More Thais, Indonesians seek fiber and low-sugar products

CONSUMERS look for natural products, prefer fiber from natural sources such as chicory root, and associate fiber with digestive health and weight management, according to an online research commissioned by leading global manufacturer of functional ingredients, BENEO. The survey conducted in Indonesia and Thailand included 1,000 respondents in each country[i].

About 94% of Indonesian respondents said natural products are better, and 74% said they look for natural products when making food purchase decisions. In Thailand, 91% said they prefer natural products, while 81% consider natural products when purchasing.

Natural products include their choice of ingredient names, with “chicory root fiber” being considered as the most healthy and natural sounding soluble fiber.

When it comes to the subject of genetically modified organisms (GMO), 52% in Indonesia and 54% in Thailand said they actively avoid or limit the consumption of food with GMO.

“The survey results clearly show that consumers are actively looking for natural ingredients in their daily diet,” said Christian Philippsen, Managing Director of BENEO Asia-Pacific.

Fiber is key ingredient

Fiber is the ingredient consumers in both countries most actively seek in their diet. As much as 88% and 84% of those surveyed make sure to get fiber in their daily diets.

Consumers surveyed also seek products with low, less or even no sugar, with 39% of the interviewees in Indonesia and 57% in Thailand saying they are avoiding or limiting sugar intake.

Digestive health and weight management

Consumers from both countries are keen to eat food products that offer long term health benefits, with 84% in Indonesia and 81% in Thailand saying they actively look for food that can enhance digestive health, while 75% in Indonesia and 67% in Thailand are focused on solutions supporting a healthy weight.

They associate fiber closely to these benefits, with 74% in Indonesia and 80% in Thailand regarding fiber as an ingredient that can help improve digestive health. Similarly, 63% of the participants in Indonesia and 70% in Thailand associate fiber with weight management.

“From the study, we see that consumers are aware of the beneficial effects of a healthy digestive system. With inulin and oligofructose, BENEO offers functional ingredients with nutritional, technical and health benefits that meet consumer requirements for healthy ingredients and help them boost their fibre levels – naturally,” said Christian Philippsen.

BENEO’s non-GMO prebiotic fibers inulin and oligofructose are naturally derived from chicory root by gentle hot water extraction. They come with a natural, mild sweetness that makes them highly suitable to reduce the sugar amount in formulations while enhancing the fibre content. Consequently, they improve the nutritional profile of final products while maintaining texture and taste. Inulin and oligofructose also contribute to products supporting digestive health and weight management.