Baking&Snack - March 2017 - 68

FIBER

Dietary fiber helps maintain moisture levels
in gluten-free baked foods.
Cargill

husk ... is clearly intrinsic and intact and should not be included in FDA's list of 'isolated or synthetic non-digestible
carbohydrates.' " She cited existing descriptions of the materials as dietary fiber in 21 CFR 101.81 and 21 CFR 101.9.
It's common for suppliers of fibers qualifying as intrinsic and intact to also offer isolated or synthetic choices.
At BI Nutraceuticals, Ms. Raban termed the situation
"complicated." She said, "Formulators may be scrambling
to find a fiber ingredient that will meet the new definition."
The company is primary in psyllium, and offers Psyberloid
psyllium fiber. "It is one of the seven isolated sources of fiber FDA has already determined to fit the new definition,
so any finished products using it are already in compliance."
Citing the approved health claims, Don Trouba, director of marketing, Ardent Mills, said that they "can be used
on packaging, helping consumers understand the fiber
benefits of certain products. Beyond the approved claims,
other benefits of fiber in intact forms include adding flavor,
textural or culinary appeal." He described the company's
colored barleys - purple, blue and black - that provide
a burst of color in beige-colored baked foods and snacks.
All of the fiber products from Solvaira Specialties qualify
as insoluble, "so the body does not absorb them and, instead, assist in digestion by adding bulk," said Jit Ang, executive vice-president, specialty ingredients. "Under current
food regulations, our cellulose fiber qualifies to be labeled
and counted as dietary fiber on the food label."

Seeking starting positions
Soluble and insoluble fiber materials derived from plant
sources ranging from apples to sugar cane have not yet
joined FDA's isolated-or-synthetic roster. "There are two
ways for industry to add to this list," Dr. Trumbo explained. "Submit a citizen petition or submit a health
claim petition." So far, most requests are in the form of
citizen petitions.
Many suppliers of dietary fibers already acknowledged

68 Baking & Snack March 2017 / www.bakingandsnack.com

by FDA also carry additive fibers yet to qualify under the
agency's stringent scrutiny. Tate & Lyle, for example, offers PromOat oat beta glucan that is already designated an
intrinsic and intact fiber, according to Nancy Gaul, senior
category marketing manager, health and wellness. "We submitted significant clinical documentation as part of citizen
petitions in support of Promitor soluble corn fiber and StaLite polydextrose," she said. "Based upon the strength of
our submissions, we are optimistic that our fibers will meet
FDA requirements and further provide manufacturers with
options to meet their labeling needs."
DuPont markets nearly all of the approved isolated or
synthetic non-digestible carbohydrates on the federal list.
Next up are its other fiber additives. "We have submitted
citizen petitions in support of our other fibers, soy and
Litesse polydextrose," Ms. Dorko said.
Fibersol, a joint venture of ADM and Matsutani LLC,
sent a citizen petition asking FDA to review Fibersol brand
digestion-resistant maltodextrin. Ms. Dougherty noted the
many scientific studies, including those published in nonEnglish language journals, about post-prandial response
involving blood glucose and triglycerides. "We are confident the total scientific evidence will show Fibersol has a
physiological effect beneficial to human health and that it
will continue to be classified as a dietary fiber," she said.
Solvaira Specialties is also in the petition process. Its
powdered cellulose is already on the list, but oat fiber, soy
fiber, pea fiber, bamboo fiber, sugar cane fiber and wheat
fiber products sold under the brand names Solka-Floc,
JustFiber and FI-1 Fibers are still to be elevated. "We are petitioning to have the remainder of our fiber products added
to FDA's approved dietary fiber list," Mr. Ang said.
A number of food gums - notably acacia, alginate,
karaya, pullulan and xanthan - still await FDA's formal
OK. Acacia (a.k.a. gum arabic), for example, is recognized
worldwide as a fiber-rich food ingredient, according to
Julie Impérato, marketing manager, Nexira. A petition by
the company and other acacia gum stakeholders argues for
intrinsic and intact status and that it provides physiological
health benefits.
"The acacia gum manufacturing process highlights the
fact that the gummy exudate from the tree is only subjected
to physical processes that remove extraneous material and
do not change the composition of the gum that is harvested
directly from the plant," Mr. Ang said. "This method supports that acacia gum is a natural and intrinsic fiber. In addition, acacia fiber provides physiological health benefits
especially on energy intake and blood glucose level."
In addition to petitions, FDA accepts comments on proposed guidance. Its new definition of dietary fiber proved
no exception. Dr. Mehta said that Grain Millers, whose ingredients qualify as intrinsic and intact dietary fiber sources, decided to file a comment. "We want to reiterate that

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