ATCHISON, Kan., June 21, 2016--MGP announced that its Fibersym® RW resistant wheat starch meets the criteria for the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new definition of dietary fiber.  This occurs in tandem with the FDA’s issuance of a recent directive requiring significant changes to labeling that appears on packaged foods.

The daily value for dietary fiber as it will appear in nutrition facts labels under the new directive was increased from 25 grams per day to 28 grams per day, which reflects a 12 percent increase.

Published in the Federal Register (Volume 81, No. 103) on May 27, the directive becomes effective approximately two years from now, on July 26, 2018. Its purpose is to help ensure that nutrition facts labels provide information on the healthfulness of foods and allow consumers to make informed choices on the foods they purchase and eat.

In the definition of dietary fiber, resistant starch is included under isolated non-digestible carbohydrates. While an isolated or synthetic fiber is only required to show one beneficial physiological effect in humans, Fibersym RW demonstrates several.

“Results of several university clinical studies confirm the many benefits of Fibersym RW and identify the ingredient as an outstanding dietary fiber source,” said Ody Maningat, Ph.D., vice president of research and development and chief science officer at MGP. “These benefits include improved laxation, reduced levels of blood glucose/insulin, decreased blood cholesterol and improved gut health.”

According to Dr. Maningat, the FDA relies on established AOAC dietary fiber methods or other equivalent AOAC fiber methods to determine the dietary fiber content of foods. "Following approvals of Fibersym RW by regulatory agencies in the United States, these clinical studies were instrumental in obtaining widespread international approval of Fibersym RW in Canada, Mexico and the European Union,” he said.

Mike Buttshaw, vice president of ingredients sales and marketing stated, “We are pleased that the new FDA issuance includes resistant starch in the fiber definition and recognizes its potential to provide physiological benefits. Our Fibersym RW is widely used in the U.S. and worldwide by food scientists and formulators to boost the total dietary fiber content of food products. It is one of the most studied, tested and proven forms of resistant starches in the market today.”

As with MGP’s other specialty wheat starches, Fibersym RW is non-GMO Project Verified.  It also offers a clean flavor profile while delivering a minimum total dietary fiber content of 85%. Likewise, with its bright white color, fine smooth texture and neutral flavor profile, Fibersym RW blends well with other ingredients to produce tasty, nutritionally enriched bakery goods, pastas and many other flour-based products in which it provides a convenient one-to-one partial flour replacement.

Dr. Maningat also noted that MGP’s production facility meets international food safety guidelines such as the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and received a Grade AA in its most recent British Retail Consortium (BRC) audit.

For additional details about MGP’s Fibersym RW, visit mgpingredients.com, or contact Mike Buttshaw at 913-360-5235. Information will also be available at booth No. 602 for persons attending the 2016 IFT Expo in Chicago, July 17-19.

About MGP

Celebrating its 75th anniversary, MGP is a leading supplier of premium distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches. Distilled spirits include bourbon and rye whiskeys, gins and vodkas, which are carefully crafted through a combination of art and science backed by decades of experience. The company's proteins and starches are created in the same manner and provide a host of functional, nutritional and sensory benefits for a wide range of food products. MGP additionally is a top producer of high quality industrial alcohol for use in both food and non-food applications. The company is headquartered in Atchison, Kansas, where distilled alcohol products and food ingredients are produced. Premium spirits are also distilled and matured at the company’s facility in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. For more information, visit mgpingredients.com.