Fibre: defined at last. Or is it?
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This year continues to be a busy one for legislative developments and I will focus here on fibre. At a European level an amendment to the Nutrition Labelling Directive is close to publication. The provisions update the list of vitamins and minerals which may be declared and their recommended daily allowance; extend the list of conversion factors to be used for calculating energy value and at long last provide a definition of dietary fibre.
Energy conversion factors introduced are fibre (2cal/g) and erythritol (0cal/g); a review of conversion factors for polydextrose and tagatose may result in a further future amendment.
The definition of fibre has been debated for many years, with difficulties linking a scientific viewpoint with a statement sufficiently precise to be incorporated into legal text. So, what is fibre as far as the legislation is concerned? I do not have space here to repeat the agreed text but there is inclusion of the need for a beneficial physiological effect woven into the definition.
The UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has recently published a draft statement on dietary fibre. This looks at what should be viewed as dietary fibre and potential beneficial effects. Controversially, it also suggests that certain well established non-intrinsic fibre ingredients such as inulin may not always be viewed as fibre. The committee further considered a variety of claimed health benefits associated with fibre intake. Furthermore, the draft statement notes insufficient evidence for health effects in relation to dietary fibre and obesity, diabetes, blood pressure lowering and for prebiotic effects. But what does this mean?
While the future of health claims lies in the hands of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European regulators, nutrition claims for fibre could become challenging for some ingredients in the UK if the draft SACN statement is allowed to stand.
Kath Veal is business manager, Regulatory and Technical Consultancy Services at Leatherhead Food International
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