Fiber Addition to Cereal Based Foods: Effects on Sensory Properties

A diet high in dietary fiber improves health by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type II diabetes and colon cancer. Because of this, there has been an increased interest in adding fibers into foods. However, doing so can impact sensory properties associated with appearance, texture, tastes and flavours of the foods to which they are added. Therefore, the effect of fibre addition on the sensory properties of foods needs to be examined. Two sensory approaches exist for doing so: trained analytical panels and consumer acceptability panels. Results from analytical panels provide information on the effects of fibre addition on the sensory properties of a food while consumer acceptability panels indicate if the fibre addition impacts liking. Both approaches are necessary to ensure that addition of fibre to food results in an acceptable product.