Beneo oligofructose's potential in obesity

Belgium's ORAFTI Active Food Ingredients, a subsidiary of the agro-food group Raffinerie Tirlemontoise/Tiense Suikerraffinaderji, says that the results of a recent study suggest that when Beneo oligofructose is incorporated into the diet it can limit feelings of hunger, thereby lowering energy intake.

The product belongs to a group of oligosaccharides called inulins, which are produced by some plants as an energy store.

Anne Franck, executive vice president of science and technology at ORAFTI, said that the induction of satiety that the compound brings about may provide a novel approach to the management of body weight and help to control obesity. A previously-completed study of the compound in an animal model found that it lowered both food intake and body weight, which provided the rationale for the initiation of assessment of the product as a treatment for human obesity.