Inulin: A Dietary Fiber Ingredient in Functional Foods

Inulin: A Dietary Fiber Ingredient in Functional Foods

Inulin is a naturally sourced dietary fiber, classified as a water-soluble fiber. It is used in food, beverage, and nutritional supplement products. As consumer awareness of dietary fiber increases, inulin has gained attention in the global food ingredients market.

Sources and Basic Characteristics of Inulin

Inulin is mainly extracted from plants such as chicory root and Jerusalem artichoke. It is a type of fructan. In the food industry, inulin serves as a dietary fiber ingredient and can be used in various product formulations.

Common Applications in the Food Industry

Inulin is widely used in the following food categories:

• Dairy products (e.g., fermented milk, modified milk)

• Beverages and powdered drinks

• Dietary supplements (tablets, powders)

• Functional foods and nutrition bars

• Bakery products (for dietary fiber enrichment)

Co-developed Product: Probiotic + Dietary Fiber Blend

This product was jointly developed by the China National Research Institute of Food & Fermentation Industries. Each sachet contains 40 billion CFU of live probiotics, combined with three types of dietary fibers as prebiotic components. The product uses seven selected strains from Synbio Tech (Taiwan), forming a multi-strain formulation.

The product demonstrates technical expertise in strain viability retention, formulation stability, and multi-strain compatibility, providing ingredient solutions for the functional food and nutritional supplement industry.

Product illustration

Product illustration