Introduction to Beta-Glucan

The score was 13.69% for obese children in the UAE, based on the study of children between the ages of 5 and 17 conducted by Ministry of Health and Prevention in 2017.

The numbers are increasing and worrisome, but the bright side to this is that awareness and knowledge among the consumers are increasing as well. Furthermore, in the consumers’ effort to adopt a healthier lifestyle and to include exercise in their daily routine, we can also see the demand for healthier and fortified foods increasing, and the niche categories growing in the region. Consumers are demanding more from their foods nowadays and are looking for foods to satisfy their daily nutritional and energy needs. Fortunately, there are many options available to achieve this objective.

On the following pages of this newsletter, we bring to you the information about oat beta-glucan, an ingredient that can assist us in the fight against non- communicable diseases.

We also introduce to you the latest solutions by DuPont, new product options available from Fonterra, as well as a brief outlook on the dairy commodities.

We hope you will find this report informative and useful. Please feel free to share your feedback and comments with us and do let us know if there is any topic of interest which you would like us to include in our future newsletters.

We also take this opportunity to wish everyone a blessed Ramadan season, which is now just around the corner.

Thank you from the FSL Team

The consumption of functional foods and drinks is increasing in almost all high-paced societies and is driven by increasing demands for convenience along with health. The busier lifestyles and increasing health issues like obesity, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and coronary heart diseases will continue to affect the development and growth of functional foods across the globe.

One of the Ingredients that can help with providing healthy and functional products to your consumers in the region is beta-glucan. The product can be used to add dietary fiber and protein to dairy products, thereby allowing multiple health claims. Besides, beta-glucan also provides textural benefits when used in products.

 HEALTH CLAIMS

To reach the heart and cholesterol health claims you need to add 1g of beta glucan per serving.

Example : How to make a health claim in an oat snack bar (30g)

A) 20 g whole grain oat flakes +10g other ingredients

B) 5 g Fazer Aurora Oat Beta Glucan 20 + 25 g other ingredients 

Health claims approved by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)

1st claim : The beta glucan in oats helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels (Art.13).

2nd claim : Consuming the beta-glucan in oats as part of a meal helps to limit the increase in blood glucose levels after the meal and evens out major fluctuations in blood sugar levels (Art.13).

3rd claim : The beta-glucan in oats reduces blood cholesterol, which in turn reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Art.14).

4th claim : The fibre in oat grains promotes digestions. Oats increase the amount of mass passing through the digestive system, thereby facilitating intestinal movement. Good digestion maintains heath and helps prevents digestive diseases (Art.13).