Current fiber intakes are alarmingly low, with long-term implications for public health related to risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, certain gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, and the continuum of metabolic dysfunctions including prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Eating patterns high in certain fibers are known to lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, lower blood glucose, and decrease insulin resistance in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes; help with both weight loss and maintenance; and improve bowel regularity and gastrointestinal health. With >90% of adults and children who fall short of meeting their daily fiber recommendations, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans once again classified fiber as a nutrient of concern. Despite efforts over the past decade to promote adequate fiber through fruit, vegetable, and whole-grain intakes, fiber consumption has remained flat at approximately half the daily recommended amount. The public health implications of inadequate fiber intake prompted the roundtable session "Filling America's Fiber Gap: Probing Realistic Solutions," which assembled nutrition researchers, educators, and communicators to identify challenges, opportunities, and realistic solutions to help fill the current fiber gap. The roundtable discussions highlighted the need for both consumer and professional education to improve acceptance for and inclusion of grain-based foods with added fiber as one strategy for increasing fiber intakes within daily energy goals.

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Fiber continues to be singled out as a nutrient of public health concern. Adequate intakes of fiber are associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, certain gastrointestinal disorders and obesity. Despite ongoing efforts to promote adequate fiber through increased vegetable, fruit and whole-grain intakes, average fiber consumption has remained flat at approximately half of the recommended daily amounts. Research indicates that consumers report increasingly attempting to add fiber-containing foods, but there is confusion around fiber in whole grains. The persistent and alarmingly low intakes of fiber prompted the “Food & Fiber Summit,” which assembled nutrition researchers, educators and communicators to explore fiber’s role in public health, current fiber consumption trends and consumer awareness data with the objective of generating opportunities and solutions to help close the fiber gap. The summit outcomes highlight the need to address consumer confusion and improve the understanding of sources of fiber, to recognize the benefits of various types of fibers and to influence future dietary guidance to provide prominence and clarity around meeting daily fiber recommendations through a variety of foods and fiber types. Potential opportunities to increase fiber intake were identified, with emphasis on meal occasions and food categories that offer practical solutions for closing the fiber gap.

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The guava accessions assembled in the Cuban germplasm collection at Alquízar (Havana Province) were previously characterized by phenotypic descriptors as well as by AFLP DNA markers (Rodríguez et al., 2004; Valdés-Infante et al., 2003). Here, SSR DNA markers were applied in the establishment of phylogenetic relationships. Furthermore, three guava mapping populations were produced by controlled crosses with the dwarf cultivar 'Enana Roja cubana' as the female parent. Based on segregating AFLP markers, an integrated molecular linkage map of guava was constructed for the first mapping population MP1 under investigation. The previously published linkage map (Valdés-Infante et al., 2003) was extended by arranging a total of 220 markers into 11 linkage groups possibly representing the 11 chromosomes (2n = 22) of the guava genome with 11 to 30 markers per linkage group and a total genome length of 1379 cM. QTL analysis for vegetative characters identified a total of fifteen loci contributing to leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, height, and growth rates for diameter and height. The QTL analysis for fruit characters resulted in the identification of loci such as fruit weight, acidity, total soluble solids, vitamin C content, and pulp thickness.