Dietary fiber supplementation in animal products: Recent developments, commercial applications, and sustainability impact

Abstract

Adding dietary fiber (DF) to animal products has gained significant attention due to its potential health impacts and sustainability benefits. The food industry demands comprehensive information on how such enrichment can contribute to new product developments with improved nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory qualities. This review examines DF and its derivatives from various sources, such as vegetables, fruits, and grains, to enhance animal products. It focuses on improving their chemical, sensory, and physical properties, highlighting the potential of DF in developing sustainable meat and dairy products. It also provides updates on commercial status and considerations for practical applications. DF and its derivatives, including carboxymethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, regenerated cellulose, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, have been widely used in animal products. Incorporating DF from fruits and vegetables into sausages, patties, yogurt, and ice cream resulted in improvements such as 16% increase in moisture content, 18% decrease in fat content, 34% increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 18% reduction in saturated fatty acids. Enriching animal products with DF offers health benefits but requires large-scale clinical validation for health claims. Additionally, despite the benefits of sustainability and the availability of commercialized products, global market expansion faces regulatory approvals and technological challenges. Future innovations in sustainable processing and product formulation can enhance the functionality and practicality of fiber-enriched food products, promoting market adoption and improved nutrition among consumers.