EU Regulator Approves Fibre Additive for Use in Foods

The European Food Safety Authority has approved inulin-propionate ester, or IPE, as safe to eat. The fibre can be added to foods such as breads, smoothies and cereals. @NewScientist reported that products containing IPE could reach EU shelves within the next year.

Gary Frost of Imperial College London stated that daily consumption prevents weight gain in middle-aged people. In a trial of 60 overweight participants aged 40-65, a 10-gram dose raised blood levels of GLP-1 and PYY and reduced food intake. After six months none of the IPE group gained significant weight, while 17 percent of controls did.

The only reported side effect was increased flatulence. A separate trial of 270 people aged 20-40 found no difference in body weight after one year, yet the IPE group gained more than one kilogram of fat-free mass on average. Frost said most people cannot taste added IPE, though a small proportion detect bitterness.

IPE was created 15 years ago by attaching propionate to inulin. Frost and Douglas Morrison spent 12 years securing the EU approval. The UK regulator is expected to follow the decision. Frost and Morrison are in discussions with companies about launching IPE-containing products.

Brendan Gabriel of the University of Aberdeen noted that the trials involved small numbers for the weight-gain findings in older adults and did not specify whether increased lean mass was muscle.