Application of Natural Vegetable Fiber in Food

Vegetable fiber has a variety of nutritional functions and is a necessary substance for human health. It is also an ideal health food raw material, so vegetable fiber is more and more widely used in the food industry. Vegetable fiber is mainly used in staple foods, baked goods, meat products, beverages, dairy products, and other foods.

1. Applications of natural vegetable fiber ingredients in staple food

With the improvement of living standards, people's dietary structure has undergone great changes. People have higher requirements for food taste where as the intake of vegetable fiber is decreasing day by day. Thus, the incidences of many diet-related diseases are increasing year by year. By adding vegetable fiber to the steamed bun, the finished product will have better taste and color, special fragrance, and no dry and rough feeling. Adding vegetable fiber to the noodles has an effect on the strength of the raw noodles, but the cooked noodles have better resistance to boiling and foaming, and more delicious than noodles made with flour alone.

2. Applications of natural vegetable fiber ingredients in baked food

At present, there are many pieces of research on the applications of vegetable fiber in baked foods. The food ingredient manufacturer will add vegetable fibers to cakes, pieces of bread, and biscuits. The vegetable fibers can absorb more water and increase the water-holding capacity of the finished products, thereby increasing the softness and freshness of the finished products. It also helps to prevent the finished product from drying out and hardening during storage, reducing the cost of finished products. Baked foods with vegetable fiber are delicious, while their appearance, color, elasticity, and processing technology of the finished products are not affected. Therefore, adding vegetable fiber in an appropriate amount can delay the aging rate of bread, increase the volume of bread and pastries, improve the chewiness of biscuits, and meet people's demand for low-energy, high-vegetable fiber baked foods.

3. Applications of natural vegetable fiber ingredients in meat products

Meat products are the main food source of human protein and fat, but excessive intake of meat products can also cause harm to human health. It is of great significance to reduce fat content in meat products. As a kind of functional nutrients, natural vegetable fiber has been increasingly used in meat processing to optimize composition, strengthen nutritional content, increase production yield, and extend shelf life. Vegetable fiber is widely used in ham, sausage, meatballs and other products.

Oat fiber or oat bran has strong water retention and graininess and is a more suitable fat substitute. In meat products, such as ham additives, sausage and pork floss, vegetable fiber obtained from soybeans, oats and sweet potatoes can be added. As a fat substitute, oat fiber can reduce the fat content of the finished product, increase vegetable fiber and protein content, and have positive health benefits.

4. Applications of natural vegetable fiber ingredients in beverages

In recent years, vegetable fiber ingredient has also been rapidly developed as a beverage ingredient. Vegetable fiber can be added to various high-fiber beverages such as powdered drinks (oatmeal, etc.), sports drinks, vegetable protein beverages, and fruit juices. High-fiber beverages containing vegetable fiber have no peculiar smell and a smooth taste, making them more popular. 

5. Applications of natural vegetable fiber ingredients in dairy products

Vegetable fiber can be used as a source of nutrition for active bacteria. If vegetable fiber is added to dairy products, the shelf life of the finished product can be increased, and the taste will be more prominent. Water-soluble vegetable fiber is more suitable to be added to infant formula milk powder and elderly milk powder. Infants, young children and elderly people have limited ability to digest and absorb food, and need to supplement a large amount of calcium. Water-soluble vegetable fiber can not only moisturize the intestines, lower blood fats and blood sugar, but also increase the absorption of mineral elements.

Vegetable fiber can also be used in puffed food, convenient food, pudding, jam, jelly, candy and many others. Experts believe that foods with high fiber content will be one of the leading foods of the century. Once those foods can be fully developed, they will allow the public to have more diverse food choices and a balanced diet.