Soluble Corn Fiber for Better Health

As part of the food industry’s drive to meet rising consumer demand for more products that support health and wellness, suppliers have developed ingredients that deliver essential nutrients, such as fiber, without adversely affecting the texture and flavor of people’s favorite foods.

Although the Institute of Medicine set the dietary reference intake (DRI) for fiber at 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams per day for men, current intakes for both sexes range from 12 to 16 grams per day. However, research sponsored by Tate & Lyle shows 7 out of 10 consumers know that fiber helps promote digestive health and a stronger immune system.

In order to help meet this demand, Tate & Lyle developed Promitor™ soluble corn fiber to boost fiber levels in foods like cereals, snacks, soups, sauces, dressings, jams, fillings, puddings, confectionery, beverages and dairy products—all without impacting their texture and flavor. Listed as “soluble corn fiber,” “corn syrup” or “corn syrup solids” on labels, the fiber helps manufacturers meet label-claim criteria for “good” and “excellent” source of fiber.

This soluble corn fiber has low viscosity, dissolves clearly in solution, and has excellent processing and pH stability over a wide range, including down to pH 3. It is available as a liquid or powder. The ingredient delivers 1.90 kcal per gram on a dry basis (66.6% fiber)—1.44 kcal per gram for the liquid (50.4% fiber)—and can also replace liquid and dry corn syrups, sucrose and sugar alcohols when paired with a nonnutritive sweetener like Splenda® sucralose. Product designers can achieve either full and partial replacement of caloric sweeteners, notes Michelle Schwenk, food scientist. “It depends on the goals,” she says. “You may only be going for a ‘good source of fiber’ claim—then a partial replacement is all that is necessary. You may be trying to reduce sugar or calories in your end product. In that case, a full replacement may be more appropriate.”

Use level also depends on the product’s goals. “Typically, it can be used from 4% to 25%, but the range could really be greater,” says Schwenk, “depending on the product that you are using it in and the claim you are trying to achieve—i.e., reduced calorie, reduced sugar, or good or excellent source of fiber claims.”

Any food that contains at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving is considered a “good” source of fiber, notes Lisa Sanders, Ph.D., R.D., nutrition scientist, R&D. An excellent source of fiber requires 5 grams of fiber per serving.

This prebiotic fiber also improves gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria (such as bifidobacteria) and suppressing growth of undesirable bacteria. Sanders notes that the gut bacteria metabolize the fiber into health-promoting short-chain fatty acids. Promitor has a low glycemic response and is well-tolerated by the digestive tract.