ABSTRACT
In the first edition of Handbook of Food Analysis the
chapter on dietary fiber provided a comprehensive
summary of over 40 methods, creating a record of the
development of fiber analysis (1). In this revised
chapter the focus is much more on methods currently
in use and those appropriate for the analysis of human
foods. The reader may refer to the first edition for
details of the methods that are of particular interest. Since the first edition there has been continued
debate on the definition of dietary fiber and, linked to
definition, the most appropriate methods for fiber
analysis (2,3). A real attempt has been made to arrive
at a single definition and method of analysis through
international consultation. However, universal accep-
tance has not been reached. At least for regulatory and
food labeling purposes, for which most dietary fiber
analysis is required, there is, for the present time, a
general acceptance of certified AOAC (Association of
Official Analytical Chemists) International methods. In this chapter, as the focus is on methods that are
suitable for analyzing human foods, methods that were
discussed in the first edition but are regarded as more
suitable for ruminant feeds than for human foods, such
as the neutral detergent method (4), will not be
discussed. Of recent reviews of the current state of dietary fiber
analysis, that of Cho et al. gives detailed instructions
on the AOAC methods (5). Brief overviews have been
given by Asp (6) and McLeary (7). The report recently
released by the Panel on the Definition of Dietary
Fiber, Standing Committee on the Scientific
Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Institute of
Medicine (U.S.A.), gives an excellent overview (3).
