Tate & Lyle signed up to the UK’s Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) Action on Fiber. Through this initiative, the dietary fiber specialist pledged to continue to promote the benefits of increasing intake of fiber and the importance of gut health through its communication initiatives and engagement with industry experts, healthcare professionals and food and beverage manufacturers.

Dr. Kavita Karnik, Global Head of Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs at Tate & Lyle, said: “Today’s health-conscious consumers are actively looking for foods and drinks that are fortified with nutrients such as fiber. Fiber does so much more than simply promote healthy bowel function. It can help prolong the feeling of fullness, support gut health, regulate blood cholesterol, glucose and insulin levels and help the immune system function properly. We want to help spread the word about fibers’ health and nutritional benefits and that’s why we are today pledging to take action on fiber by investing in research projects, supporting health care professionals, food reformulators and the industry with more evidence-based information, and to use our digital channels to spread the word.”

Consuming the recommended amount of fiber daily can be difficult without also consuming substantial calories, and it is especially challenging for certain groups, like the elderly. Reformulation can be a tool for improving public health as it allows individuals to consume products they prefer while reducing the intake of less desirable nutrients, such as sugars and fats, and potentially increasing the intake of beneficial nutrients such as dietary fiber.

Amy Glass, UK Diet and Health Policy Manager, at the Food and Drink Federation, added: “The FDF has long called for a more holistic approach to government nutrition policy, believing there should be a more balanced approach to not just what people need to reduce in their diets, like sugar, calories and salt, but also what should be increased, like fruit, vegetables and fiber. This industry-led initiative aims to make higher fiber diets more appealing, normal and easy for the population.”

In the UK, only 9% of adults[1] currently eat the recommended amount of fiber daily, which the UK government set at 30g a day. The FDF’s Action on Fiber initiative was launched to help consumers ‘bridge the gap’ between fiber intake and the dietary recommendation to help improve gut health and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Tate & Lyle develops dietary fibers, with its PROMITOR® Soluble Fiber and STALITE® Polydextrose product ranges.

^{1 The National Diet and Nutrition Survey: results from years 9 to 11 (2016 to 2017 and 2018 to 2019)}