Inulin and that "gut" feeling: inulin, a prebiotic typically found in dairy yogurts to enhance calcium absorption, also can provide moisture in meat substitutes and trade spaces with carbohydrates to supplement dietary fiber

Prepared Foods, July, 2004 by Marcia A. Wade

Like with most dietary fibers, solubility can pose a problem. "You cannot use inulin in something like coffee syrup. It won't stay in solution, but you could use oligofructose" advises Veghte. Some suppliers produce inulin that can dissolve completely in clear beverage applications.

"Inulin is generally stable for baking, but it will break down some when heated. When inulin breaks down, the fructose chains break apart, "Which basically means you just added a little bit of fructose to the product," says Veghte. The product will usually break down very rapidly in very acidic solutions under pH 3.5. "If you stick it in a normal soda it will break down to fructose. Although it won't reduce the amount of bulk, it will reduce the amount of fiber in the product," warns Veghte.

"Whenever you reformulate a product, the goal is to keep the existing attributes intact and provide the consumer with a consistent quality product," says Reddy. Inulin is suitable for just such a task. "Our objective was to provide as many healthy components as possible through the yogurt--without sacrificing the taste. Inulin not only matched the control, but enhanced the body and texture properties [of our products]."

Going Global

Despite evidence that live and active cultures contribute beneficially to digestive health the, "U.S. yogurt market is still undeveloped compared to other parts of the world," says Stonyfield Farm's Reddy. "Consumer perception of the use of gut health in general is way behind Europe and certainty way behind Southeast Asia and Japan. It has a lot to do with our culture. We're very averse to the social aspect of fermentable fibers and what they do, and some of the metabolites like gas that get produced," observes Tungland. In fact, the low-carb caravan has, in many ways, brought inulin to the States despite the fact the low-carb trend is not as strong in the test of the world as it is in the U.S.

According to Mintel's GNPD, as of May 19, 2004, there were 78 launches for food products listing inulin as an ingredient between Jan. 2004 and May 2004 in all regions of the world--except for North America. Salutello brand Probiotic Salame by La Felinese Salumi (Parma, Italy), Tropicana's Pure Premium Fibres Juice (Brussels, Belgium) and Goldhand Vertriebsgesellschaft's Tip brand Fruhstucks Musli Breakfast Cereal (Dusseldorf, Germany) were among that list. Of them all, only one, EnfaMom Dietary Supplement Drink Mix (Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico) for pregnant and nursing mothers, makes a low-carb claim. Conversely, in North America, there were 44 inulin-related launches within the same time period, of which 27 make low-carb claims.

All gastrointestinal-related disorders can be attributed-to some extent-to low-fermentable fiber diets. "If U.S. consumers actually knew that ... most autoimmune diseases like Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes have a link to diets low in fermentable fiber ... they would be a little less concerned about their bowels and more concerned with the health-promoting properties of natural fibers like inulin," presumes Tungland.