Inulin Fibre Powder: what to compare on a 250 g pouch

Inulin is its own ingredient

Inulin is a plant fibre, and it is not the same thing as psyllium husk. The two sit in the same part of a shop but their labels are not comparable line for line.

Start by reading what this pouch says, rather than carrying across assumptions from another fibre powder.

The source plant should be named

Inulin is extracted from plants, and the ingredients list is where the source is named. A pouch that says only inulin has given you the ingredient without its origin.

• Source plant named in the ingredients list
• Whether the pouch is a single ingredient or a blend
• Any flavouring, sweetener or anti caking agent, all of which must be declared

Fibre per portion, then per 100 g

Nutrition information carries the fibre figure against the stated portion. That is the number you compare, with the per 100 g column as a cross check.

250 g against 300 g is not a comparison

Pouch sizes in this category vary, so comparing a 250 g pouch with a 300 g one by pack price alone rewards the bigger bag rather than the better label.

Work out the price per 100 g, then read the fibre per portion for each. Two steps, and the pouch sizes stop mattering.

Directions belong to the manufacturer

How to mix inulin, and how much liquid to use, are directions printed on the label. They are not something to take from a guide or from a different product in the same category.

What the label tells you

The full ingredients list, the amount per portion, allergens, dietary suitability, directions and storage are printed on the pack.

Read the label before you take any supplement, and check the product page for the format, pack size and price before you buy.