Ingredients in use: Dietary fiber

Prepared Foods, Jan, 2002

Mintel International has been increasingly aggressive in collecting ingredient and nutritional information on newly introduced products for their Global New Products Database (GNPD).

For example, in 1999, a search for new products introduced into North America with a dietary fiber claim results in a list of six nutritional products. This increased to 21 products/product lines in 2000 and 24 through mid-December 2001.

Interesting "novelty" products and benefits include Martin Field Mill's (New Paris, Ind.) Bench & Field brand Hairball Therapy cat food in which fiber helps hair move through the digestive system and Stash Tea's (Portland, Ore.) Yamamotoyama-brand Toasted Nori Seaweed Sheets for Sushi. However, new products that are a sign of things to come include dairy products such as Stonyfield Farms' (Londonderry, N.H.) YoSelf yogurt with inulin, a prebiotic dietary fiber "clinically proven to increase calcium absorption."

Ingredient Statistics: Dietary Fiber

                   Year
                   2000  2001 (est.)

Health bars           3            5
Soups                 2            3
Breakfast cereals     5            4
Beverages             4            2
Baked goods/mixes     1            5
Side dishes           2            3
Snacks                1            2
Pet food              2            -
Other                 3            1

Total (*)            23           25

Source: GNPD / Prepared Foods.

(*)Total: Number of products in individual categories such as health
bars, beverages, etc.