Holistic Fibre Benefits & Prebiotics – Key Takeaways Summary
- Soluble fibres act as prebiotic substrates that support gut microbiota and overall digestive health.
- Research shows fibre fermentation also produces short‑chain fatty acids that aid satiety, energy metabolism, and blood glucose control.
- Consumers increasingly want evidence-based, multi-benefit ingredients that support holistic wellness, healthy ageing and cardiometabolic health.
- Demand for safety, transparency and scientific substantiation is growing, driving uptake of ingredient‑specific verification programmes.
- The prebiotic category lacks a global regulatory definition, making third‑party certification crucial for credible marketing.
Products fortified with fibre are often marketed in terms of digestive health or prebiotic-based benefits for gut health – but while these are all undoubtedly true, the role of fibre in diets is gaining increasing recognition for its ability to offer all-rounded benefits for health.
“Dietary fibre is widely recognised as essential for health, yet intake remains below recommended levels globally. Within this category, soluble fibres are of particular interest because of their interaction with the gut microbiota,” Roquette Chief Commercial Officer, Nutrition & Bioindustry, Asia, Nicolas Trentesaux told us.
“We know that soluble fibres such as our NUTRIOSE can act as prebiotic substrates for the gut microbiota to support gut health [and this] remains a central area of interest to the category, but advances in diet–microbiota–host interactions highlight the broader role of dietary fibre in overall health.”
Besides gut health, scientific studies have shown that microbiota modulation also aids with blood glucose management and satiety, and the actual fermentation of soluble fibre also produces beneficial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids, which have been linked with energy metabolism.
“All of these characteristics are increasingly attractive to consumers seeking gentle, evidence-based ingredients that support overall wellness rather than single, isolated benefits,” he added.
“These interconnected benefits [are well-placed to cater to] growing consumer and scientific interest in holistic health outcomes, including healthy ageing and cardiometabolic wellness.”
There is also growing focus on the food safety aspects and related certifications providing assurance of these within the fibre category, as consumer demand and interest increases.
“For soluble fibres the safety and quality management systems are well-established globally and manufacturers have long been required to meet international standards – But more recently, growing interest has been seen in ingredient-specific verification programmes [to provide an even higher level of assurance],” he said.
“These verification programmes go well beyond just the food safety and composition aspects, diving deeper to also assess scientific substantiation and efficacy.”
One such example of this evolution is the NutraStrong Prebiotic Verified certification, which NUTRIOSE recently obtained.
The certification is limited to prebiotic ingredients such as soluble fibres, and the process requires strict evaluation based on scientific evidence that supports its actual efficacy and demonstrated health benefits that are definitely tied to the product.
“This type of certification responds to the increasing consumer demand for clarity, transparency, and rigor in the substantiation of health-related ingredients,” Goh said.
Competitiveness in an undefined category
To date, there remains no single global regulatory definition of a ‘prebiotic’, though from a scientific perspective, this is defined by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) as ‘a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit’.
Here, most prebiotics are dietary fibres but not all dietary fibres meet the scientific criteria to be considered prebiotics.
“Traditionally, fibre has been perceived as a broadly interchangeable ingredient, with limited differentiation beyond fibre content – This is however changing as both brands and consumers become more attentive to scientific credibility and proof of efficacy,” he added.
“[In order to stand out in the market today], third-party verification and certifications are increasingly [becoming more important], as brands [need this] reassurance when communicating about their product’s benefits, particularly in a context where there is no single global regulatory definition of a ‘prebiotic’.”
In short, there is much competitive advantage to be had for food and beverage brands that wish to make stronger marketing claims if ingredients have strong certifications to back up their claims.
“The market is becoming more crowded and increasingly sophisticated, so verified ingredients can definitely offer a competitive advantage,” he said.
“This applies to all brands in the many categories that have huge potential for fibre fortification and products positioned around digestive wellness, metabolic health, and weight management – including nutritional beverages, dairy and dairy alternatives, bakery, cereals, snacks, and meal replacement products.”
