Bland, brown and boring. With a reputation like that it’s no wonder fibre has struggled to keep up with powerful protein. Far from being associated with bulging biceps and enviable quads, fibre is synonymous with flavourless, flatulent, heavy and indigestible food.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey revealed the average Brit is consuming only 18g of fibre a day - half the recommended intake of 30g. That could change, however. “Our latest research into consumer attitudes to fibre found nearly half (48%) of UK consumers polled want to increase their daily consumption,” says Dr Kavita Karnik, director of global nutrition at Tate & Lyle. “But there is a perception that there aren’t enough products labelled with fibre on the market, with over a third of UK respondents attributing this to their low intake.”
Cue the arrival of an increasing number of products flagging up their fibre. Nearly 6% of NPD in 2017 featured a claim of high or added fibre, up from just 2.5% five years ago, explains Emma Clifford, associate director of food and drink at Mintel. “This share grows to 8.9% when including all food launches which reference being a ‘source of fibre’, compared to 4.2% in 2013,” she adds. “There has been a steady rise in high-fibre innovation in the UK over the last five years, with this upward trend continuing in the first half of 2018.” In January alone Yeo Valley launched a limited edition high-fibre Baobab & Vanilla yoghurt, Arla unveiled its own range of Fibre yoghurts (expanded with an additional flavour only five months later) and snack brand Fibre One expanded its range of fibre-rich sweet treats.
So, what lies behind this new focus on fibre - for both consumers and suppliers? Is it proving a selling point? And could industry be facing any kind of backlash for overloading us on fibre too fast?
“More diverse products are looking to harness the positive health messages of fibre - yoghurts, for example”
A growing awareness among consumers of fibre’s health benefits appears to be fuelling demand for fibre-rich products. Orla Kearney, registered dietician and spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association, says fibre is essential for the normal functioning of the gut as well as being linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and bowel cancer.
It can even help with shifting a few pounds. “It’s thought that those who consume less fibre have a higher BMI and those who eat more fibre have a lower BMI,” explains Kearney. “Including fibre-rich foods in a balanced diet can aid weight maintenance as fibre adds bulk and volume to food, helping us to feel fuller for longer.”
Efforts to raise awareness of these health benefits - and of the nation’s shortfall in consumption - will help push demand further, according to Clifford, with increases in fibre-focused NPD “part of an industry-wide push towards healthier innovation, driven both by consumer interest in healthy eating and mounting pressure from government”.
“Alongside high-protein innovation and the rise in products that contribute to consumers’ 5 a day, products that flag up their fibre content tap into the positive nutrition trend. This is seeing consumers seek out food with health-boosting ingredients.”
And new fibre-rich products are often going against the grain too, emerging in categories less commonly associated with fibrous foods. “Whilst high-fibre claims are commonplace in categories such as bakery and cereals, more diverse products are looking to harness the positive health messages of fibre - yoghurts, for example,” says Clifford.
The rise of the superfood
Mintel reported a 202% global rise in the launch of food and drink products labelling themselves as superfood, superfruit or supergrain from 2011 to 2015, and this trend could be aiding the growth of the high-fibre market too.
“The strong popularity of superfoods and the buzz around the latest on-trend ingredients is helping to support consumer interest in high-fibre food and to drive innovation in this area,” says Emma Clifford of Mintel.
The avocado has experienced unprecedented popularity, with sales of the Instagram pin-up rocketing by £29.8m last year, and with 7g of fibre per 100g, the so-called ‘fruit of the millennials’ can comfortably make the ‘high fibre’ claim.
Fellow ‘superfruit’ baobab’s popularity is also on the up. In March, Ocado reported a 27% increase in average weekly sales of baobab products since the start of 2018, and Yeo Valley became the first brand to use the fruit as a headline ingredient when it launched its limited edition Baobab & Vanilla flavour in January. The African fruit is nearly 50% fibre.
Chia seeds are also on the rise. The tiny seeds were unlisted in 2012, but there are now 35 chia seed products lining the shelves (and more still in foodservice). A 25g portion contains almost a third (9g) of the recommended daily intake of fibre.
Inulin
One is Arla Fibre. Brand manager James Quayle says the launch in January of its high-fibre yoghurt range was “based around educating consumers of the fibre gap and putting fibre firmly in their minds, whilst giving them an easy solution to increase their intake”.
To do this, Quayle says the brand is breaking the mould. “Through the range of flavours and the bright, vibrant packaging, we have tried to move away from traditional cues of fibre being bland and unappealing. The yoghurts also don’t have the taste or texture associated with fibre, but still contain 4.7g per 150g serving through the use of fibre-rich ingredient chicory inulin.”
The range, however, still falls short of the standards for a ‘high fibre’ claim on its packaging. To make this claim, products need to contain either a minimum of 6g of fibre per 100g or at least 3g of fibre per 100kcal, explains Karnik. The yoghurts can instead claim to be a ‘source of fibre’ which requires 3g of fibre per 100g or at least 1.5g of fibre per 100kcal. Either claim is a strong selling point though. “Products with these claims on-pack are increasingly sought after and according to our research more than a third (40%) of UK consumers consider these nutrition messages very relevant.”
