It is estimated that the average American consumes about 14g of fiber each day – well short of the 25 to 38g of fiber recommended by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the department says only one in five people eats the recommended amount. But according to a recent survey from market research organization Mintel, a quarter of respondents were unaware of the necessity of dietary fiber for overall health, regardless of digestive problems, and 27 percent said they did not like the taste of foods with added fiber.
Senior health and wellness analyst at Mintel Molly Heyl-Rushmer said: “Many people have negative perceptions about the taste of fiber. The taste deters them from eating a fiber-added product that has numerous health benefits.”
Those health benefits that have been linked to dietary fiber consumption include reduced incidence of heart disease and some cancers. The belief that fiber is only important for digestive health was more prevalent among men than women, Mintel found.
Heyl-Rushmer said: "Consumers are more likely to report limiting sugar, fat, sodium, and calorie intake than they are to eat naturally fiber-rich foods. Adults don't fully understand the link between fiber and health."
She recommended that food marketers should consider using money-back guarantees as well as education initiatives in an effort to alter consumers’ negative perceptions of added-fiber products.
Mintel found that 30 percent of consumers make a point of eating fiber-rich foods, and 37 percent said they could get enough fiber from their food without eating added fiber foods or taking fiber supplements.