Increasing demand for healthier formulations, coupled with new evidence that fibre has “protective effects” in reducing the chances of cardiovascular disease, strokes and type-2 diabetes[1] has led to a boom in manufacturer activity. Front of pack fibre claims have increased exponentially; in the UK bakery sector alone, “source of/high in fibre” claims have grown by 240% between 2013 and 2017.[2]
Fibres are extremely versatile ingredients, they provide a range of functional properties for a variety of applications. For instance Ulrick & Short’s sciliaTM fibres can: improve texture or volume in breads, cakes and muffins, help with mouthfeel and texture in soups & sauces, act as texture improvers or yield enhancers in reformed and comminuted meats. Specifically for gluten free bakery applications, they also improve the quality over shelf life as it slows down the rate of retrogradation and therefore staling of the starch.