Flour rich in resistant starch contains 10 times more fiber than common white wheat flour, firm says

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Improving dietary fiber intake globally requires public education as well as innovation from the food and ingredients industry to provide solutions for more appealing, fiber-rich foods. In Europe, French grain and cereal ingredients supplier Limagrain Ingredients (Riom, France) is taking this challenge head on. The company recently introduced a new, innovative ingredient, LifyWheat.

LifyWheat is a flour naturally rich in resistant starch that is said to contain 10 times more fiber than common white wheat flour. Up to 80% of LifyWheat’s fiber content is resistant starch, which not only helps fulfill fiber intake but also offers such health benefits as controlling postprandial glycemic response to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, helping maintain a healthy microbiome, and improving intestinal immunity and digestion. The company says the ingredient is based on 20 years of research.

LifyWheat can be used to partially or totally replace wheat flour or wheat grains, without impacting the final product. It is suited for a wide range of consumer foods, including bread, pasta, biscuits, and breakfast cereals. “LifyWheat flour allows [consumers] to improve diet without compromising on taste and texture,” the company said in a press release. “This flour increases fiber intake without changing eating habits compared to a traditional white flour. It offers the same taste and the same white color as traditional flour, with the ability to naturally enrich products with fibers. Indeed, products rich in fibers are not necessarily brown.”

In addition to launching LifyWheat, Limagrain has kicked of a fiber-information initiative in collaboration with Centre de Recherche pour l’Etude et l’Observation des Conditions de vie (CREDOC). The goal is to collect information on fiber consumption habits, consumer awareness, and consumer attitudes toward fiber among populations throughout Europe via surveys that will be updated every three years. An initial survey conducted in three countries so far found that consumers generally have limited knowledge about fiber and its health benefits as well as identifying good fiber sources.

Limagrain Ingredients is a subsidiary of Limagrain, which is an agricultural cooperative owned by French farmers.