Functional Fibre

The project aims to develop new functional food ingredients from surplus food resources in Wales and use them to replace high calorie ingredients, such as fat, in the kinds of food that are particularly enjoyed by Welsh school children.

MilaCel is a project which aims to produce a dietary functional fibre from surplus and unused apples from food, juice and cider manufacture. The apple is carefully washed to remove any remaining sugars, before being gently dried to retain the cell structures. This results in a high water binding capacity, which allows the fibre to retain large amounts of water and mimic the textural functionality of fats and oils. Therefore MilaCel is able to replace up to 40% of fats and oils in food, without affecting the overall flavour and texture in the produce and, above all, without adding calories. The fibre is beneficial in a healthy diet to ensure longer periods of satiety and to improve digestion.