London, UK, 25 February 2025 – A new study conducted by researchers from Tate & Lyle PLC, a world leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, and Creme Global LTD, a specialist data analytics company, reveals the substantial public health benefits that could be achieved when increasing the fibre content of food products commonly consumed by the Chinese population. Getting the right amount of fibre in the diet is highly beneficial for wider health and wellbeing, including immunity, skin, brain and gut health.
The study, the first-of-its-kind in China, has been published in BMJ Open, a peer-reviewed open access medical journal. It demonstrates that fortifying foods and drinks like flavoured dairy and non-dairy products, bread, and fermented sauces and pastes, notably improves the fibre intake among both adults and children, significantly reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The study’s main finding is that fortifying commonly consumed foods with fibre could help 48% more adults and 54% more children to reach the recommended daily fibre intake, meaning that 10% of adults and 22% of children in China would consume the recommended amount of fibre each day. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that adults consume 25g-30g of fibre per day [1]. A widely used recommendation for children is their age in years plus 5g of fibre per day, so, for instance, a three-year-old should consume at least 8g of fibre each day [2].
Dr. Davide Risso, Head of Nutrition Research at Tate & Lyle and a co-author of the modelling study, commented: “A 48% increase in adults and 54% increase in children reaching the recommended daily fibre intake is significant when you consider that intake rates have been climbing very slowly in many countries. Fibre fortification, which many food and drink companies are already actively pursuing, and which requires minimal consumer behaviour change, presents a significant public health opportunity in China, complementing existing health interventions.”
Researchers utilised a simulation-based approach, leveraging data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey [3]. They identified 296 commercially manufactured foods and beverages eligible for fibre fortification [4] and modelled the potential health outcomes of increased fibre consumption.
This is the very first study to model the public health benefits of fibre fortification in China, providing compelling evidence for the potential health gains. The researchers encourage more food and beverage producers to consider fibre fortification as a viable strategy to enhance public health, reduce the burden of chronic diseases, and meet growing consumer interest in fibre-fortified food and drinks.
Sandrine Pigat, Head of Food & Nutrition at Creme Global, commented: “By leveraging datasets on dietary intakes, Creme Global’s mathematical models and health outcome-based algorithms, we can assess the impact of fibre fortification scenarios and subsequently the impact on health in the Chinese population. This study shows the power of bringing various data sources together and modelling health impacts on a national level, informing future public health decisions and their impact.”
For more information and tips on how to increase your fibre intake – and more information about a similar study conducted in the UK - visit: tateandlyle.com/guthealth
ENDS
* “Modelling the public health benefits of fibre fortification in the Chinese population through food reformulation”.
Notes to Editors
[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Chinese dietary reference intakes. 2013.
[2] Williams CL, Bollella M, Wynder EL. A new recommendation for dietary fibre in childhood. Pediatrics 1995;96:985–8.
[3] China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS. Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011.
[4] Food and beverages included in the study bakery products including but not limited to bread, rolls, breakfast cereals, cakes and biscuits; convenience fast food products; flavoured dairy and non-dairy products such as milk, milk powders, yoghurts and ice cream; sauces and dressings which would be considered low in fibre including fermented sauces, pastes and curds; legume products; while excluding 100% fruit and vegetable juices, nectars, juice drinks and soft drinks; foods which would be considered a traditional commodity such as milk, grains or cheese; coffee, tea and infusions; sugar confectionery; canned soups and powdered soups and sauces to be reconstituted; and composite dishes (foods containing several ingredients).
Tate & Lyle’s “Modelling the public health benefits of fibre fortification in the Chinese population through food reformulation” looked at what consumers currently eat and drink using the China Health and Nutrition Survey. A statistical modelling scenario was applied to see how food that had been reformulated and fortified with additional fibre changed consumer’s diet and health. The only change made to the nutritional composition of the products was the addition of fibre. Commercially manufactured foods and beverages eligible for fibre fortification were identified and a total of 296 food and beverages were selected for fibre fortification calculation. Foods and beverages eligible for fibre fortification and the concentration of fibre used at intervention were identified based on Chinese legislations and regulations of nutrition label claims.
Click here for Tate & Lyle’s previous UK fibre modelling with Creme Global https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34991735/
For media enquiries, please contact:
Anna Taylor-Elphick, Snr Manager, Global Corporate PR, Tate & Lyle PLC
[email protected], +44(0)7766 361 515
Lorraine Crowley
Food Data Scientist at Creme Global
[email protected]
Phone: +353 1 677 0071
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