Kellogg puts its weight behind fiber
the US to promote its fibre-rich cereal products. It aims to raise
awareness of the importance of dietary fibre in order to encourage
Americans to increase their fibre consumption.
The "Fiber Challenge" asks consumers to eat a bowl a day of either Frosted Mini-Wheats, Raisin Bran or All-Bran for two weeks, claiming that participants "should feel a difference."
As fibre-rich foods look to gather momentum in a market disappointed by low-carb and confused by GI, Kellogg is taking a lead by changing the packaging of its Frosted Mini-Wheats, Raisin Bran and All-Bran cereal products in order to promote their fibre content.
Dietary fibre is already receiving increased attention in the US after the nation's new Dietary Guidelines, which were published in January, recommend that adults consume between 25-30g of fibre a day.
Kellogg was unable to disclose sales figures for its high-fibre product lines, but commented that it expects the products to do well in light of recent studies that have revealed the health benefits of dietary fibre.
These include a reduction of blood cholesterol levels, a reduced risk of digestive diseases and a possible reduction in the risk of heart disease.
One study conducted on 116,671 women and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed how the higher diabetes risk associated with high Glycaemic Index was entirely eliminated by higher cereal fibre intake (at least 4.4g a day).
"No one knows how this works exactly. As with all epidemiological research, there are no control groups, just the science of obsevation and association. What it does show us, though, is that it might make more sense to encourage high fibre diets than low GI diets," said Dr Glenn Gaesser of the Grain Food Foundation.
"There has been much more consistent data published on fibre-rich foods than on GI, demonstrating that these do tend to have health-producing effects, especially those foods associated with cereal fibre," he told BakeryAndSnacks.com.
