Understanding the Impact of Dietary Fibre Fortification on Health in China

This study provides a practical application that implicates the potential public health benefits that could be achieved with food product reformulation.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that adequate consumption of dietary fibre (DF) offers multiple health benefits. However, data indicates that the average intake among the population falls short of recommended levels. This study aimed to understand, for the first time, how fibre fortification across a wide range of food categories could affect the diet and health status of Chinese consumers through probabilistic, mathematical, and statistical modelling.

A simulation-based approach was employed to assess the potential impact of fibre fortification. The China Health and Nutrition Survey dataset was used to evaluate DF intake alongside a dietary intake mathematical model. A total of 296 commercially manufactured foods and beverages eligible for fibre fortification were selected based on Chinese legislation and regulations concerning nutrition label claims. Health outcomes such as weight, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type 2 diabetes risk were quantified before and after fibre reformulation according to published studies.

Results: The simulated fibre fortification intervention model has shown that the mean DF intake increased by 13.28%, from 12.8 g/day of baseline to 14.5 g/day, leading to an increase of 48% (from 6.85% to 10.13%) and 54% (from 14.22% to 21.84%) of the adult and children population, respectively, achieving the recommended fibre guidelines. Additionally, 234 diabetes cases per day (85 340 cases per year) as well as 73 065 deaths secondary to CVD could also potentially be averted or delayed with the increase of DF intake via fibre fortification.

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