Fiber exists everywhere. It exists in whole grains and as hydrocolloids, prebiotics and resistant starches. Now that the “fiber gap” in the average American diet has been identified, experts recommend ingesting at least 15g daily of additional fiber; the decision to be made is simply a matter of determining what fiber is most appropriate for what product application.
The first question a manufacturer should ask before determining what fiber to use for nutritional purposes in a food product is, “What health benefit am I trying to sell in this product?” Fiber, in its many forms, is influential at abating and controlling a number of chronic diseases including: high blood cholesterol, diabetes and colon cancer.