Texture-Controlled Fiber Ingredient Containing Viscous Soluble Fiber and Consumable Food and Fiber Supplement Products Incorporating Same

A fiber supplement, comprising:

• a. a viscous soluble fiber system, the viscous soluble fiber system consisting of a partially hydrated viscous soluble fiber source and an acid-reversible gel encapsulating the partially hydrated viscous soluble fiber source, the acid-reversible gel included at a ratio of 30:1 to 6:1 by dry weight viscous soluble fiber source to acid-reversible gel, and maintaining the viscous soluble fiber source in a partially hydrated state over a shelf life of at least 30 days;
• b. a dehydrated viscous soluble fiber system, the dehydrated viscous soluble fiber system being an edible dry composition consisting essentially of a viscous soluble fiber source, acid-reversible gel-forming compound, and a divalent cation in an amount sufficient to cross-link the acid-reversible gel-forming compound, the ratio of viscous soluble fiber source to acid-reversible gel-forming compound being 30:1 to 6:1 by dry weight, where at least a portion of the of the acid-reversible gel-forming compound is non-crosslinked;
• or
• c. a texture-controlled fiber ingredient and a divalent cation, the texture-controlled fiber ingredient being an edible dry composition consisting essentially of a viscous soluble fiber source and a non-crosslinked acid-reversible gel-forming compound at a ratio of 30:1 to 6:1 by dry weight viscous soluble fiber source to acid-reversible gel-forming compound.

A method of making a fiber supplement, the method comprising:

• a. combining an edible ingredient with a texture-controlled fiber ingredient, the texture-controlled fiber ingredient being an edible dry composition consisting essentially of a viscous soluble fiber source and a non-crosslinked acid-reversible gel-forming compound at a ratio of 30:1 to 6:1 by dry weight viscous soluble fiber source to acid-reversible gel-forming compound;
• contacting the texture-controlled fiber ingredient with a divalent cation solution in an amount sufficient to cross-link the acid-reversible gel-forming compound to form a first composition comprising the edible ingredient and a viscous soluble fiber system, the viscous soluble fiber system consisting of a partially hydrated viscous soluble fiber source and an acid-reversible gel encapsulating the partially hydrated viscous soluble fiber source;
• and forming the first composition into the fiber supplement;
• b. combining the edible ingredient with a dehydrated viscous soluble fiber system to form a second composition, the dehydrated viscous soluble fiber system being an edible dry composition consisting essentially of a viscous soluble fiber source, acid-reversible gel-forming compound, and a divalent cation in an amount sufficient to cross-link the acid-reversible gel-forming compound, the ratio of viscous soluble fiber source to acid-reversible gel-forming compound being 30:1 to 6:1 by dry weight, where at least a portion of the of the acid-reversible gel-forming compound is non-crosslinked;
• and forming the second composition into the fiber supplement;
• or
• c. combining the edible ingredient with the texture-controlled fiber ingredient and a divalent cation source to form a third composition;
• and forming the third composition into the fiber supplement.

A method of making a dehydrated viscous soluble fiber system, comprising:

• a. providing a texture-controlled fiber ingredient, the texture-controlled fiber ingredient being an edible dry composition consisting essentially of a viscous soluble fiber source and a non-crosslinked acid-reversible gel-forming compound at a ratio of 30:1 to 6:1 by dry weight viscous soluble fiber source to acid-reversible gel-forming compound, wherein the viscous soluble fiber source comprises psyllium husk and the acid-reversible gel-forming compound comprises pectin;
• b. contacting the texture-controlled fiber ingredient with a divalent cation solution in an amount sufficient to cross-link the acid-reversible gel-forming compound and form a viscous soluble fiber system, wherein contact of the divalent cation solution with the texture-controlled fiber ingredient is insufficient to cross-link at least a portion of the acid-reversible gel-forming compound;
• and
• c. drying the viscous soluble fiber system to a moisture content of less than 12% to form the dehydrated viscous soluble fiber system, wherein the dehydrated viscous soluble fiber system includes the viscous soluble fiber source and at least a portion of the of the acid-reversible gel-forming compound that is non-crosslinked.