Chemical industry company Omya has unveiled a new range of natural fibre powders, consisting of apple fibre, oat fibre and cocoa fibre.
By increasing the healthy fibre content of the formulation, the micronised powders allow a health or nutrition claim to be made for the final product. Moreover, the ingredients contribute to natural binding of water, improved texture and support emulsification, and therefore allow for a smooth production process.
The apple, oat and cocoa fibre are processed by micronisation of sterilised dried fruit pomace and peels, grain husks or shell parts into powder with different particle sizes in order to create appropriate powder solutions for specific applications.
All powders are 100% natural and insoluble. In terms of the functional properties of water binding and fat mimicking, the fibre solutions enable a reduction of sugar and fat content in a formulation, and thus improve the nutritional quality of a food product. Manufacturers can also use the powders to increase the fibre content of the finished product and therefore make on-pack claims such as “source of fibre” or “high in fibre” if required. In addition to nutritional claims, the dietary fibre solutions also allow for the promotion of health claims relating to normal bowel function.
oday, more than ever, consumers place a special emphasis on the highest quality and safety of the food they consume
Cocoa fibre is ideal for all those applications where the perception of cocoa in combination with improved nutritional value of a food is highly desirable from a consumer perspective. Neutral-tasting oat fibres are a versatile dietary fibre solution designed to bring natural functionality and fibre enrichment not only to a wide range of bakery and snack solutions, but also vegan foods and nutritional beverages.
Apple fibre can partially replace pectins, substitute modified starches and is thus an ideal dietary fibre solution for a diverse range of food applications such as bakery products, vegan applications, sauces & dips and fruit preparations.
Stefan Lander, Vice President Consumer Goods, Group Sales & Marketing at Omya, said: “Today, more than ever, consumers place a special emphasis on the highest quality and safety of the food they consume. At the same time, manufacturers are under high pressure to produce efficacious products as efficiently as possible. As Omya has been committed to implementing sustainability at all levels since its foundation, we are delighted to support both sides with added value ingredients that help keep health and environment in balance.”
