What is inulin?

Inulin is a natural soluble dietary fiber that comes from roots of the chicory plant. It is a carbohydrate composed of many units of fructose joined together (a polysaccharide).

Inulin is a traditional component of the human diet. It is naturally present in fruit and vegetables like onions, leek, bananas and garlic, among many other plants. Chicory roots are the main commercial source for inulin. For this reason, this food ingredient is often labelled as chicory root fiber. It has significant, scientifically-proven health benefits. Inulin can be applied to develop tasty, healthy food products. Besides fiber enrichment it can be used to replace sugar and fat while improving taste and mouthfeel.

Synonyms of inulin

Inulin and oligofructose, also called fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), belong to the class of fructan carbohydrates. Other synonyms for these healthy food ingredients are chicory root fiber and chicory root extract. Here the word inulin refers to all types of inulins, including oligofructose and chicory root fiber.

Sensus brand names

With just hot water, the inulin is extracted from the roots. Inulin comes in a range of powders and liquids with different technological properties. Sensus supplies its ingredients under the brand names Frutafit® inulin and Frutalose® oligofructose. Frutafit® comprises a range of powdered inulin products with different technological properties. Frutalose® is partially hydrolyzed inulin: oligofructose. Both powders and liquids have similar nutritional and health properties. With these innovative ingredients, we believe that we can make the world a little healthier by helping you develop value-added products, ones that meet the growing consumer demand for healthy and tasty food and beverages worldwide.