New research from Serbia has flagged up the antioxidant benefits and shelf life extension properties of a sugar beet fibre derived ingredient, Fibrex, when added to cookies.

Fibrex, produced by Nordic Sugar, is produced by a clean drying process. Building on previous research, the Serbian research team compared it with treated sugar beet fibre (TF) that had been extracted with sulphurous acid and treated with hydrogen peroxide.

Earlier research, said the authors, indicated that the particle size and colourless and odourless properties of sugar beet fibre make it a ‘promising ingredient' in the formulation of cookies.

The Serbian team's findings, published in the journal Sugar Industry, indicate that the substitution of wheat flour with commercially available Fibrex in cookie formulation upgraded the antioxidant activity and could prolong their shelf life.

There was no impact on the shelf life of cookies produced with the hydrogen peroxide treated fibre, observed the team.

"The better antioxidant activities of Fibrex-enriched cookies could be attributed to the presence of ferulic acid," concluded the researchers.