Polydextrose is a fibre ingredient used to add bulk and help create texture. It is made mainly from glucose, but its joined parts act differently from normal sugar. Much of it escapes digestion in the small intestine.
The name is less familiar than honey. That says something about your shopping history, not whether the ingredient has a useful job.
A bar needs more than sweetness
Sugar adds bulk and texture as well as taste. Removing it leaves a recipe problem to solve. This fibre adds bulk and helps give the food its feel. [1]
That is why FEERO's brief includes it to help hold the bar together. A small bar must hold together, feel good to chew and meet its calorie goals.
Those are real needs. The fibre does not need a story about hand picked produce to justify helping meet them.
Read calorie numbers correctly
Research often gives an energy value of about one calorie per gram for this fibre. That estimate does not mean you should recalculate an Indian food label using your preferred number. [1]
FSSAI's general label rule counts two calories per gram of fibre. The final label must follow the rules that apply to the product. [2]
The useful consumer check is the finished serving's calories and protein. An ingredient's low energy value does not automatically make every recipe efficient.
Give it the right credit
Trials have tested its effects on hunger and the gut. A trial in adults with constipation did not find that food moved through the gut faster with the tested doses. Some symptoms got better. That is a different result. [3]
A good texture ingredient does not need to be sold as a treatment. Its job in the food is already a good reason to use it.
Like other fibres used by gut microbes, large amounts cause discomfort for some people. Check your portion and the rest of the day's fibre if symptoms appear. Our bloating guide covers that issue.
Judge this fibre by its job, dose and effect on the whole recipe. FEERO's goal is useful protein with calories kept in check and good taste. An ingredient that helps solve that job deserves assessment, not rejection because its name takes a moment to read.