Bakers Appreciate FDA’s Movement Forward On Fiber

Today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responded to ABA on its citizen petition request specific to the dietary fiber definition as well as announcing its intent to add eight additional fibers for consideration as dietary fiber through future rulemaking.

“ABA appreciates all of the efforts the Agency has put forth to finalize decisions on fiber sources under the new definition,” said Lee Sanders, ABA Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Affairs. “Bakers and other food manufacturers can now begin to move forward with labeling updates as part of the Nutrition Facts Label (NFL) revisions final rule compliance efforts.”

The FDA responded to many of the citizen petitions requesting that certain isolated and synthetic non-digestible carbohydrates (NDCs) be added to the regulatory definition of “dietary fiber.” Additionally, the Agency issued a guidance – along with supporting scientific evidence review – to identify eight isolated or synthetic NDCs that FDA intends to add to the regulatory definition of "dietary fiber" through rulemaking.  Specifically, FDA named eight non-digestible carbohydrates it intends to add: mixed plant cell wall fibers; arabinoxylan; alginate, inulin and inulin-type fructans; high amylose starch (resistant starch 2); galactooligosaccharide; polydextrose; and resistant maltodextrin/dextrin. Further, today’s guidance expresses FDA’s intent to exercise enforcement discretion for the new eight recognized fibers when calculating dietary fiber on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels. 

“It is still unclear whether FDA has officially opined on intrinsic and intact fibers,” continued Ms. Sanders. “ABA looks forward to additional insight from the Agency on this issue and future decisions on the additional pending fiber petitions.”

About the American Bakers Association:

The American Bakers Association (ABA) is the Washington D.C.-based voice of the wholesale baking industry. Since 1897, ABA has represented the interests of bakers before the U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and international regulatory authorities. ABA advocates on behalf of more than 1,000 baking facilities and baking company suppliers. ABA members produce bread, rolls, crackers, bagels, sweet goods, tortillas and many other wholesome, nutritious, baked products for America’s families. The baking industry generates more than $153 billion in economic activity annually and employs more than 799,500 highly skilled people.

Source: American Bakers Association