PSPA started the new year on a health note with a lecture on Dietary Fiber and Functional Food Ingredients by Dr. Julie Hirsch, a consultant and former Director of Ingredion Materials Science and Applied Research.

We all need to eat more fiber in our diets, yet we don’t, since 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men in the United States do not meet recommended dietary fiber intakes. 

Dr. Hirsch talked about a collaboration between Ingredion and the USDA (led by our President, Dr. Arland Hotchkiss, on blueberry, red beet and strawberry dietary fiber as by-products of commercial juice and puree production. These potential functional food ingredients may help with consumer dietary fiber intake.

Upcycling food or turning would-be wasted byproducts from one product into something delicious and nutritious for people, has emerged as one of the hottest trends in food and beverage in recent years with the market projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.6% from $52b in 2022 to $83.26b by 2032. See the presentation for more information about upcycling blueberries, strawberries, and beets.