ABSTRACT

This chapter emphasizes recent developments and findings on fortification of bakery items, dairy products, meat and meat products, juices, beverages, and chocolates with dietary fiber (DF). Along with the bread, several other bakery products play a substantial role in the human diet, for example, cookies, pasta, vermicelli, noodles, biscuits, and cake. The majority of the DFs are natural food components present in edible plants; hence, safety is not an issue and the foods are consumed as a part of the traditional diet. The major problem associated with several DFs (such as polydextrose, inilin, and oligofructose) used to fortify food products is gas formation, bloating, and diarrhea in hosts, if used in a large amount. Moreover, a wide variety of nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals found in whole foods, may be missed by choosing fiber-fortified products. Firm regulations exist regarding incorporation of DFs to specific food products in developed countries such as the United States, Australia, and Europe.