Applications of dietary fiber in foods
Dietary fiber is widely used as ingredients or additives in many food
products not only for nutritional purposes (e.g. to increase TDF content, and to reduce
calorie content), but also for technological purposes (e.g. to increase cooking yield,
to improve texture, and to reduce oil adsorption). When dietary fiber is added
to a formulation, it is often necessary to change the levels of other ingredients;
for example, an increased level of hydration may be required (1). Food manufacturers
commonly use purified soluble fibers at low levels (0.2 - 1.0%) for their functional
properties (44), while insoluble fibers are mainly used for their nutritional benefits.
However, some insoluble fibers may also be used for their functional properties.