As health-conscious consumers pay close attention to the nutrition factsheets and make educated purchasing choices, products with added fibers are popular choices in the bakery aisle.
How can bakers leverage this increased interest in health-boosting foods by helping consumers see bread in a new light, beyond an everyday staple? Puratos anticipates that the nutrient on track to drive this transition is fiber. “Showing bread as a source of valuable nutrients and enabling access to the health benefits of those nutrients could be the panacea for consumer demands and inspirational NPD,” says Raluca Florea, Gut Health Leader, Health & Well-being, Puratos.
The role of fiber in maintaining healthy bodies and minds is becoming better understood by the scientific community and recognized and accepted by consumers. From aiding digestion to supporting the immune system, fiber is now seen as the key to unlocking a myriad of health benefits. And the science speaks for itself. Research has found that an intake of at least 25-30 grams of fiber each day is associated with lower weight, blood pressure, blood sugars and cholesterol, as well as reduced risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or even certain types of cancer1. However, the vast majority of consumers fall short of the recommended daily intake. “Bread, given its position as a frontrunner in the fiber-rich movement and its widespread consumption, is the perfect vessel for closing this fiber gap,” Florea underlines.
While white bread still dominates the European market, wholemeal loaves and others with a higher fiber content are increasingly gaining market share. But these are not the only routes to superfood success, Puratos finds, and there is room for innovation to meet consumer demand and product differentiation.
“Bread, given its position as a frontrunner in the fiber-rich movement and its widespread consumption, is the perfect vessel for closing this fiber gap.”
Raluca Florea, Gut Health Leader, Health & Well-being, Puratos
Finding the winning fiber formula
A growing awareness of the gut’s role in overall health and well-being is helping to fuel the rise of fiber. “Consumer understanding of the intrinsic link between fiber and good gut function is reflected in Puratos’s proprietary Taste Tomorrow research. The survey revealed that 83% of Europeans believe fibers to have a positive impact on digestion. Furthermore, three in four respondents understand that improving gut health, by choosing fiber-rich foods, can positively impact immunity and mental health,” adds Florea.
More than two-thirds (70%) of European Taste Tomorrow respondents said they were interested in food products that improve gut health. In this context, bread is best placed to bring high-fiber benefits to consumers, but also offers bakers the opportunity to diversify offerings and relieve pressure on profit margins, the company’s study concludes.
In addition to consumers’ prioritizing health, the Taste Tomorrow research also found that taste and texture are among the top drivers for purchasing. “Therefore, bakers who can successfully strike the balance between sustenance and satisfaction can bank on product offerings with wider consumer appeal and higher profitability potential,” she underlines. One way to find this balance is with “simple incorporations and seamless recipe modifications”.
Rising to the fiber-rich challenge
There is a growing perception among consumers that inclusions, such as grains and seeds, are ‘power ingredients’, helping to improve the nutritional profile and sensorial experience of breads. Taste Tomorrow found that 8 in 10 European consumers now rank ‘power ingredients’ as the top contributor to taste and health aspects for bread. Bakers can leverage this perception by incorporating these fiber-rich ingredients into their product offerings.
Looking at sprouted grains, for example, there is a renewed interest in these ancient grains, thanks to their ability to increase the fiber, vitamin and mineral bio-availability in finished products. Sourdough is also growing in popularity, which is owed to its digestibility attributes. But, Puratos highlights that their main consumer attraction is their positive impact on taste and texture: “It satisfies the demands of customers looking for tasty, healthy breads, made from natural ingredients.” In addition, sourdough, by using different starters is rich in the variety it can provide.
Some ingredients suppliers are going one step further with a ‘best of both’ approach, bringing innovations to market that consist of specially selected whole grains and seeds that are cooked in sourdough. Another innovative high-fiber option is wheat bran sourdough, which combines the taste of sourdough with a fiber content up to four times higher than whole meal flour, Puratos illustrates. “As well as boosting the ‘health halo’ and taste experience of products, these inclusions can be incorporated into existing recipes and formulations, with little to no modifications. This makes the drive for fibrous breads more inclusive and attainable to bakers of all types and sizes, from large industrial operations to smaller, artisanal businesses,” Florea explains.
As the impact of fiber on gut and holistic health gains in recognition, the demand for naturally-fermented, nutritionally-rich foods will flourish further, the ingredient specialist anticipates: “Opportunities are indeed rife, with the global dietary fiber market projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.23% between 2021 and 2026, according to a recent Mordor Intelligence report. Interestingly, Europe is at the forefront of this trend.” Capitalizing on the fiber trend need not be a burdensome task for bakers, however. Sprouted grains, fibers and sourdough offer simple yet effective ways to create products that balance gut-boosting properties and are great tasting.
1 – Reynolds, A et al: Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. January 10, 2019 doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9
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3 – Cani P, Joly E, Horsmans Y, Delzenne NM (2006) Oligofructose promotes satiety in healthy human: a pilot study. Eur J Clin Nutr 60(5):567–572. www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v60/n5/pdf/1602350a.pdf
4 – McCann MT, Livingstone MBE, Wallace JMW, Gallagher AM, Weich RW (2011) Oligofructose-enriched Inulin supplementation decreases energy intake in overweight and obese men and women. Obesity Reviews, 12(S1):63–279. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00889.x/pdf
5 – Parnell JA and Reimer RA (2009) Weight loss during oligofructose supplementation is associated with decreased ghrelin and increased peptide YY in overweight and obese adults. Am J Clin Nutr 89(6):1751–1759. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3827013/pdf
6 – Abrams SA, Griffin IJ, Hawthorne KM, Liang L, Gunn SK, Darlington G, Ellis KJ (2005) A combination of prebiotic short- and long-chain inulin-type fructans enhances calcium absorption and bone mineralisation in young adolescents. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 82:471-476. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16087995/
The article is part of an extended feature, which was originally published in [BBI 6 – 2022]. Read the full article in the magazine:
