Changing fiber labeling: consumer understanding of functional/ added fiber (630.2)

Abstract

Nutrition labels in the U.S. currently use the term ‘dietary fiber’ to indicate the total amount of fiber in a product. FDA has asked for input on the consumer impact of changing the Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) to differentiate dietary fiber from functional/added fiber, reflecting the IOM fiber definition. We conducted two on‐line consumer surveys of fiber & food labels. In the first survey (N=1500), 53% of consumers indicated it is extremely/very important to know the amount of fiber in a food product. In the second (N=1000), 96% of consumers accurately identified the amount of fiber in a food when presented with a NFP as it exists today. However, when the NFP was changed to include ‘added fiber’ and ‘dietary fiber’, only 44% could accurately identify the amount of fiber. When ‘functional fiber’ was included on the label, 43% reported a higher level of fiber in the food than was actually present. The results indicate that partitioning dietary fiber into either functional or added fiber on the NFP is likely to confuse consumers and decrease understanding of the NFP. Fiber has been identified as a nutrient of concern, and since the majority of individuals in the U.S. are not meeting fiber intake goals, this could exacerbate an already concerning gap in fiber intakes.