Research from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has showed that just 7% of people know that they should be getting 30g of fibre a day, as it reviews the impact of its Action on Fibre initiative.
In 2015, the UK Government boosted its recommended fibre intake guidelines, taking it from 24g to 30g. However, FDF labelled it “unsurprising” that consumers aren’t reaching that target, which it said was due to the lack of public health campaign to raise awareness about fibre consumption.
Data from Government stated that the average Brit eats just 16g of fibre a day, with only 4% achieving the daily recommendation.
Since FDF’s Action on Fibre initiative began in 2021, participating brands have brought 400 new products and recipes to supermarket shelves, adding 1.5 billion portions of fibre to consumers’ plates, according to FDF.
In the past year, participating brands provided 118 million portions of fibre, as food manufacturers worked to make hitting the daily recommendation achievable by providing a range of higher-fibre options.
FDF calls for Government support
Kate Halliwell, chief scientific officer, FDF said: “Boosting the amount of fibre in your diet is an easy win for your health. And food and drink brands are working hard to make it even simpler to do by developing recipes that help us all to get more fibre.
“We’re proud of the impact our Action on Fibre campaign has had so far, but many people still aren’t aware of just how important a high fibre diet is and there are only limited ways companies are allowed to highlight the fibre content of food. That’s why we’re calling for Government, retailers and health charities to work together with food and drink businesses to make it easier for people to choose a high fibre diet.”
According to the new research, two thirds (63%) of Brits say they are likely to pick foods that are “a source of” or “high in” fibre, yet one in seven (14.9%) said there isn’t enough information about how they can choose foods that are high in fibre.
FDF is now calling on Government to support the industry’s efforts to increase awareness of the importance of fibre, which it said could be done through positive and practical public health messaging.