But high fibre alone won’t cut it, she adds, as consumers look for products with a range of health benefits.
Coupling high fibre with low sugar is one avenue - that’s a “winning formula for brands”, says Karnik. “A majority (59%) of UK consumers are trying to reduce sugar intake and many (42%) are extremely or very motivated by low, reduced or 0% sugar messaging on products. Low-sugar and high-fibre foods can also play a role in addressing public health issues such as rising levels of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.”
Then there is calorie reduction, a particularly crucial consideration given that “meeting the daily recommended level with foods that intrinsically contain fibre may also mean an increase in calories, which is undesirable for most at a time when obesity rates are increasing”, says Karnik. This creates added opportunity for foods fortified with additional fibre (rather than it being naturally occurring).
Snack bar brand Fibre One is a new arrival reaping the rewards of this high-fibre, low-calorie combination. Launching just three years ago in the UK, the company says sales reached £11.6m last year with distribution doubling. Its new Cinnamon Drizzle bars, launched in January, contain 5.4g per 24g bar (22.4g of fibre per 100g), and each bar in Fibre One’s range is less than 90 calories, with claims of having ‘30% more fibre and 30% less fat than the average UK brownie’.
Then there is chickpea crisp brand Hippeas, one of a number of suppliers turning to legumes to leverage both their naturally high-fibre and high-protein credentials, according to Clifford. Hippeas turned over £3m in its first year and since launching in 2016 has doubled sales year on year, which it expects to continue in 2019, says UK managing director Craig Hughes. “In the last quarter of 2017 we saw some significant distribution gains, giving us a national presence and solidifying us as the fastest growing free-from snack in the UK [IRI],” he says.
Ticking all the boxes
Being a functional food still isn’t enough, reckons Hughes - it has to perform well on taste too. “We’re focused on educating consumers about all the different health benefits of our organic chickpea puffs such as fibre, protein and low calorie, but we’re also about delivering snacks that are delicious as well. Strong health attributes won’t suffice in the snack category, healthy products need to be delicious too, and this was highlighted in the 2017 Mintel Snacking report, which said ‘even stellar health credentials will not put a snack on the menu if it fails on taste’. In 2018, shoppers are looking for snacks with the whole package - high quality ingredients, strong health credentials and delicious taste profiles.”
Camilla Barnard, co-founder of healthy food and drinks company Rude Health, believes “an ingredient is never a one-hit wonder. It needs to deliver on flavour and nourishment as a priority. Ticking nutritional boxes like ‘high fibre’ is often a by-product of our commitment to only using great-tasting, high-quality ingredients in all our foods and drinks.”
That said, being high in fibre undoubtedly boosts sales, says Hughes. “Fibre is definitely a key selling point for us because it has great health benefits and is also a point of differentiation for us in the snacking category. We conducted consumer research where we tested different claims on front of pack, and the feedback was always that the claim ‘high in fibre’ was a key driver for purchase just as much as protein, low calorie and our free-from qualities.”
“We conducted consumer research and the feedback was always that the claim ‘high in fibre’ was a key driver for purchase just as much as protein”
With fibre’s popularity rapidly increasing among consumers though - and with a plethora of products launched in response - there is concern around encouraging a leap from the current 18g of fibre to the recommended 30g too quickly. “Fibre should be increased slowly to avoid gas, bloating and diarrhoea and to allow the gut to adjust,” says Kearney. “Foods that contain fibre should be divided throughout the day, in meals and snacks. Fluid intake should also be increased as fibre is increased, aiming for eight-10 cups of water per day to allow the fibre to work properly.”
Kearney is keen for products claiming to be high in fibre to warn consumers of upping their fibre intake too quickly. “It would be useful for consumers to be aware that they should increase fibre gradually, and also to increase fluid intake, to prevent discomfort and symptoms, and for packaging to display the main fibre component and the health benefits of each.”
This includes flagging up which of the two core types of dietary fibre a product contains, either soluble or insoluble, or both. While soluble fibre dissolves in the gut to form a gel, soaking up cholesterol like a sponge and helping to control blood glucose and manage diarrhoea, insoluble fibre helps to prevent constipation. “Many foods contain soluble and insoluble fibre and it is most beneficial to have both.”
Karnik believes manufacturers can avoid discomfort and symptoms through their choice of fibre. “Some consumers have found high levels of dietary fibres to be a source of slight discomfort, mainly due to the gas produced during the fermentation of the fibre in the gut,” says Karnik. “However, this ingredient category has evolved significantly and today manufacturers can avoid this outcome by choosing fibres that are well tolerated by various population age groups.”
She uses the example of Tate & Lyle’s own Promitor Soluble Fibre, of which studies have shown 65g to be “well tolerated in a daily diet” even though it’s twice the recommended amount. “By working with their ingredient suppliers to find the right ingredient or combination of ingredients to deliver winning products that consumers can enjoy and draw health benefits from, brands can tap into this growing market.”
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