International survey on dietary fiber: definition, analysis, and reference materials

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science

Background:

• The definition of dietary fiber is crucial for accurate nutrition labeling and research.
• Current analytical methods vary, impacting consistency in food analysis.
• International consensus on fiber definition and analysis is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey international professionals' views on the definition of dietary fiber.
• To gather opinions on analytical methods for nutrition labeling, quality control, and research.
• To identify areas for improvement in dietary fiber analysis.

Main Methods:

• An international survey was distributed to 147 professionals in the field.
• Opinions were collected on the definition of dietary fiber and analytical techniques.
• Data was analyzed to identify trends in professional consensus and preferences.

Main Results:

• Dietary fiber is commonly defined as polysaccharides and lignin resistant to human digestive enzymes.
• There is significant support for expanding the definition to include resistant oligosaccharides.
• Enzymatic-gravimetric methods are preferred for nutrition labeling and quality control.
• Gas-liquid and liquid chromatography are favored for detailed nutrition research.
• Professionals support labeling total, soluble, and insoluble fiber, or total fiber alone for food packages.
• For research, there is a call for more detailed, accurate, precise, and simpler analytical methods.
• Less than 20% of participants utilize reference materials for dietary fiber analysis.

Conclusions:

• The professional community largely agrees on a definition of dietary fiber but seeks its expansion.
• A consensus exists on preferred methods for labeling versus research applications.
• There is a recognized need for enhanced accuracy, precision, and simplicity in analytical techniques.
• Increased adoption of reference materials could improve the reliability of dietary fiber analysis.