Comparison of dietary fiber contents of selected baby foods from two major brands in Canada using three methods

Of the two major brands of baby foods in Canada, one reports lower dietary fiber values than the other, although the products appear to be similar. To investigate the reasons for this discrepancy, seven selected samples of baby foods from both brands were analyzed for total dietary fiber (TDF) according to the Mongeau (rapid Health Protection Branch; HPB) method. Two cereals were also analyzed by using the Prosky and the Englyst (nonstarch polysaccharide; NSP) methods as an internal check on the methodology as well as a means of investigating the reasons for the discrepancies. The sampling included at least four different lots of each product (cereals, fruits, vegetables, and legumes). Each lot was analyzed individually. The TDF values determined using the rapid HPB method were in agreement with those obtained by other dietary fiber methods. Comparison between manufacturer-reported and measured values showed that the low values reported in brand A products were due, in part, to under-reporting of TDF content: measured TDF values were significantly higher than manufacturer-reported values. For brand B products, the manufacturer-reported and measured TDF values were in general agreement. This shows that a large part of the discrepancy between the two brands was due to methodological problems associated with measuring TDF in brand A. Differences in TDF content were also apparent as shown by the fact that brand A TDF values were consistently lower than those of brand B when both were measured by the same method. The differences in TDF content were not explained by differences in the polysaccharide composition of the fiber residues or by differences in water content. Although the limited number of samples does not allow any general conclusion about the TDF content of specific brands, the results show that formulation and/or manufacturing differences may influence TDF values in processed baby foods.