Demand for prebiotics continues even as FDA wrestles with fiber definition

According to Allan Rillorta of AIDC, an ingredient supplier for the health food industry, digestive health in general and prebiotics in particular are of interest to consumers. This is despite uncertainty caused by the FDA’s recent efforts to more precisely defing the term “dietary fiber”.
The FDA’s draft “Dietary Fiber Guidance” laid out criteria for what could be labeled dietary fiber. Both the Natural Products Council and the Council for Responsible Nutrition have called the new standards overly burdensome, and have asked that they be amended or withdrawn.

Key Takeaways:

• Consumer interest in digestive health in general and prebiotics in particular is rising, according to AIDP, a supplier in California.
• The FDA recently issued guidance on dietary supplements that has generated controversy on what a dietary fiber is.
• Consumers interested in improving their digestive health do not appear to put much stock in the FDA’s guidance, and have embraced the potential benefits of prebiotics.

“Despite uncertainty surrounding the precise definition of fiber, demand for prebiotic ingredients is booming, according to one ingredient supplier.”

Read more: https://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Article/2017/10/06/Demand-for-prebiotics-continues-even-as-FDA-wrestles-with-fiber-definition