Abstract

An international survey was conducted to get the views of 147 professionals in the field on the definition of dietary fiber. The survey also solicited opinions on analytical methods for nutrition labeling, quality control, and nutrition research. The survey finds that dietary fiber is generally defined as polysaccharides and lignin that are not hydrolyzed by human alimentary enzymes. Support is strong for expansion of the definition to include oligosaccharides that are resistant to hydrolysis by human alimentary enzymes. Among techniques for nutrition labeling and quality control, enzymatic-gravimetric methods get the highest support. For nutrition research, more detailed methods such as gas-liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography were considered more appropriate. Respondents support labeling of total, soluble, and insoluble dietary fiber or total dietary fiber alone as sufficient for nutrition labeling of food packages. However, for nutrition research, detailed analytical methods, improvements in accuracy (i.e., closer simulation of in vitro techniques to conditions of human gastrointestinal tract), and improvements in precision and simplicity are suggested. Less than 20% of the participants use reference materials for dietary fiber analysis.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.