Fibre fails to impress
Worryingly for companies that are plugging fibres as the hottest healthy ingredient on the block, UK consumers at least do not seem to be getting the message.
Although fibre is not seen as a bad thing, two thirds (66%) of UK adults surveyed by FIHN's sister title Food Manufacture in conjunction with researcher Harris Interactive claimed they were not trying to increase their intake, despite the fact that UK consumption is well below recommended levels.
Indeed, a high percentage (55%) of the 2,000 adults surveyed felt they were already getting enough fibre, while a further 10% said they neither knew nor cared how much they were consuming.
On the plus side, two thirds claimed to enjoy fibre-rich foods, even if they were not unduly concerned about their fibre intake.
British Nutrition Foundation senior nutrition scientist Lisa Miles said the results highlighted that more education was needed: "We recognise that fibre intake is a problem in the UK. We aren't meeting recommendations. We should be eating at least 18g of fibre per day and yet we only eat around 13g."
She added: "We haven't had any large campaigns on fibre and people don't realise how much they really need."
Part of the problem could be down to a lack of awareness surrounding the benefits of fibre, she said. "It can help with gastrointestinal health, reduce the likelihood of developing colon cancer and help the body to maintain a healthy weight. A lot of the effects boil down to its low energy density."
