There is evidence that fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin can impart a range of health benefits if consumed on a regular basis. The health benefits include increased mineral absorption and improved immune response and while there is mounting evidence that prebiotics play a role in colorectal cancer prevention, their role in feeling of satiety and weight management is still being investigated.In this review we look at the evidence published so far on FOS or inulin supplementation and weight management. We also establish whether prebiotic enriched breads are feasible in terms of dough machinability, bread characteristics and consumers acceptance.Addition of inulin to bread generally resulted in smaller loaves with a harder crumb and darker colour. The limited sensory studies on those products reflect those findings and acceptability decreased with inulin content. However, a fortification of 5% seems achievable. Despite evidence that yeast invertase and dry heat degrade inulin, the extent to which this is the case and whether the prebiotics maintain their activity is not known.There is still a great deal of work to be done to establish whether a bread prepared with enough inulin to retain a significant activity can be manufactured without compromising consumer acceptance.Keywords: Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS); inulin; bread; satiety; texture; consumer acceptance 3
HighlightsThere is tentative evidence that inulin supplementation may help a certain proportion of the population actively manage their weight Addition of inulin to bread generally resulted in smaller loaves with a harder crumb and darker colour.Limited sensory studies on those products reflect those findings and acceptability decreased with inulin content.Yeast invertase and dry heat degrade inulin.Fructo-oligosaccharides / inulin fortification in bread at a level of 5% seems achievable. 4
Prebiotics: documented health benefits and market growthThere is evidence that prebiotics can impart a range of health benefits if consumed on a regular basis. There have been a number of excellent papers and reviews on the topic of prebiotics and their health benefits (Macfarlane, Macfarlane & Cummings, 2006, Roberfroid et al., 2010. The health benefits include increased mineral absorption (Hawthorne & Abrams, 2008, Rastall, 2010 and improved immune response (Macfarlane, Steed & Macfarlane, 2007, Seifert & Watzl, 2008) and while there is mounting evidence that prebiotics play a role in colorectal cancer prevention (Asad, Emenaker & Milner, 2008) or cancer therapy (Taper & Roberfroid, 2008), their role in feelings of satiety and weight management is still being investigated.It has been suggested that there is an interaction between body weight and the effect of fibre on satiety and energy intake (Burton-Freeman, 2000). Beyond the direct (prebiotic effect) and indirect (fat / sugar substitution) health benefits to be gained from the incorporation of prebiotics to food, the resulting sensory properties of the final products have to be adequately monitored ...