Tens of millions of British shoppers are in the dark over how much fibre they should be eating, according to a new study.
Research commissioned by the FDF shows the average consumer thinks they should be getting just 12.4g of fibre a day, less than half of the government’s recommendation.
Meanwhile just 7% of people know they should be getting 30g of fibre a day, which the FDF said meant millions could be missing out on a range of potential health benefits, from improved digestive health to reduced risk of bowel disease and diabetes.
The survey of 2,000 Brits aged over 18, carried out by Censuswide in May, found whilst nearly two-thirds of people (65.3%) said they were aware fibre improves digestive health and nearly half (49.5%) were aware it can reduce the risk of bowel disease, less people (35%) were aware a high-fibre diet could reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
In 2015, the UK government boosted its recommended fibre intake guidelines, taking it from 24g to 30g.
However, the FDF said with no public health campaign to raise awareness it was unsurprising that recent government data shows people aren’t reaching the 30g target. The average Brit eats just 16g of fibre a day, with only 4% achieving the daily recommendation according to the latest government stats.
The FDF said its Action on Fibre initiative aimed to bridge the gap between the nation’s fibre intake and the dietary recommendation. In the past year, participating brands have provided 118 million portions of fibre.
“Boosting the amount of fibre in your diet is an easy win for your health. And food and drink brands are working hard to make it even simpler to do by developing recipes that help us all to get more fibre,” said FDF chief scientific officer Kate Halliwell.
“With more needing to be done to help people identify sources of fibre, FDF is calling for government to support the industry’s efforts to increase awareness of the importance of fibre for our health and the foods that provide fibre to our diets. This includes through positive and practical public health messaging, amplified by industry, championing the healthy choices people can make to support their wellbeing.”
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