In today’s food marketplace, bakers and snack manufacturers are navigating through the ever-evolving consumer awareness of better-for-you options. Digestive health. Less sugar. Fewer calories. Cleaner labels. The list goes on and on. So how can we meet these demands for health and wellness without sacrificing the great taste and texture consumers expect? While many ingredients can help achieve specific claims and functionality, there’s an unsung hero in the food science toolkit that can help achieve most, if not all of them: fiber. Not only do fibers help manufacturers market better-for-you products, they can also help solve significant formulation challenges. But not all fibers are created equal, so manufacturers can use “The Five Cs” to determine the best fiber option for their formulation.
While consumers are interested in health and wellness, taste continues to be top-ofmind for consumers. According to the 2015 “Food and Health Survey” from the International Food Information Council, 83 percent of U.S. consumers say taste is their top purchase driver. Other sensory attributes like color and texture can also make or break consumers’ eating experience. Fibers with a clean taste, neutral color and nongritty texture can increase overall consumer acceptance of finished products.