The fibreboom in summary:
- Fibre searches surge 5,000% as gut health goes global
- TikTok’s fibremaxxing fuels mainstream demand
- High‑fibre claims accelerate across snacks and drinks
- GLP‑1 diets create fresh opportunity for fibre‑rich foods
- Precision fibres signal the next innovation frontier
Forget protein goals, TikTok is obsessed with fibre right now.
From recipes for black bean smoothies to chickpea-loaded salads and Psyllium Husk hydration, the hashtag ‘fibremaxxing’ has been viewed 150 million times on the social platform.
But this isn’t some social media bubble primed to pop at any moment. No. It’s bigger than that.
Searches for gut health and high fibre foods have risen no less than 5,000% in the last five years, according to Google trends data, with high-fibre claims now seen positively by 78% of consumers in Western Europe and 77% in Eastern Europe, according to NIQ. In the UK, nearly half (47.5%) of consumers say they’ve actively tried to increase their fibre intake in the last three months, according to exclusive survey data by Attest.
A proliferation of high-fibre product launches has followed, spanning cereals, snacks and soft drinks, to name but a few. According to Innova Market Insights, CAGR growth for high fibre claims already increased by 5.4% between 2020 and 2025 – and it’s accelerating.
“Fibre’s rise has been building for a while, but it’s recently had a real cultural shift,” says Kate Overy, nutrition science and communications lead at Oatly. “Traditionally seen as functional and unglamorous, it’s been propelled into the spotlight by the gut health boom, with trends like “fibremaxxing” gaining traction on social media and driving a surge in mainstream interest.”
That’s right. After decades (and decades) of warnings from dietitians urging consumers to increase their fibre intake falling on deaf ears, it’s now the hottest new trend in food and drink. So, what’s triggered this new fibre fixation? And what long-term potential does it hold for manufacturers?
“Fibre is definitely having a bit of a moment – moving from a niche health concern into the mainstream,” says Sam Killip, VP of Insight at Attest. “Our data suggests this isn’t just a passing social media trend either.”
In the UK, for example, 52% of people say they haven’t even seen the buzz on platforms like TikTok and only 7.3% say social media has directly motivated them. Instead, says Killip, “it’s driven by much more familiar, no-nonsense reasons”. A desire to improve general health leads (62.9%) followed closely by gut health (59.8%).
Lani Smith, project delivery executive at HRA Global agrees that growing interest in gut health is at the crux of the trend. “Fibre is being understood as a functional ingredient that can influence not only gastrointestinal health, but also inflammation, metabolic pathways and aspects of mental wellbeing.”
From niche to mainstream
Prebiotic fibre, for example, a type of non-digestible plant carbohydrate found in artichokes, garlic and onions, passes through the upper gastrointestinal tract to feed ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, boosting production of postbiotics, like short-chain fatty acids. “These compounds are now associated with a range of physiological benefits, including modulation of immune response and signalling along the microbiota–gut–brain axis,” says Smith.
Crucially, while the first wave of products addressing gut health tended to revolve around pricey probiotics and supplements or even microbiome testing, upping fibre intake presents people with a more affordable, straightforward and evidence-based option, says Anthony Warner, development chef at New Food Innovation.
“Increasing fibre consumption is a cheap, effective way to improve gut health and unlike probiotics, there are actually some on-pack claims that can be made with the right types of fibre ingredients,” he says.
“Add to all that the potential issues around the diets of GLP-1 agonist users, who are likely to be eating smaller portions, and there is an increasing need for products that are fibre rich to help people eat a balanced diet.”
It was perhaps no coincidence therefore that retailer Marks & Spencer timed the unveiling of its own research into consumers’ fibre gap earlier this year with the rollout of its Nutrient Dense line-up, a range of 20 products containing high amounts of fibre and positioned as suitable for those on GLP-1 medications for weight loss.
Snacks, soft drinks and cereals
For Smith, all this “positions fibre as a credible, long-term health ingredient with significant headroom - particularly as European consumers shift toward preventative health and more holistic definitions of wellbeing”.
On the one hand, the trend has prompted those brands and manufacturers that have long been touting their fibre to elevate that messaging for a new captive audience.
Weetabix, for example, refreshed its packaging earlier this year to elevate the focus on fibre derived from wholegrain wheat. “That approach is resonating,” says Lorraine Rothwell, the brand’s head of marketing, with its Weetabix Original SKU in growth “showing ongoing demand for trusted, fibre-rich breakfast options”.
