Inulin in food products.
| Food products | Functions of inulin | Interpretation/Mechanism | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-fat yogurt | Fat replacer, texture improver | Inulin forms a gel-like structure that mimics fat texture, improving creaminess, viscosity, and mouthfeel in low-fat yogurt. | [18] |
| Ice cream | Fat replacer, texture improver, stabilizer | Inulin forms a microcrystalline gel network that mimics the creamy sensation of fat, improving body, smoothness, and mouthfeel in reduced-fat ice cream. It also increases viscosity, improves melting stability, & reduces ice crystal growth through water binding capacity. | [121] |
| Cheese | Fiber enrichment, texture improver, moisture retainer | Inulin interacts with the cheese protein matrix and binds water, improving softness, creaminess, and moisture retention. | [122] |
| Bread | Texture improver, fiber enrichment, anti-staling agent, glycemic response reducer | Inulin increases water absorption and dough viscosity through hydrogen bonding with water and starch components. It improves crumb softness and delays staling by reducing starch retrogradation during storage. It also slows carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption, contributing to a lower glycemic response. | [123] |
| Biscuits & cakes | Sugar replacer, texture modifier, moisture retainer | Inulin provides partial sweetness similar to sugar due to fructose residues while increasing water binding capacity in batter systems. Different degree of polymerization (DP) influence viscosity, batter aeration, softness, and final texture of cakes and biscuits. It also helps retain moisture and improve product stability during storage. | [49] |
| Meat sausage | Fat replacer and water-binding agent, texture improver | Inulin forms a microcrystalline gel network with high water-holding capacity, improving emulsion stability, texture, juiciness, and reducing cooking loss in reduced-fat meat. | [124] |
| Beef burger | Rheological modifier and fat mimetic | Inulin with different degrees of polymerization enhances viscosity and gel formation, mimicking the lubricating and structural properties of fat in meat matrices. | [51] |
| Fermented beverages | Prebiotic and probiotic stabilizer | Inulin acts as a fermentable substrate for probiotic microorganisms, enhancing bacterial viability, metabolic activity, and storage stability. | [125] |
SSS: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. AD, NP, and SKS: Conceptualization, Investigation, Project administration, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing—review & editing. All authors read and approved the submitted version.
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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