London-based Tate & Lyle, a global provider of food and beverage solutions and ingredients, said it launched Fibre University — a new online modular course designed to help formulators and food scientists solve even the toughest fiber formulation challenges at a time when most people are not getting enough fiber in their diets.

According to the company, selecting the appropriate fiber is key to solving challenges relating to taste, texture, nutrition, processing and labeling for new and reformulated food products. This online course is designed to help formulators address these issues and to provide a forum for them to hear about and discuss the latest science and trends relating to fiber.

Tate & Lyle said the first module — entitled “Fibre Fundamentals” — will take place at 11 a.m. CST on Feb. 10, 2021. The one-hour session will cover the basic principles of formulating with fiber, including the different types of fiber available, their processing and manufacturing performance and how to solve specific formulation challenges such as sugar and calorie reduction with fiber. Registration is free and accessible via https://bit.ly/3pFEvVI.

“Research shows that most people around the globe are not getting enough fiber in their diet and, as a result, are missing out on a host of health benefits,” said Kavita Karnik, Ph.D., global head of nutrition and regulatory affairs for Tate & Lyle. “At the same time, as many as 52% of consumers want to increase their fiber intake. This gives food and drink manufacturers a prime opportunity to support consumers by fortifying their products with fiber.”

Tate & Lyle said its launch of Fibre University follows the success of Texture University and Sweetener University, which attracted several thousand attendees worldwide.