Codex Fiber Definition: Towards - Implementation Issues of

Implementation Issues of the
Codex Fiber Definition: Towards
          Resolution
  II Latin American ICC Cereal Conference: “Keys
            for Cereal Chain Innovation”
                   Santiago, Chile
                  April 10-13, 2011

                 David R. Lineback
   Joint Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition
                        -for-
  The International Life Sciences Institute, North
                       America

Codex Definition for Dietary Fiber
• The Codex Committee for Nutrition and Foods for
  Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) was charged by
  the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in 1992
  with outlining a definition for Dietary Fiber.

• After 16 years of deliberations, a definition was
  submitted and adopted by the CAC in 2009.

Codex Definition for Dietary Fiber 2009
                    (abbreviated for slide)

Dietary fibre means carbohydrate polymers1 with 10 or more
    monomeric units2, which are not hydrolysed by the
    endogenous enzymes in the small intestine of humans and
    belong to the following categories:
   1. Edible polymers naturally occurring in the food
   2. Polymers, which have been obtained from food raw material
       by physical, enzymatic or chemical means
   3. Synthetic polymers
The latter two must be shown to have a physiological effect of
    benefit to health as demonstrated by generally accepted
    scientific evidence to competent authorities.

Dietary Fiber Definition: Importance of
               Harmonization
• A science-based definition ensures reference to
  substances with specific characteristics
• Accurate communication of the fiber content of foods
  is essential to improving dietary intakes
• Lessens likelihood that substances may be identified
  as fiber that lack a physiological benefit, or failure to
  identify substances that have a “fiber” benefit
• Essential for comparison of intakes across
  geographic regions and interpretation of studies
• A harmonized definition lessens trade barriers

Codex Definition for Dietary Fiber 2009:
                  Issue #1

“Dietary fibre means carbohydrate polymers1 with
 10 or more monomeric units 2 ….
FOOT NOTE 2:

“2Decision on whether to include carbohydrates
  from 3 to 9 monomeric units, i.e. DP 3-9,
  should be left to national authorities.”

Codex Definition for Dietary Fiber
              2009: Issue #2

“The latter two [ALL BUT INTACT] must be shown
  to have a physiological effect of benefit to health
  as demonstrated by generally accepted scientific
  evidence to competent authorities.”
                 ---HOWEVER---
Physiological effects are not identified; benefit to
  health - supporting evidence is not defined.

9th Vahouny Symposium on Dietary
     Fiber (Maryland, USA; June, 2010)
Objective included an emphasis on the
 scientific basis for and benefits of a single
 worldwide definition. (international symposium)
Three areas for discussion:
  1. Inclusion of DP 3-9 (“FOOTNOTE 2”)
  2. How to better define and substantiate
     “beneficial physiological effects”
  3. Analytical methodology

Inclusion of DP 3-9 (Vahouny Symp.)
No readily applicable analytical methods to
 distinguish DP 3-9 from DP

Issue: Physiological Effects
Beneficial effects are required for all but
 “intact” fibers; however, no established list
 of effects was provided.
Yet, many global authorities use a common list
 of effects.

HOW TO BEGIN TO DEVELOP AN EVOLVING LIST
 OF AGREED-UPON EFFECTS? (Vahouny Symp.)

Outcome: Physiological Effects
         (Vahouny Symposium)

Three proposed categories:
  1. Well established beneficial effects
  2. Probable beneficial effects
  3. Possible beneficial effects
*Working list (Open to additions)

Physiological effects supported
               (Vahouny Symp.)
Reduced total and/or LDL cholesterol
Attenuation of postprandial glycemia/insulinemia
Reduced blood pressure
Increased fecal bulk/laxation
Decreased transit time
Increased colonic fermentation/SCFA production
Positive modulation of colonic microflora
Weight loss/reduction in adiposity
Increased satiety

However, support was not equivocal
     for all effects - Comments:
• Need to establish ultimate impact on health
• What are the best methods to establish link
  to a “health benefit”?
• Substantiation of a benefit should be case-
  by-case.

The variety of effects points to the need for
 consumption of a VARIETY of fibers.

Participants requested response - record
 of prevailing opinion (Vahouny Survey)
Item (n=75)                         Affirmative %   Negative %   No answer %
Agree with inclusion of DP3-9          86.7            2.7          10.6
Decrease in total or LDL               98.7            1.3
cholesterol
Reduction in blood glucose or           96             2.7          1.3
insulin
Incr. stool bulk or decr. transit      98.7            1.3
time
Fermentability of colonic
                  N=75                 82.7            6.7          10.6
microflora
Proposed other effects                 30.7                         69.3

Conclusions from Vahouny Conf.
• Strong support for inclusion of all digestion-
  resistant carbohydrates of DP 3 and above
• There is strong scientific evidence linking fiber
  and
  – Lower serum and LDL cholesterol,
  – Lower blood glucose and insulin, and
  – Improved laxation and transit time.
• Physiological effects need to be linked to health
  benefits.
• Dietary fiber should be from a variety of sources.

Towards Resolution of the Issues

• Science supports inclusion of DP 3 and above
  as fiber
• More work is needed to establish an
  internationally agreed-upon list of
  physiological effects
• Data to support a link to health benefits
  should be examined and gaps identified

Publication

Howlett et al. 2010. The definition of
 dietary fiber – discussions at the Ninth
 Vahouny Fiber Symposium: building
 scientific agreement. Food & Nutrition
 Research. 54:1-5.

Available on www.ilsi.org (English, and
 Spanish translation)

Thank You!
 Gracias!