Co-ordinated action across government, industry and the food system is ”essential” to close the UK fibre gap and help tackle diet-related ill-health, according to a new report published by the British Nutrition Foundation.
The ‘Dietary Fibre in 2026: An Update on Barriers & Opportunities to Fill the UK Fibre Gap’ report argues that taste preferences, cost concerns and lack of knowledge are the biggest consumer barriers to increasing fibre intakes.
In the UK, the recommended dietary fibre intake for adults is 30g per day. However, the foundation found that only 4% of adults are meeting that target.
The report states that creating supportive food environments, through product availability, placement, pricing, menu design and clear communication will be critical to shifting consumer behaviour at scale.
It highlighted out-of-home as a particular target area with nearly 70% of foods sold in this sector being low in fibre. In fact, just 6.5% of the 3,799 items sampled by the foundation were considered ‘high in fibre’.
It also found “considerable variation” in fibre content across outlet types and meal categories. At full-service restaurants, only 27% of the main meals provided at least 9.3g of fibre per portion, while supermarket food-to-go meal deals provided the highest fibre per 100g and per 100kcal on average.
QSR, casual dining and takeaway outlets offered the highest fibre per portion, averaging at 5.6g, although it stated this was likely influenced by larger and more variable portion sizes.
The report also identified that foods naturally rich in fibre, such as nuts, vegetables and wholegrains, were the main contributors to dishes classified as high in fibre. However, these ingredients were not widely or consistently integrated across menus.
It suggested that out-of-home settings should increase the availability and visibility of higher-fibre options which could include providing fibre information on menus, highlighting dishes that are “high in fibre” and offering options such as brown rice, wholemeal bread, wholegrain pasta and pulses.
In retail, the report suggests that priority could be given to lower-cost everyday staples and own-label ranges to support wider access, adding that on-pack cues, such as wholegrain logos or visual information may help consumers identify higher-fibre options.
Earlier this month, Sainsbury’s launched new ‘Full on Fibre’ labelling across more than 500 products to help customers after the supermarket giant’s research found that three quarters of people say they understand fibre, but only half recognise fruit (52%) or pulses (58%) as sources.
The report states that reformulating everyday products offers a “clear route” to increase fibre intake without relying on behaviour change alone, after 50% of consumers said they would be more likely to buy products they already eat (such as bread, yoghurt, cereal or a snack) if it had added fibre but tasted the same.
‘Co-ordinated action is essential’
To close the UK fibre gap, the British Nutrition Foundation said that food manufacturers, retailers, the out-of-home sector and government all had ”a vital role to play”.
It is urging the industry to collaborate with suppliers to innovate and explore higher-fibre ingredients, to promote higher-fibre choices by making them more visible and appealing and to strengthen communication through consistent labelling and messaging.
For policymakers, the report is calling for mandatory fibre labelling to be introduced on back of pack and to consider inclusion of fibre on front-of-pack traffic light labels, while it asks government committees to review existing fibre health claims and develop clearer wording for consumers.
In other areas, the government is being urged to update UK food composition data with consistent, up to date fibre values, and to align policies across public health, procurement, agriculture, school food and marketing to prioritise high-fibre foods.
“The UK’s fibre gap remains one of the most persistent nutritional challenges we face,” said British Nutrition Foundation CEO Elaine Hindal. “Food manufacturers, retailers and the out-of-home sector all have a vital role to play – from reformulating everyday products to improving availability, visibility and choice. But industry cannot solve this alone.
“Co-ordinated action with government will be essential to improve understanding around fibre and to make higher-fibre options accessible, affordable and appealing across the food environment.”
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