There is evidence that fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin can impart a range of health benefits if
consumed on a regular basis. The health benefits include increased mineral absorption and improved
immune response and while there is mounting evidence that prebiotics play a role in colorectal cancer
prevention, their role of satiety and weight management is still being investigated.
In this review we look at the evidence published so far on FOS or inulin supplementation and weight
management. We also establish whether prebiotic enriched breads are feasible in terms of dough
machinability, bread characteristics and consumers acceptance.
Addition of inulin to bread generally resulted in smaller loaves with a harder crumb and darker colour.
The limited sensory studies on those products reflect those findings and acceptability decreased with inulin
content. However, a fortification of 5% seems achievable. Despite evidence that yeast invertase and dry
heat degrade inulin, the extent to which this is the case and whether the prebiotics maintain their activity
is not known.
There is still a great deal of work to be done to establish whether a bread prepared with enough inulin
to retain a significant activity can be manufactured without compromising consumer acceptance.