Cargill invests £27m in European soluble fibres

Cargill claimed its new soluble fibres would boost calorie reduction and fibre enrichment in confectionery, bakery goods, fillings, cereals, ice cream and dairy, while maintaining desired appearance, taste and texture.

A spokesman for Cargill told Food Manufacture​: "On a global level Cargill has offered soluble fibre solutions for many years. On a European level, we have observed a growing interest from consumers for healthier products, so we believe it is the right moment to invest in fibres complementing Cargill’s large sweetness and texture portfolio.​

"We therefore envisage that, by adding fibres to our portfolio, we are bringing a full range of products and solutions that will help our customers reformulate products with lower sugar and calorie content."​

The new product line will be based on patented, advanced proprietary technology in an attempt to boost product quality. Cargill aims to launch the soluble fibre products in 2021 and then expand quickly into other categories and adding more market innovations.

“Calorie and sugar reduction remains a key priority for many manufacturers amid growing interest from health-conscious consumers,”​ says Jan-Peter Scheurwater, Cargill global strategy and business development director, sweetness.

Nutritional profile​

‘’As a holistic provider of sweetness solutions, Cargill is addressing this need by developing fibre ingredients which enable improvement of the nutritional profile, including sugar and calorie reduction, in consumer products.”​

In terms of market activity, Innova notes an average increase in European product launches with fibre claims of 23% and a 16% increase in products with sugar-reduced claims over the past five years. Especially low-sugar claims showing the strongest growth.

As previously reported by Food Manufacture​, with the trend for naturally sweetened and reduced-sugar drinks continuing, manufacturers are striving to find a good balance of taste and mouthfeel while supplying healthier products​.​

Meanwhile, the Government’s chief medical officer Sally Davies has recently called for tighter regulations on food and drink manufacturers​​ to help reduce childhood obesity.