Functional Cereal Bar
On evaluating the range of products key ingredients were identified within the cereal bar market. These included the use of specific base ingredients such as oats, wheat, crisped rice and sugar or sugar replacement products. Other identified ingredients include a range of fruits or fruit concentrates, honey and the inclusions nuts to give more flavour and texture. In developing our cereal bar it was vital to produce a product that was not only healthy but very tasty. Incorporating some of the mentioned ingredients would ensure the taste but in order to produce a functional side to the cereal bar additional ingredients would be required.
In a bid to find new innovative functional ingredients investigational work was taken to find and identify a range of ingredients.
The key ingredient which stood out was oat ß-glucan which is a natural soluble fibre and in solution forms a highly viscous product. When in the intestine the oat ß-glucan absorbs water and increases the viscosity, delaying digestion, causing the blood sugar to rise slowly, and a low insulin response. It is a well known fact that dietary fibre can increase and prolong satiety, and therefore can be used in weight control diets. Soluble viscous oat bran can cause this effect. If consumed 20 to 30 min before a meal oat ß-glucan’s form a thick viscous fluid in the stomach and small intestine that stimulates the sensation of satiety and helps limit the appetite. It can therefore be used in weight control combined with a healthy, balanced diet and exercise. One of the main criteria for incorporating oat ß-glucan in a diet is due to their favourable affects on blood cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism. This is supported by a number of scientific and clinical research studies spanning over 40 years.
Thus, the centre has produced a cereal bar which if eaten as part of a healthy diet low in saturated fat not only tastes superior to other products on the market but could also reduce blood cholestoral.
To find more about the cereal bar please contact The Food Technology Centre.