Fiber obtained from fruit or vegetable byproducts

Abstract

A fiber extracted from a fruit or vegetable byproduct is provided, the extracted fiber having a molecular weight of between about 5000 grams/mol (g/mol) and about 8000 g/mol, or a pectic oligosaccharide having a molecular weight of between about 300 g/mol and 2500 g/mol. The fiber may be extracted using physical methods or a combination of a physical method to break the fruit or vegetable byproduct cell walls and enzymatic hydrolysis. Also, a comestible containing the extracted fiber is provided. A method for producing a soluble fiber is further provided including reducing the particle size of a fruit or vegetable byproduct, subjecting the byproduct particles to a physical process to break cell walls of the particles, adding one or more enzymes, mixing or agitating the particles, and filtering the byproduct particles to provide a retentate and a permeate. The permeate contains the soluble fiber, which is optionally a prebiotic fiber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.