Tag: Fiber measurement

According to the European Food Safety Authority, recommended daily fiber intake is based on AOAC standards, while the WHO references NSP values, highlighting a key difference in global nutritional science. What is the difference between NSP and AOAC fiber, and why does this distinction matter for consumers and food manufacturers alike?

The original chemical analysis method for fiber, developed in the 19th century, was famously inaccurate, often underestimating the true fiber content by over 50%. This imprecision is the key to why it is called crude fiber, reflecting a time when food chemistry was less advanced.

According to the National Research Council, crude fiber is a nutritionally obsolete term that has been largely replaced by more accurate methods for determining fiber content. But what exactly is crude fiber, and why was it used? It refers to the indigestible residue left after a standardized chemical treatment of plant material, primarily consisting of cellulose and lignin.