MaxFibre - Incorporation of low cost dietary fibre micropowder into commercial bakery products for societal health

The UN warns 'Our food systems are failing, and the COVID-19 pandemic is making things worse' and clearly points out 'we must strengthen social protection systems for nutrition' June, 2020\. It is even more important to improve diet during and after the COVID-19 pandemic to aid recovery. UK Public policy is rapidly shifting towards the inclusion of greater levels of dietary fibre in foods especially for low cost products targeted at socioeconomic groups CDE, where choice is financially constrained.

Government guidelines published in July 2015 (SACN, 2015) and Public Health England (2016) recommended to increase dietary fibre intake to 30g /day, as part of a healthy balanced diet. However, most adults are still only eating an average of about 18g/day in the UK. It is still a challenge to use sustainable and low cost dietary fibre source for increasing dietary intake without compromising the food quality and sensory properties of foods.

Bakery products are a main source of dietary fibre in UK and western diet, providing about 25% of total dietary fibre daily diet. The aims of this project are to introduce a natural and low cost dietary fibre source in a micropowder format to bakery food products, delivering healthy baked goods with the nutrition claim of increased fibre and lowered sugar/fat cake products (20% sugar reduction and/or 30% fat reduction) both with pleasing sensory properties .

The project targets the high volume industrial bread manufacturing process and the "grab and go" cake sector with new increased fibre formulations