market has also become the focus of attention of enterprises, which directly promotes the steady growth of fiber related claims in the global market.
According to food and nutrition in Europe, from 2015 to 2019, the compound annual growth rate of new food and beverage products with fiber related claims in the world will be 9%.
There are more and more new products with fiber as the main selling point in the market, and consumers’ acceptance of fiber (prebiotics) is also higher and higher.
According to a survey, 68% of consumers said they took fiber to promote the health of digestive system.
Because a considerable part of dietary fiber can be used as sweetener instead of sugar, dietary fiber plus reducing sugar provides a new direction for the development of functional sweeteners.
Sweet fiber of Siraitia grosvenorii
Siraitia grosvenorii is a dual-purpose food of traditional Chinese medicine and food, which has the functions of clearing away heat and toxin, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, clearing lung and intestines, and relieving thirst.
At the same time, Siraitia grosvenorii contains the sweet substance of siraitin, which has strong sweetness, no heat, pure natural and good taste. In recent years, it has been widely accepted by the food and beverage industry as an ideal natural healthy sweetener.
In the U.S. market, Siraitia grosvenorii has a higher annual growth rate than stevioside because of its clean label, natural source and good taste.
The potential of Rohan is much more than that. Recently, an American company introduced a kind of functional sweet fiber Siraitia grosvenorii residue. Fiber content accounts for more than 70% of the total recommended dietary fiber, and sweetness is sweeter than sugar.
According to the World Health Organization (who), only 3% of consumers are able to reach the recommended daily fiber intake through a regular diet. Therefore, there is a great demand for products to fill the nutrition gap.
The product is a kind of functional fiber, which can be used as sweetener and dietary supplement in food and beverage formula, and also suitable for different applications, such as protein powder, fiber mixture and powder beverage formula.
Stevia rebaudiana fiber
Stevioside is the main component of Stevia rebaudiana. It is a natural sweetener with low calorie and high sweetness. It has become the main natural sweetener. It was also found that Stevia rebaudiana contains a lot of protein, soluble fiber and antioxidants.
Recently, SECCO, a manufacturer and supplier of high-purity stevioside, announced that it will start commercial production and sale of new stevioside sweeteners. In addition to the original sweetening effect, this product will also effectively use Stevia and other beneficial ingredients to make it become a sweetener, and also provide a series of new functions such as antioxidant, intestinal protection, promoting digestion, providing more nutrition, etc.
Speaking about the commercialization of stevioside’s protein, fiber and antioxidants, Maga malsagov, chief executive of spectrum, said: “food and beverage companies have a strong demand for protein, fiber and antioxidants.”
Other sugar substitutes
In many applications, dietary fiber can be used as a low calorie food filler to reduce the amount of fat added, reduce the freezing point and increase the sweetness of food.
Inulin is a low sweetness sugar substitute and can be used in milkshakes due to its creamy properties. At the same time, good water solubility makes inulin can be added to all kinds of soft drinks; inulin is used in ice cream to make it sweet, and the combination of flavoring agents has a synergistic effect, covering up the unpleasant aftertaste of some sweeteners.
Fructooligosaccharide is a kind of natural active substance, and its sweetness is 0.3-0.6 times of sucrose. It is a new type of sugar substitute, which can regulate intestinal flora and promote calcium absorption. At present, there are many alternative components of Fos sugar and the technology of Fos conversion by sugar enzyme on the market.
An Israeli company recently launched gofos, a sugar substitute fiber. Gofos is a fructooligosaccharide extracted from beet root, which contains 95% FOS fiber. It can increase the fiber content in the formula and reduce the use of sugar.
Galactooligosaccharides are pure in sweetness, low in calorific value, 20% – 40% of sucrose in sweetness, highly moisturizing, and high in thermal stability at neutral pH.
Low galactose and protein will produce Maillard reaction when heated together, which can be used in bread and pastry processing.