Tate & Lyle unveils Promitor to help bridge fibre gap

In both Europe and the US, surveys have shown that consumers struggle to meet daily recommended fibre intake though natural dietary sources alone.

In the UK, recommended fibre consumption is 18g per day; in France 25 to 30g; and in Germany 30g.

In each of these countries, average consumption is lower than these levels.

In the US, the daily recommended intake for fibre is 25g for women and 38g for men.

Again, average consumption falls short, with current intake ranging between 12 and 16g per day.

Tate & Lyle's own consumer research showed up awareness of fibre's role in digestive and immune health and hunger management amongst two-thirds of respondents.

But there was a general belief that fibre-rich foods do not taste good, and this acts as a barrier to adherence to guidelines. Director of marketing, Americas, Harvey Chimoff said: "There is a real opportunity for food manufacturers to give consumers the fibre they need to eat in the products they want to eat."

The Promitor range will include both soluble and insoluble fibres - that is, dietary fiber that may be dissolved in water, typically found in or derived from cereals, oatmeal, apples, citrus fruits, psyllium, beans and other foods; and fibre that cannot be dissolved, which is found in wheat or cereal brans and most vegetables and fruits.

However the exact specifications of the fibres in the Promitor range have yet to be announced.

A spokesperson for the company told FoodNavigator.com that announcement of the first one is expected within days; others will follow in due course.

As well as offering Promitor to food manufacturers as an ingredient, Tate & Lyle will also use it as part of its own Enrich formulation service for dairy, beverage and bakery prototypes.

Enrich increases the nutritional value of products by adding in beneficial ingredients needed to fulfil requirements - especially for digestive health and immunity, obesity, and children's health.

Chimoff added that prototypes shown to the company's customers so far illustrate how Promitor can be incorporated into foods and beverages with no impact on taste.

It is suitable for use in a broad range of categories, including beverages, bakery, dairy, soups, sauces and dressings, snacks, and cereal coatings.

For a brand name that is reminiscent of fibre-rich foods, Tate & Lyle turned to ancient mythology.

Promitor is the name of one of the twelve minor Roman god said to have assisted the goddess Ceres with different aspects of farming.

His responsibility was bringing the harvest in from the fields.

Jim Miller, director of product management at Tate & Lyle, said: "Tate & Lyle's customers will have the opportunity to use the Promitor logo front of pack as useful reference for consumers.

We look forward to discussing with customers the benefits of the logo use and how it fits with their development plans.

"In general terms, the Promitor brand stands for added fibre with no impact on eating experience- in terms of either taste or texture.

So when consumers see the Promitor brand they know they will get the fibre they need in their diets from the foods they want in their diets."

Branding ingredients is a strategy now employed by a number of companies, to create consumer association with, and trust of, a name.

For manufacturers it is said also said to be a useful exercise, since the ingredients suppliers are contributing to their own marketing efforts.