La tecnologia della FIBRA - IoBoscoVivo Srl

FIBER technology

Today, the improvement of knowledge and food technologies has made it possible to develop so-called "functional foods", i.e. foods to which bioactive compounds such as fibers are added, or simply to use the latter to improve the consistency and taste of products, making them also healthier and therefore richer from a nutritional point of view.

Fibers allow you to combine technological value with taste and health benefits. In fact, they behave like prebiotics, i.e. they promote the growth and well-being of the intestinal microbiota. These substances can be used in a variety of products such as bread, cereals, desserts, without compromising the organoleptic characteristics but rather accentuating them!

For example, the addition of barley, or its constituents, to foods is usually aimed at increasing the content of total and soluble fibers present in them, enhancing their physiological effectiveness with the aim of providing health benefits: the addition of β- glucans to the doughs of baked products allows to modify their physical characteristics, increasing the water absorption capacity and therefore the total fiber content of the product. Furthermore, this addition means that the digestion of starches contained in "fortified" foods and the release of simple sugars are delayed thanks to the fiber components which increase their viscosity and reduce absorption during the digestive phase.

Excellent technological results have also been obtained in the production of foods enriched with resistant starch. Resistant starch is a type of odorless fiber and consists of the fraction of starch that resists hydrolysis by digestive enzymes, therefore it is not absorbed and reaches the colon unchanged where it is degraded by the intestinal microbiota. This fiber can be a natural component present in some foods while in others it can be induced following thermal, mechanical or chemical treatments. From a technological point of view, the addition of resistant starch in cereal-based products is a way to increase their fiber content and give a consistency similar to the equivalent product but without fibre.

Another example of how fiber can be used in the production of functional foods is the production of ice cream with Inulin. Inulin is a soluble dietary fibre, structurally composed of different fructose units joined together (fructose polymer), and represents an energy reserve that we find in the roots and rhizomes of plants. Inulin has various chemical-physical properties that make it an interesting element both in the culinary and health fields: in the first case, in fact, it is to be considered an excellent stabilizer for creams, while in the second its function as a prebiotic, anti-constipation and blood modulator is notable. nutrient absorption. In the preparation of ice cream, the use of inulin is becoming increasingly popular as a natural stabilizing and sweetening ingredient which is added to replace fats and sugars during production. This fiber allows you to create a homogeneous product, stable against thermal shock and creamy; furthermore, it can boast a lower caloric and cholesterol content, and with excellent anti-constipation, modulator of intestinal absorption and prebiotic properties.

To conclude we can say that, as we have seen, fiber is not only an excellent natural component present in foods and that if taken in optimal quantities it allows us to obtain notable benefits from its consumption, but it is also suitable for the production of functional foods, enriching them. of nutritional properties and adding particular technical characteristics that allow them to be compared to conventional products on the market.

Let us know if you liked it, contact us for any information by email: info@ioboscovivo.it or on our social networks: facebook (IoBoscoVivo), instagram (@ioboscovivo_healthy)! Also come to our shop to learn about all the IoBoscoVivo products!!

Bibliography

Back to blog