Researchers Develop "Invisible Fibre" To Improve the Nutrition of Food Without Changing the Texture or Color 2022

Scientists have developed dietary fibre from native starches such as wheat, corn, and cassava that may be added to food to improve its nutritional value.

A delicious meal may make your day better, and solid nutrition can keep you content and in great health. Scientists have created a mechanism to turn popular fast foods like pizza, cakes, and burgers into wholesome meals in the age of ubiquitous fast food consumption.

A full dinner may make your day happier, and nutritious nutrition can keep you healthy and happy. In the era of extensive fast food consumption, scientists have created a technique to turn popular fast foods like pizza, cakes, and burgers into wholesome meals.

The natural starches found in foods like wheat, corn, and cassava have been transformed by researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) into dietary fibre that can be added to food to improve its nutritional value without altering its texture, colour, or flavour.

The starch-based product FiberX, which resists digestion in the human stomach exactly like fibre, was developed by researchers working with Microtec Engineering Group, a technology-based engineering firm that provides starch processing equipment, according to RMIT University. FiberX is smooth and flavourless, and it can also be made gluten-free. This makes it ideal for enhancing low-calorie and low-GI dishes. It may also be added to low-fibre foods like white bread, cakes, pasta, pizza, and sauces to make them healthier.

Associate Professor Asgar Farahnaky, the project leader from RMIT's Food Research and Innovation Centre, and his colleagues developed what they call "invisible fibre" using cutting-edge starch modification technology and certified food grade components.

He claimed that one of the primary problems with many commercially available fibre supplements up to this point was that they often changed the taste or texture of meals like white bread and other staples when more fibre was added.

"Once applied, our product is barely detectable. It's comparable to a parent sneaking veggies into their child's supper to make it healthier."

Consuming fibre, a kind of carbohydrate not digested in the human stomach, helps improve the function and health of our digestive system. In addition, it can help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes and lessen the risk factors for a number of cardiovascular diseases.

The food industry faces a problem in trying to increase food items' fibre content by 10–20% while simultaneously retaining palatable flavour and texture. Currently available foods with increased fibre often have an unfavourable texture or taste. As part of the study, Farahnaky's team tested the flavour and examined the texture of bread and cakes that had different quantities of FiberX added to them. They discovered they could increase the amount of fibre in meals by up to 20% while still preserving the flavour and texture of the final product.

"With the help of this new technology, we can enhance the quantity of fibre that is added to food, allowing us to get the appropriate amount of fibre each day while eating less items, potentially assisting in weight control and reducing the risk of developing diabetes," he said.