Cotswold Flour Backs Fibre February Again in 2024

 

Following the news that 90% of UK Adults aren’t getting enough fibre in their diet, Matthews Cotswold Flour is joining the Fibre February campaign again this year to promote awareness of the importance of fibre on our plates.

Research undertaken by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and the Flour Advisory Bureau (FAB Flour) has shown that the majority of UK adults are getting less than 20g of the recommended 30g of fibre in their diets daily. This shortfall in foods to fibre intake remains an issue that Matthews Cotswold Flour believes needs to be addressed.

Dr Stacey Lockyer, BSc(hons) MSc PhD RNutr, senior nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said: “Fibre helps to keep our gut healthy and can help reduce constipation. A high fibre diet may help to reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer.

“However, on average, intakes of fibre in the UK are well below recommendations in all age groups. To get enough fibre in our diets it is important to include a variety of fibre-providing foods regularly, such as wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, brown pasta or rice, fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts, seeds, and potatoes with skins.”

For these reasons Matthews is once more joining UK Flour Millers, the UK’s flour industry trade body, along with a range of high-profile organisations to help raise this pressing dietary concern in 2024. Other organisations involved include: the British Nutrition Foundation, Food a Fact of Life, Food & Drink Federation (FDF), and the Federation of Bakers.

Joshua Grocott, Head of Marketing at Matthews Cotswold Flour, said: “We are committing to undertaking a range of measures this Fibre February. In addition to discounting some of our high in fibre Rye and Ancient Grain flours throughout the month, we will also be sharing Cotswold Flour recipes with an added digital focus on Fibre with our Baking Club and social communities.”

Malted Rye Sandwich Loaf Recipe

The FDF notes that only one in three people know that the adults should consume 30g of fibre daily. Beyond that, around 70% of people can’t say if they meet this recommended amount, which has led FAB Flour to recommend that 75% of women and 50% of men increase their fibre consumption.

Paula Papa, UK Flour Millers’ technical and regulatory affairs officer who has a MSc in food science, said: “High dietary fibre intake is associated with increased gut microbiota diversity. Fibre can increase good bacteria and have anti-inflammatory effects. Our industry is appropriately placed to bridge the gap in fibre intake because although wholemeal wheat flour has the most fibre, all wheat flours contain fibre.”

The team at Matthews Cotswold Flour agrees that the importance of fibre from flour-based UK foods cannot be overstated. FDF data highlights the fact that cereals and cereal products make up the largest contribution of foods to fibre intake.

Flour is one of the most common food ingredients in the UK, present in about a third of all supermarket food products. Matthews is proud to be supporting our friends at UK Flour Millers in their aim to increase awareness and consumption of fibre throughout Fibre February and beyond.