At Oatly too, “as a brand rooted in oats, fibre has always been a core part of Oatly’s nutritional profile,” says Overy.
But the versatility of fibre means that its potential extends across the full gamut of grocery categories, including those not typically associated with the macronutrient.
“From a formulation perspective, fibre has historically been underutilised relative to other functional ingredients such as protein,” says Smith. “However, it presents relatively few technical barriers: it is typically cost-effective, used at low inclusion rates, and often neutral in flavour, making it compatible with a wide range of applications.”
As a result, though claims are surging in more predictable areas – growing at 15% CAGR in 2025 versus 2020 in fruit and vegetables, according to Innova Market Insights – they’re also gaining traction in far less typical areas like meat substitutes (16% CAGR) and ice-cream and desserts (15% CAGR).
In November, for example, plant-based alternatives brand THIS launched its gut friendly Chestnut, Mushroom and Caramelised Onion Nut Roast ahead of Christmas, with the use of nuts, seeds, and vegetables meeting the threshold for a high in fibre claim.
Snacks are another high-growth area. Eat Natural added new high-fibre Soft Fruit bars to its low-calorie portfolio in February. In March, PepsiCo unveiled both Fiber Chips and Smartfood Fiber Pop in the US, as part of its own strategy to bump up fibre.
The Fiber Chips are made from wholegrains and black beans, providing 3g of fibre per serving. Fiber Pop meanwhile is a popcorn-based snack with double (6g) the fibre per serving. It also acquired prebiotic soda brand Poppi in 2025, a gut healthy soft drink that evolved from kitchen start-up to a $2bn proposition in less than 10 years thanks, in part, to how it harnessed appetite for fibre and gut health on platforms like TikTok.
Danone is another major manufacturer to have expanded its fibre-focused options last year, with launch of Activia Fibre Berries and Cereals. Alongside berries and wholegrain cereals, the product contains Oligofructose, a soluble dietary fibre typically derived from sources like chicory root.
Warner expects to see a similar tack taken by more and more manufacturers, with soluble fibres easy to add into formulations “without disrupting the product matrix too much.”
He has a word of warning, however: “We always advise developers to also look at other sources and try to include a wide variety of different fibre types,” he says.
That could include less soluble fibres from oats, peas, citrus or potato, particularly in areas like soups and sauces; Psyllium husk which can used in creating gels and beta-glucans from oats or barley which have the added benefit of authorised heart health claims.
Research into precision fibres, tailored strands that can deliver more targeted results, look set to unlock further opportunities still in the years ahead.
“Precision fibre remains an emerging concept, but it reflects a broader shift toward targeted nutrition,” believes Smith. “The opportunity lies in moving beyond generalised fibre claims toward specific, outcome-driven functionality. Different fibres selectively feed different microbial strains, and these strains can have distinct physiological effects. Over time, this opens the door to more tailored formulations – for example, fibres designed to support specific life stages or health conditions, from metabolic health to menopause or mood regulation.”
Myota, for example, is a UK-based company developing precision fibre blends tailored to both Type 2 diabetes and IBS. “While still early in commercial application, this represents a significant opportunity for differentiation in a crowded functional food market.”
Fibremaxxing out?
Just as the push to loading up protein has been met with some backlash though, are we at risk of fibremaxxing out?
There are risks around credibility given the swathe of new claims hitting the market, believes Warner. “Fibre testing is very difficult and complicated,” he says. “There are different types of tests, some of which do not pick up some of the more soluble fibre types. For things like resistant starch, it is unclear if any of the enzymic tests can pick it up at all. There is also a lot of inaccuracy in fibre testing, which can be a real problem when trying to validate a claim. We urgently need a cross industry group to work on creating more standardisation of protocols.”
But those concerns aside, there’s little sign that fibre is approaching critical mass.
A systematic review by Tate & Lyle in 2019 found most countries were still well below the 25-29g RDA, with the fibre gap particularly notable in Argentina (10.9g), China (11.7g) and Chile (12.8g).
Consumers – and TikTokkers alike – are crying out for easier ways to plug this gap, believes Mimi Morley, senior recipe development manager at HelloFresh. “There is a wealth of information now available on why fibre is so important, and this speaks to a broad mainstream audience, so in turn we are seeing a significant shift in how consumers think about fibre, and their nutrition.”
“Is this another cycle, a modern-day echo of the F-plan era of the 80’s, or something with real staying power?” asks Killip. “Time will tell. But for now, it feels less like a flash-in-the-pan trend and more like a slow, sensible upgrade to how people think about everyday health.”